Wed May 14 04:55:18 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary of the text, followed by a news article based on that information:

**Summary:**

The Court of Justice of the European Union (EUCJ) is set to rule on a case concerning the EU Commission’s refusal to release text messages exchanged between Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla during COVID-19 vaccine negotiations. The New York Times sued the Commission, arguing that the messages should be subject to freedom of information requests. The Commission claims the texts weren’t archived because they didn’t contain substantive information. The EU ombudsman previously deemed the Commission’s handling of the texts as “maladministration.” The case raises questions about transparency in EU decision-making and the archiving of official communications.

**News Article:**

**EU Court to Rule on Transparency of Von der Leyen-Pfizer Text Messages**

**Luxembourg – May 14, 2025** – The Court of Justice of the European Union (EUCJ) is poised to deliver a crucial ruling today on whether the European Commission violated transparency regulations by withholding text messages exchanged between Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic vaccine negotiations.

The case stems from a lawsuit filed by The New York Times after the Commission refused to release the texts following a freedom of information request in 2023. The newspaper argues that the messages are relevant to public scrutiny of the EU’s vaccine procurement process.

The Commission maintains that the text messages were not archived because they did not contain “important information” related to policy decisions. EU officials stated that archiving is only required for communications with substantive content. They also point out that emails are routinely deleted after six months.

However, critics, including the EU’s ombudsman who previously called the situation “maladministration,” argue that the Commission’s handling of the messages raises concerns about transparency and accountability. Lawyers for The New York Times contend that officials should not be able to circumvent transparency requirements by using text messages instead of more formal communication channels.

The court’s decision, expected later today, could have significant implications for transparency within the European Union and the handling of official communications. The verdict is appealable. The procurement of Covid vaccines has been controversial because certain elements have been kept confidential. The outcome is closely watched by both media organizations and transparency advocates across Europe.

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