Poland has challenged Pfizer's payment for unused COVID-19 vaccines
Poland has filed an appeal against a ruling by a Brussels court that ordered the country to accept approximately 64 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and pay Pfizer approximately 1.3 billion euros. Warsaw has also asked the court to suspend enforcement of the ruling until the appeal is resolved.
The Polish Ministry of Health stated that the court of first instance did not take into account all the factual and legal circumstances of the case.
“The court of first instance’s ruling does not take into account all relevant factual and legal circumstances,” the ministry emphasized.
The ministry also assured that it would use “all available legal remedies.” At the same time, the Polish side is not disclosing its arguments, citing the need to avoid harming national interests.
The dispute concerns a contract that the European Commission concluded with Pfizer in 2021 on behalf of the European Union member states.
In 2022, Poland stopped accepting the vaccines, citing a sharp decline in demand for the vaccines as well as the economic consequences of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.
In 2023, Pfizer filed lawsuits against Poland and Romania, demanding fulfillment of contractual obligations and payment for vaccine doses that had already been ordered but not accepted.
In April 2026, a Brussels court ruled in favor of Pfizer, finding that Poland remains obligated to fulfill the terms of the contract.
According to the court’s ruling, Warsaw must pay approximately 1.3 billion euros, plus interest and court costs.
Pfizer welcomed the court’s decision, stating that it reaffirms the importance of honoring the contracts upon which the European Union’s joint response to the COVID-19 pandemic was based.
The company also noted that the procurement system was based on the principles of solidarity among EU countries, and that for several years, Pfizer had sought to reach a compromise with member states and had offered more flexible terms of cooperation.
Now, the Court of Appeals must review Poland’s appeal and determine whether the collection of funds will be temporarily suspended while the legal proceedings are ongoing.
This is reported by Politico.
The pharmaceutical company Pfizer filed a lawsuit against the Polish government in a Brussels court, seeking compensation of approximately 6 billion zlotys for breach of contract regarding the supply of COVID-19 vaccines in 2022. This case is of significant importance for relations between governments and pharmaceutical companies during the pandemic.
Pfizer’s fall COVID-19 vaccination campaign in the U.S. got off to a rocky start, with sales of the Comirnaty vaccine falling by 25%. This occurred after federal regulators narrowed their recommendations, limiting the group of people advised to get vaccinated.
