Poland to destroy 64 mln Covid-19 vaccines after lost court case
Poland will have to destroy 64 million Covid-19 vaccines that a Brussels court ordered Warsaw to pay for and collect from US pharma giant Pfizer, the health minister has said.
A court of first instance in Brussels ruled on Wednesday that Poland must accept COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and pay the company PLN 5.64 billion (EUR 1.32 billion).
Jolanta Sobieranska-Grenda said at a press conference on Thursday: "This six billion zlotys means 64 million doses of the vaccine which we will be obliged to collect and which will be disposed of."
The health minister complained that the money could have been used for much needed investments in Polish healthcare but instead would be wasted.
The dispute stems from a 2021 contract signed by the European Commission with Pfizer on behalf of EU member states, under which Poland agreed to purchase a set number of doses but refused further deliveries in 2022, prompting the company to sue in September 2023.
The court found no irregularities in the procurement process and ruled that Poland must accept the remaining doses, pay PLN 5.644 billion (EUR 1.32 billion) plus interest and take delivery of around 64 million vaccines.
The health ministry said on Wednesday Poland would use all available legal means to challenge the ruling, adding that the judgment requires detailed analysis, particularly regarding its execution and delivery schedule.
The court also ruled that Poland had not met the conditions to terminate the contract and had not proven abuse of a dominant position by Pfizer, adding that neither the war in Ukraine nor the decline in infections justified modifying the agreement.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on X on Wednesday that the previous government had ordered vaccines it neither collected nor paid for, adding that Poland would now bear the cost.
The Brussels court also ruled that Romania must accept vaccines and pay EUR 600 million, while Poland’s Supreme Audit Office earlier questioned vaccine purchases worth nearly PLN 10 billion (EUR 2.33 billion). (PAP)
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