In addition to this step, the COVID committee also wants to invite European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to a hearing on the lack of transparency regarding vaccine contracts. This discussion has been going on for some time, just think of the much-discussed SMS traffic between Von der Leyen and Pfizer. Previously, the European Ombudsman and the European Court of Auditors had already strongly criticized the lack of transparency regarding the largest vaccine contract in the European Union.
“I am delighted that the political group coordinators have accepted my proposal to start both procedures,” said Kathleen Van Brempt. “The European Union has spent a lot of public money on the production and purchase of vaccines during the pandemic. Parliament has the right to obtain full transparency on the modalities of this expenditure and on the preparatory negotiations that preceded it”.
According to Van Brempt, transparency is “essential for guaranteeing the trust of our citizens in the European institutions and crucial for strengthening the resilience of the European Union, especially in times of crisis”.
