03 April 2026
A Belgian court has ruled in favor of Pfizer Inc., ordering Poland and Romania to pay a combined €1.9 billion for failing to meet their obligations under a large-scale COVID-19 vaccine procurement agreement.
The ruling stems from a 2021 contract negotiated by the European Commission on behalf of EU member states. Under its terms, countries committed to purchasing a predetermined number of doses. As the public health crisis stabilized and vaccine demand declined, Poland and Romania halted deliveries and ceased payments, prompting Pfizer to initiate legal action in 2023.
The dispute dates back to April 2022, when Poland stopped accepting deliveries and withheld payments for the vaccines. Warsaw invoked force majeure, arguing that the economic burden of Russia’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine required a reallocation of state funds. Polish officials also cited a reduced public health need, noting that the country already held a surplus of more than 20 million unused doses. However, the Brussels court rejected these arguments, asserting that the contractual obligations remained binding despite the changing geopolitical and epidemiological context.
The court ordered Poland to pay approximately €1.3 billion, while Romania was ordered to pay €0.6 billion. The decision underscores the legal enforceability of pandemic-era supply agreements, even as the global health landscape continues to evolve.