2023-11-22 14:43 update: 2023-11-24, 15:00
Photo PAP/Rafal Guz
The Polish health minister has said there is chance to come to some agreement with US pharmaceutical company Pfizer which reportedly sued Poland for failing to fulfil the Covid vaccine contract.
The daily Dziennik Gazeta Prawna wrote on Wednesday that Pfizer had filed a lawsuit against Poland in a Brussels court because the first common vaccine purchase agreement by the European Commission for all EU member states is subject to Belgian legislation. Pfizer demands the payment of PLN 6 billion (EUR 1.37 bln) from Poland after the country refused to accept and pay for 60 million Covid-19 vaccines it no longer needed, despite a binding contract with the US company.
According to the newspaper, the first hearing is scheduled for December 6.
Katarzyna Sojka, the Polish health minister, was asked by TVN24 broadcaster on Wednesday whether a lawsuit can be avoided and some agreement reached with Pfizer instead.
She replied that the lawsuit "seems to be on" but "does not concern Poland only."
"These are lawsuits to be brought internationally. However, here we have a light (in the tunnel - PAP)... we are not alone in this issue, because there are more countries in the European Union that have a similar problem," Sojka said.
"There is some... chance to end this lawsuit in a good way," she added, explaining that "there is hope that Pfizer's demands in this form will not be fulfilled." (PAP)
mr/jd/mf
