A Belgian court overturned an order to seize funds from Poland’s air-traffic control agency, PANSA, during a legal battle involving Pfizer. This ruling follows Pfizer’s efforts to enforce a €1.3 billion claim for COVID-19 vaccines that Poland ordered but later refused to receive and pay for.
PANSA wins asset freeze challenge
The ruling on Thursday followed a legal challenge by PANSA against the freezing of its funds. PANSA argued it was not a party to the dispute between Pfizer and the Polish state. In July this year, PANSA announced that Eurocontrol, which manages air traffic in Europe, had cut off fees paid to the agency. These fees account for around 80% of PANSA’s revenue.
PANSA chief Magdalena Jaworska-Mackowiak said the agency became a hostage in a case "that did not, in fact, concern us." She noted that the situation "created extreme difficulties, as we were relying on a ‘bridge’ financing arrangement that, under current law, could not provide us with long-term stability." The health ministry said the court confirmed PANSA’s funds belong to the agency and not the State treasury because the agency is a separate legal entity.
Pfizer pursues other enforcement avenues
Pfizer stated Thursday that the decision affects only one avenue of its efforts to enforce the April ruling. The company said it is taking "appropriate steps through established legal and contractual mechanisms to ensure compliance with the court’s [April] decision." The original dispute began in 2022 when Poland invoked a force majeure clause following the invasion of Ukraine.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Pfizer claim amount | €1.3 billion |
| Court ordered payment | Over 5.6 billion zloty |
| Vaccine doses owed | Approximately 64 million |
| PANSA revenue source | 80% from Eurocontrol fees |
Poland appealed the judgment in August 2026.
