On Thursday 16 February, the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament’s political groups decided not to withdraw or suspend the access of Pfizer’s Chief Executive Officer, Albert Bourla to the European Parliament, nor the access of other representatives of the company (see EUROPE 13098/9).
The coordinators of the special parliamentary committee set up to identify the lessons learned from the Covid-19 pandemic (COVI) had adopted on Wednesday 11 January the request of the Greens/EFA Group to ask for the suspension of Albert Bourla’s access to Parliament following the second refusal of the CEO of Pfizer to appear for a hearing before the committee (see EUROPE 13098/9).
Furthermore, the Conference of Presidents decided to invite the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, instead of the COVI Committee, to explain the third contract signed with Pfizer for the supply of Covid-19 vaccines.
MEP Michèle Rivasi (Greens/EFA, French) spoke out against these decisions.
The team of COVI President Kathleen Van Brempt (S&D, Belgian) is waiting for the response to this invitation. (Original version in French by Émilie Vanderhulst)