The EU Court of Justice ruled that the European Commission failed to justify its lack of documents regarding COVID-19 vaccine contracts with Pfizer, following a request from The New York Times. This ruling emphasizes the importance of transparency and accountability in the EU, particularly concerning ephemeral communications like text messages. MEP Tilly Metz and the EU Ombudsman have criticized the Commission's handling of transparency issues, calling for better documentation practices. The Commission plans to review the ruling and may appeal.