The ruling, seen as a major victory for transparency campaigners, piles pressure on Ursula von der Leyen over the opaque nature of the EU's vaccine negotiations during the pandemic.

The EU Court found the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, responsible for concealing information about contracts for the purchase of vaccines against coronavirus in 2021-2023.

The European General Court says the Commission must disclose communications related to COVID-19 vaccine contracts.