In brief

• A Brussels court ruled that PAŻP's en-route charge funds belong to the agency, not the state, and cannot be seized over the Pfizer vaccine dispute.
• The court annulled the 25 June 2026 seizure order that Pfizer had obtained.
• The underlying dispute concerns about 64 million COVID-19 vaccine doses and PLN 5.644 billion Poland was ordered to pay Pfizer.

Court rules agency funds are separate from the state treasury

The French-speaking Court of First Instance in Brussels on 12 November 2026 ruled in favour of Poland, finding that the seizure of en-route charges owed to the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency (PAŻP), collected through EUROCONTROL, was unjustified (Komunikat dotyczący wyroku w sprawie zajęcia opłat trasowych należnych Polskiej Agencji Żeglugi Powietrznej – Ministerstwo Zdrowia) (Polska kontra Pfizer. Sąd zablokował możliwość sięgnięcia po pieniądze PAŻP – Rzeczpospolita) (Korzystna dla PAŻP decyzja sądu w Belgii. W tle spór z Pfizerem o szczepionki – RMF24) (Pfizer zablokował aktywa PAŻP. Jest decyzja sądu w Brukseli – Polsat News). The Ministry of Health and PAŻP had filed objections to the seizure.

What the court decided

The court held that the en-route charge money belongs to PAŻP rather than the state treasury. According to the Ministry of Health, the agency is a separate legal entity with its own assets and independent financial management, and it is not liable for the state's obligations. The court therefore annulled the 25 June 2026 order under which Pfizer had seized these receivables.

Background to the dispute

The case stems from Poland's refusal to take delivery of COVID-19 vaccines bought from Pfizer. In April 2026 a Belgian court ruled for the drugmaker, ordering Poland to accept about 64 million vaccine doses and pay Pfizer PLN 5.644 billion (Spór o szczepionki. Jest decyzja Belgów w sprawie środków PAŻP – Business Insider Polska). On 1 July, EUROCONTROL informed PAŻP that accounts receiving navigation charges had been frozen under that ruling.

Agency's argument

PAŻP relied on an additional protocol to the agreement between the Kingdom of Belgium and EUROCONTROL, which took effect on 9 August. The protocol strengthened protection for en-route charge revenue. The agency argued it was not a party to the dispute between Pfizer and the Polish state.

Government response

The Ministry of Health said the ruling is important for Poland, as it supports the position that the agency's receivables should not be subject to enforcement in a dispute to which PAŻP is not a party. The ministry said the state treasury will keep using the legal remedies available to it, while respecting the competences and independence of Belgian courts.