A Belgian court has postponed until October 15 the hearing regarding the Polish Air Navigation Agency’s (PAŻP) appeal against the seizure of its funds. This case is linked to an ongoing dispute involving Pfizer vaccines. Magdalena Jaworska–Maćkowiak, the head of PAŻP, remarked that the Agency has become a hostage in a dispute that does not concern it directly.
The PAŻP’s opposition is under review by the Chamber of Seizures at the French-speaking Court of First Instance in Brussels. On April 1, the court ruled that Poland must retrieve approximately 64 million doses of vaccines and pay the company 5.644 billion PLN.
On July 1, Eurocontrol informed PAŻP that due to the court ruling, funds from navigation fees had been seized. Jaworska–Maćkowiak stated, “Eighty percent of our revenue is seized. The scale of the enforcement would equate to five years of our income. This situation could severely impact air traffic control in Polish airspace.”
She expressed hope that the court considering PAŻP’s appeal would take into account the Additional Protocol concerning Eurocontrol, which came into force on August 9 and aims to enhance the organization’s immunity.
“It is intended to ensure that in the case of Poland or any other similar situation involving other PAŻP-like agencies in Europe, such third-party enforcement actions will never be possible again. This aspect was not addressed today,” she emphasized.
A representative for Pfizer defended the seizure of PAŻP’s funds in court, stating that if Poland had settled its debts, the situation would not have escalated to this extent.
The Belgian judge initially proposed delaying the case until January 2027, coinciding with Romania’s appeal regarding a similar case, where the Romanian aviation agency’s accounts were also seized following a favorable ruling for Pfizer. However, under pressure from Polish representatives, the judge agreed to expedite the hearing, which is now scheduled for October 15.
