Brussels court to decide on ROMATSA account seizure amid Pfizer dispute
A Brussels first-instance tribunal will hear two cases on Monday concerning the seizure of ROMATSA’s accounts, which were frozen at Eurocontrol’s request in a Pfizer-related enforcement action.
On Monday, the Tribunal de première instance in Brussels will consider two linked lawsuits over the freezing of ROMATSA’s bank accounts, a measure imposed by Eurocontrol after Pfizer România SRL initiated enforcement proceedings against the Romanian state. One case is brought by the Ministry of Finance on behalf of the state, and the other by ROMATSA itself, both seeking to lift the seizure pending resolution of the underlying dispute.
The same judicial panel will hear the substantive arguments and is likely to deliver a decision on the enforcement order. ROMATSA has retained a Belgian counsel that assisted in earlier similar cases, while the Ministry of Finance filed its own challenge on the same day. The dispute follows a prior Eurocontrol-initiated seizure linked to a court order that required Poland and Romania to receive COVID-19 vaccine deliveries from Pfizer, leaving Romania with a substantial payment obligation.
Why it matters
The ruling will affect Romania’s ability to finance its air traffic services and could set a precedent for state-related debt enforcement in Europe.
In this story
