Parliamentary question - E-003749/2022Parliamentary question
E-003749/2022
European Parliament

COVID-19: does the position of Ursula von der Leyen’s husband create a conflict of interest with some of the Commission’s activities?

17.11.2022

Answer in writing

Question for written answer  E-003749/2022/rev.1
to the Commission
Rule 138
Virginie Joron (ID)

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen indicated in her declaration of interest[1] that her husband runs an American laboratory, Orgenesis, in Germany[2] and that he is a member of an association for musically gifted children and a non-profit association.

However, in view of the commitments to purchase COVID-19 vaccines worth EUR 71 billion, there are a number of crucial omissions in her declaration:

– Orgenesis states that it has been active in the area of COVID-19 vaccines since 19 May 2020[3].

– Orgenesis reported a turnover of only USD 13 million and losses of USD 9 million in the first six months of 2022[4]. An Orgenesis joint venture is said to have obtained around EUR 32 million from the European Union through the Greek Recovery Plan at the end of 2021[5]. It is reported that on 30 September 2022 Heiko von der Leyen was appointed to the Supervisory Board of an Italian research entity said to have received EUR 320 million from the European Union under the Italian Recovery Plan[6][7]. Orgenesis is managing a EUR 4 million grant obtained from the Commission on 3 May 2022[8][9]. In the past, this company has received public funds from Belgium[10].

How much EU funding was paid or committed to Orgenesis in 2020, 2021 and 2022?

Submitted: 17.11.2022

Last updated: 12 December 2022
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