Since the Covid-19 virus started spreading, European citizens, like other people around the globe, have been put to the test in all aspects of life – health and well-being, livelihood and occupations, family ties and social relationships. While some countries are now starting the gradual lifting of confinement restrictions, life as we knew it before […]
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Spring 2020 Economic Forecast: A deep and uneven recession, an uncertain recovery
The coronavirus pandemic represents a major shock for the global and EU economies, with very severe socio-economic consequences. Despite the swift and comprehensive policy response at both EU and national level, the EU economy will experience a recession of historic proportions this year. The Spring 2020 Economic Forecast projects that the euro area economy will […]
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Schengen, migration, asylum and security in times of COVID-19
MEPs will quiz Commissioner Johansson on the future of the border-free Schengen zone, common migration and asylum policy and security in the context of the pandemic. In a debate in the Civil Liberties Committee on Thursday afternoon, MEPs will try to clarify how the Commission plans to ensure that temporary controls on the internal borders, reintroduced […]
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Impact of COVID-19 on the Erasmus programme and the EU Solidarity Corps
How has the pandemic affected the 170,000 students participating in the Erasmus+ programme or the European Solidarity Corps, and how can the EU help? Education has been greatly affected by the COVID-19 crisis. The closure of universities and travel restrictions complicate the situation for participants in cross-border mobility programmes such as Erasmus+ student exchanges and […]
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Commission approves second Spanish “umbrella” scheme to support economy in coronavirus outbreak
The European Commission has approved the second Spanish “umbrella” scheme to support the Spanish economy in the context of the coronavirus outbreak. The scheme was approved under the State aid Temporary Framework adopted by the Commission on 19 March 2020, as amended on 3 April 2020. Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager, in charge of competition […]
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Regulatory flexibility to ensure availability of veterinary medicines during COVID-19
The European Commission, EMA and the Coordination Group for Mutual Recognition and Decentralised Procedure – Veterinary (CMDv) have issued guidance on adaptations to the regulatory framework to companies that develop, manufacture and distribute veterinary medicines in order to address some of the constraints posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the jointly developed question-and-answer (Q&A) document, regulatory rules […]
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Coronavirus Global Response: €7.4 billion raised for universal access to vaccines
The Commission has registered €7.4 billion, equivalent to $8 billion, in pledges from donors worldwide during the Coronavirus Global Response pledging event. This includes a pledge of €1.4 billion by the Commission. This almost reaches the initial target of €7.5 billion and is a solid starting point for the worldwide pledging marathon, which begins today. The […]
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Coronavirus: rescEU masks delivered to Spain, Italy and Croatia
Following last week’s delivery to Italy, more batches of FFP2 protective masks has been distributed this weekend to Spain, Italy and Croatia from rescEU – the first-ever common European reserve of medical equipment set up last month to help countries affected by the coronavirus outbreak. Today’s support comes on top of the EU Medical Teams, masks and […]
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Thanks to COVID-19, it’s time to flatten the curve on climate change
“Whilst COVID-19 has caused severe international health and economic crisis, failure to tackle climate change may threaten human well-being, ecosystems and economies for centuries,” the UN’s World Meteorological Organization Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said in a conference on the occasion of Earth Day. “We need to flatten both the pandemic and climate change curves.” Combat climate change […]
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