Over recent weeks, in most countries, childcare facilities, schools and nurseries have closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. For many parents with a job, balancing work and family responsibilities is a big challenge now, especially for those employed with little children. In the European Union (EU), in 2019, nearly 42 million adults lived in households […]
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Military Solidarity in action: assistance in the fight against COVID-19 in Europe
From the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, the armed forces of EU Member States have played a critical role in fighting the virus – abroad, at home and in European solidarity. They are providing transport and logistic support, building field hospitals in record time, deploying their medical staff, and supporting national authorities and services. The […]
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WHO states that tobacco use can negatively affect the COVID-19 disease
Tobacco kills more than eight million people worldwide every year. Tobacco smoking is a known risk factor for many respiratory infections and increases the severity of these diseases. After reviewing several studies, a group of public health experts convened by WHO on 29 April 2020 established that smokers are more likely to develop severe symptoms […]
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EUROPEAN AGENDA: tourism and transport
Tourism and transport is one of the sectors most affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. What is the EU doing to protect businesses, workers and passengers? 13th May, European Commission: how to safely resume travel and restart tourism in Europe The Commission has presented a set of guidelines and recommendations to help Member States gradually […]
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What schools and businesses should consider before reopening
As countries continue to lift lockdowns, the World Health Organization (WHO) released new guidance for decision makers on how schools and workplaces can be reopened safely. “We need to get our priorities right as we enter the next phase of this fight,” Michael J. Ryan, Chief Executive Director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, said […]
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Boosting the EU’s research and innovation potential with a state-of-the-art IT ecosystem
Various scientific projects, from seismology to cryptography, are bearing fruit thanks to accessing to first-class high-performance computing (HPC) systems in Europe. Typically used to solve advanced problems through modelling, simulation and analysis, HPCs are crucial to the advancement of research in science and engineering. Thanks to PRACE, a permanent pan-European research infrastructure for HPCs, scientists […]
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The Commission announced the 10 best candidates in its Digital Innovation Challenge
The Digital Innovation Challenge invites SMEs and startups to shape a concept for a service or solution that could be integrated into their company’s business offer, co-create with coaches, pitch their idea at the award ceremony, win up to EUR 50 000 and stand out at European level. The solutions need to be based on […]
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Global response to coronavirus crisis: EU creates humanitarian airlift
The European Commission has established an EU Humanitarian Airlift to transport humanitarian workers and emergency supplies to some of the world’s most critical areas in response to the coronavirus crisis. The first EU flight, made in cooperation with France, leaves from Lyon and carries around sixty humanitarian workers from various NGOs and thirteen tonnes of […]
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First EIC COVID-19 Response certificates
On 8 May, the European Commission granted the first batch of the EIC COVID-19 Response Seal of Excellence to 82 excellent proposals addressing the challenges of the COVID-19 outbreak. The proposals were submitted under European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator Pilot March 20 cut-off. A second batch of COVID-Seals (and standard Seals) will be awarded at the […]
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