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 […]
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 […]
The economy in the EU after the Coronavirus crisis
The coronavirus pandemic is leaving us with major economic consequences in the European Union. A big impact on growth The coronavirus pandemic has severely affected consumer spending, industrial production, investment, trade, capital flows and supply chains. The expected gradual reduction in containment measures is expected to lay the foundation for recovery. However, the EU economy […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
MEPs to discuss citizens’ petitions related to COVID-19
Parliament’s Petitions Committee will debate citizens’ petitions relating to the COVID-19 pandemic on Thursday, 30 April at 10.00. Following the large number of petitions submitted to the Parliament in the past few weeks linked to COVID-19, the Petitions Committee decided to urgently organise an extraordinary meeting to highlight and respond to citizens’ concerns. On Thursday, MEPs will examine four […]
Support to the EU cultural sector during the COVID-19 pandemic
The culture sector is suffering the impact of security measures introduced throughout the EU to tackle the spread of the coronavirus. One of the most affected sectors MEPs underlined the special nature of the creative sector and the difficulties faced by artists and called on the EU to provide support, in a resolution adopted on […]
Energy security in the EU
How does the EU contribute to assure energy security to its nearly 500 million citizens? And what happens if the security of that energy supply is threatened? A key role is to encourage cross-border cooperation and inter-connections to make energy flow more smoothly across the whole of the EU. When there is no sun or […]