European Union

Europe's tourism industry is bracing itself for an economic impact that could potentially push several countries into recession, as a result of the ongoing coronavirus crisis on the continent.

Find out the latest news on the EU-coordinated response to the coronavirus outbreak and the European Parliament's actions.

Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

The Euro 2020 football championship has been postponed to 2021 as a result of the coronavirus crisis, the Norwegian Football Association has announced, according to The Guardian. The tournament was due to have been held this year from 12 June to 12 July across 12 countries.

The WhatsApp message is short and hard-hitting: "I'm waiting in the emergency room for them to bring mum. She has had a haemorrhage."

The European Union should scrap its Emissions Trading System or exempt Poland from the scheme, which helps combat global warming, to free up funds for Warsaw to fight the effects of the coronavirus, a senior Polish official said.

Europe’s football governing body UEFA decided on Tuesday (17 March) to delay the Euro 2020 tournament one year, as the coronavirus outbreak forced the organisation’s hand after threatening to play havoc with the sporting calendar.

Written by Nicole Scholz, Angelos Delivorias and Marianna Pari,

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The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has now been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. Alleviating the human effects of the crisis is paramount, but repercussions are being felt across many sectors. European Union institutions are unanimous in calling for solidarity among Member States, and for Europe to offer support, within its remit, to its Member States in their response to the common challenge.

On 10 March 2020, Heads of State or Government of the EU countries held a videoconference on COVID-19, to discuss how to coordinate the EU-level response. EU leaders stressed the need for a joint European approach and close coordination with the European Commission. Priorities were identified, to be followed up on ‘at all levels immediately’. The measures that are – or could be – envisaged range across different policy areas. As an immediate response, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen formed a coronavirus response team. Further measures were announced in a European coronavirus response on 13 March 2020.

Planned – and potential – health and preparedness measures include reinforcing the EU’s role in joint procurement, bolstering cooperation in disease management and control, and potentially widening the remit of the European reference networks. Greater controls on people crossing external EU borders are also proposed. Monetary, budgetary and macroeconomic measures include, for instance, those taken to ease the impact of the coronavirus emergency on the aviation industry. Moreover, the EU and the Member States, the European Central Bank, and the International Monetary Fund can also take steps to help people and firms. The EU budget has been mobilised to provide funds to reinforce preparedness and containment measures, as well as research into the virus. Furthermore, cross-border health threats, such as that posed by COVID‑19, could be taken into account when shaping the multiannual financial framework for 2021-2027.

Read the complete briefing on ‘What can the EU do to alleviate the impact of the coronavirus crisis?‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

The food value chain – primary, industry and distribution – lives in an unbalanced situation, in which farmers and ranchers are the most affected, with prices that are sometimes lower than production costs. Both at the national and community level,...

The Italian government has said it plans to re-nationalise the bankrupt former national carrier Alitalia as part of its emergency economic rescue plan to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, AFP reported. Italian media reported that it could cost taxpayers up to €600m. The sum could come from the €25bn rescue package in Italy designed to help families and businesses.

An EU-China summit has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, the EU Commission said on Tuesday. It was originally planned for the end of March in Beijing. The two sides jointly decided to postpone the meeting to focus on combatting the outbreak. "The two sides will remain in contact to agree on a date once the situation begins to normalise," a spokeswoman said.

Italy has rolled out a series of measures to cushion the economic impact of the coronavirus, including parental leave.

Isolated at home from one day to the next, millions of people in Europe are having to adapt to radically changed living conditions. France became the latest country to impose a curfew on Monday. And even where freedom of movement is not yet restricted, many people are voluntarily isolating themselves to slow the spread of coronavirus. Journalists encourage readers to make the most of the situation.

EU leaders will decide on further measures to contain Covid-19 in a video conference this Tuesday. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had proposed on Monday that entry into the EU should initially be banned for 30 days. The bloc hasn't exactly set a shining example when it comes to fighting the pandemic so far, many commentators criticise.