European Union

EU Court of Justice: member states appoint an advocate-general

Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the alignment of certain third countries with Council Decision (CFSP) 2020/120 of 28 January 2020 amending Decision 2014/145/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.

Written by Marcin Grajewski,

© Oleksii Synelnykov / Shutterstock

The highly contagious new coronavirus, known as COVID-19, is spreading globally at a very rapid pace, having infected about 114 000 people and killed nearly 4 000 at the time of writing, according to the situation report from the World Health Organization (WHO). It has sparked fears of a global pandemic with unpredictable consequences, including significant potential economic damage. China, Italy, Iran, South Korea, Japan, and now France, Germany and Spain, are the countries most affected by the virus. These and other governments are facing a very major challenge to stop the spread of the disease and ward off a deep economic crisis.

This note offers links to recent commentaries and reports from international think tanks on the coronavirus and related issues.

How Europe should manage the Coronavirus-induced crisis
Centre for European Policy Studies, March 2020

Uncharted territory: Italy’s response to the coronavirus
European Council on Foreign Relations, March 2020

How to fight the economic fallout from the Coronavirus
Chatham House, March 2020

Designing an effective US policy response to Coronavirus
Peterson Institute for International Economics, March 2020

To save the Italian economy from the Coronavirus, Rome prescribes a stimulus
Bruegel, March 2020

Ill will: Populism and the Coronavirus
European Council on Foreign Relations, March 2020

Economics in the time of COVID-19
Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry, March 2020

Coronavirus outbreak intensifies: Q&A with RAND experts
Rand Corporation, March 2020

China and Japan sharing weal and woe in the face of epidemic
China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, March 2020

ROK’s COVID-19 epidemic tendency and Sino-ROK cooperation
China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, March 2020
The Coronavirus outbreak could disrupt the U.S. drug supply
Council on Foreign Relations, March 2020

A Japan divided over COVID-19 control
East Asia Forum, March 2020

Will Covid-19 topple China’s one-party regime?
German Marshall Fund, March 2020

Coronavirus is already changing the world
Atlantic Council, March 2020

What should a fiscal response to a COVID-19 outbreak look like?
Brookings Institution, March 2020

Russia’s not ready for Coronavirus
Council on Foreign Relations, March 2020
Governments and businesses brace for Coronavirus impact
Atlantic Council, March 2020

The Coronavirus is exposing the limits of populism
Brookings Institution, March 2020

Africa confronts falling oil prices amid Coronavirus
Council on Foreign Relations, March 2020

Coronavirus and the oil market: The effects thus far and what to expect next
Atlantic Council, March 2020

The Coronavirus will reveal hidden vulnerabilities in complex global supply chains
Brookings Institution, March 2020

The impact of Coronavirus on Gulf economies
Atlantic Council, March 2020

If Italy gets sick, the whole world catches a cold
American Enterprise Institute, March 2020

COVID-19: Tips for a saner digital diet in these viral times
Heinrich Böll Stiftung, March 2020

The cruise that escaped COVID-19 outbreak
China Institute of International Studies, March 2020

The Coronavirus outbreak is the shape of things to come
Council on Foreign Relations, February 2020

China’s fight against COVID-19 epidemic: A decisive campaign
Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, February 2020

The Coronavirus and freedom of expression in China: Not so fast
Istituto Affari Internazionali, February 2020

What you need to know about the Coronavirus outbreak
Council on Foreign Relations, February 2020

As the Coronavirus spreads, can the EU afford to close its borders?
Bruegel, February 2020

China and the geopolitics of the Coronavirus
Clingendael, February 2020

How to save lives in a COVID-19 pandemic
Resolve to Save Lives, February 2020

Companies must move supply chains further from China
Bruegel, February 2020

Preparing for the Coronavirus and other epidemics in Africa
Brookings Institution, February 2020

Preparing for pandemics such as Coronavirus: Will we ever break the vicious cycle of panic and neglect?
Brookings Institution, February 2020

Epidemic tests China’s supply chain dominance
Bruegel, February 2020

China’s Coronavirus will not lead to recession but to stimulus and even more debt
Bruegel, February 2020

Read this briefing on ‘Coronavirus (COVID-19)‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

The World Health Organisation, a UN body, on Wednesday officially declared Covid-19 a global pandemic. "This is the first pandemic caused by coronavirus," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. It had initially in January declared the outbreak as a global health emergency. The virus has so far killed over 4,000 people and spread across some 114 countries.

The EU should have the financial means to tackle challenges such as coronavirus or migration, said MEPs in a plenary debate on the EU long-term budget.

Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

The EU should have the financial means to tackle challenges such as coronavirus or migration, said MEPs in a plenary debate on the EU long-term budget.

Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

Europe’s coronavirus epidemic denial has come to a sudden end: Italy faces an unprecedented shut-down and other countries are anxiously preparing for their own potential quarantine measures. Another European crisis is looming but solidarity is, once again, in short supply.

The World Economic Forum announced on Wednesday (11 March) a new alliance of multinationals to fight against the coronavirus COVID-19 and to mitigate its impact on the deteriorating economy.

Europe's well-established intellectual and scientific history in developing optical technologies has brought the continent to its current position as the second-highest global manufacturer of photonics equipment. With rapid development over recent years, the technology could help the EU to attain its political goal of technological sovereignty.

Two Turkish F-16 jet fighters on Wednesday were spotted flying at low altitude of about 150m over the Greek land border at Evros, where thousands of migrants and asylum seekers have gathered in the past week to cross. A second pair of Turkish fighters was then spotted later at a much higher altitude flying over islets in the central Aegean sea, reports Greek media outlet Ekathimerini.

The spread of the coronavirus epidemic is set to derail post-Brexit trade talks between London and the EU, UK Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove admitted on Wednesday (11 March).

German Chancellor Angela Merkel made her first public statement about the coronavirus epidemic on Wednesday (11 March), saying that financial reserves and good emergency mechanisms make Germany well-prepared. "We will do what is necessary," she added. EURACTIV Germany reports.

EU transport ministers agreed on Wednesday (11 March) that greenhouse gas emissions from the shipping sector need to be reduced significantly. But a looming dispute over whether to tackle the sector at EU or global level could scuttle efforts.

The European Commission unveiled its new circular economy action plan on Wednesday (11 March), confirming the EU’s intention of halving municipal waste by 2030, and suggesting to offer consumers a new “right to repair” for computers and smartphones.

The EU should continue its dialogue with Turkey to de-escalate the migration situation at the Greek-Turkish border, MEPs said in a debate on 10 March.

Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

The EU should continue its dialogue with Turkey to de-escalate the migration situation at the Greek-Turkish border, MEPs said in a debate on 10 March.

Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

In an interview with EURACTIV Germany, director of the Asia programme of the European Council of Foreign Relations, Dr Janka Oertel, described how Germany could play a pivotal role in changing the EU's relations with China and might even force the exclusion of Huawei from the planned 5G expansion across the EU.

The Ministry of Agriculture on Tuesday announced that nine plant protection products based on the active substances chlorpyrifos and chlorpyrifos-methyl are being withdrawn from the Croatian market. According to the Phytosanitary Information System from 2013, between 24 and 29.6 thousand...

The Russian State Duma voted on Tuesday in favour of a constitutional reform which will be presented to the people in April. One clause included at short notice allows Vladimir Putin to circumvent the two-term limit as president: his previous terms are simply to be annulled. This potentially paves the way for Putin to govern Russia until 2036. The European media shakes its head in disbelief.