European Union

In response to the COVID-19 sanitary crisis, 14 MEPs from three political groups have asked to implement without delay a compulsory percentage of volume reduction in the dairy sector in order to avoid milk storage or destruction due to the spring peak production of milk.

The Council today adopted an EU-wide classification system, or "taxonomy", of environmentally sustainable activities.

European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen presented a roadmap towards lifting coronavirus containment measures.

The Council endorsed the multi-party interim appeal arbitration arrangement, with the aim of overcoming the current paralysis of the WTO’s Appellate Body and solving trade disputes.

Article published by the Financial Times on 14 April 2020.

The EU Commission plans to ban paying executive bonuses at companies that have been rescued by a state share-buying program during the coronavirus crisis, the Guardian reports. The restrictions, which would include a ban on dividend payments and share buybacks, could be imposed on companies where the government has bought a stake in order to keep the business afloat. The planned proposal will have to be backed by the EU-27.

People in Germany will have to live with the strict contact restrictions until at least 3 May. This was agreed by Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) and the 16 state premiers in Berlin on Wednesday (15 April). However, the German government also announced its initial plans to ease the restrictions. EURACTIV Germany reports.

President Sassoli offered condolences to the families of the victims of COVID-19 and thanked health workers and engaged citizens.

Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

President Sassoli offered condolences to the families of the victims of COVID-19 and thanked health workers and engaged citizens.

Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

Although requests for market intervention measures in response to COVID-19 are legitimate,  the current budget for their deployment is very limited, the EU Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski warned on Wednesday (15 April).

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday (15 April) his government is trying to determine whether the coronavirus emanated from a lab in Wuhan, China, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Beijing “needs to come clean” on what they know.

The Covid-19 pandemic has forced Parliament to limit physical meetings and function remotely, but MEPs are still able to approve urgent EU measures to fight the pandemic.

Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

The Covid-19 pandemic has forced Parliament to limit physical meetings and function remotely, but MEPs are still able to approve urgent EU measures to fight the pandemic.

Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

Over the last decade, public export credit insurance has become one of the major instruments of trade policy, used to support and encourage exports. According to the figures of Berne Union members, public credit insurance covered more than one trillion of US dollars of new transactions in 2018, writes Matija Vodoplav.

In the context of the Covid-19 crisis, Kazakhstan has offered humanitarian aid to its Central Asian neighbours Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, answering a request by Bishkek and Dushanbe.

European Commissioner for Transport Adina Vălean told EURACTIV in an interview that the coronavirus outbreak means it is the wrong time to condition state aid for airlines on green measures, but warned the industry to stick to its passenger rights obligations.

Award-winning author Christian Felber believes the coronavirus outbreak is the perfect moment to question the entire system, after advocating for years to switch from capitalism to a public-interest economy. He explained his ideas in an interview with EURACTIV Germany.

The G20 group of leading economies agreed on Wednesday (15 April) to suspend debt payments owed to them by some of the world's poorest countries in a bid to cushion the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Following the adoption of the controversial Hungarian coronavirus law, 30 MEPs and 50 journalists, academics and civiI society organisations call for "swift and decisive actions" to address "threats to the rule of law being carried out under the guise of emergency powers" in a letter addressed to the European Commission and Council presidents.