European Union

US President Donald Trump warned China on Saturday (18 April) that it should face consequences if it was “knowingly responsible” for the coronavirus pandemic, as he ratcheted up criticism of Beijing over its handling of the outbreak.

Europe will need at least another €500 billion from European Union institutions to finance its economic recovery after the coronavirus pandemic, on top of the agreed half-a-trillion package, the head of the euro zone bailout fund said.

The Holy Fire ceremony symbolising Jesus’ resurrection was lit in a deserted Jerusalem on Saturday (18 April), without the joyful throng of Orthodox Christian pilgrims who normally attend a spectacle that brings the Easter season to a colourful climax.

The United States is concerned by the threat of a cyber-attack against the Czech Republic's healthcare sector, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday (17 April), adding that anybody engaged in such activity should "expect consequences."

Italy is staring down the barrel of the worst recession since World War II, which could bolster the far-right and damage the country's love affair with the European Union, analysts say.

The economic and health priorities in the coronavirus crisis are the same - to stop the contagion, according to the OECD General Secretary, Angel Gurría, who insists on the need for more globalisation and further multilateralism and also advocates for greater European integration.

Written by Jérôme Léon Saulnier,

© juliasudnitskaya / Adobe stock

In addition to the tragic loss of human lives, the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic will have severe consequences for the European economy. Common action at EU level and coordinated long-term strategic action at international level is more necessary than ever before. In particular, in addition to the measures taken after the 2008 economic and financial crisis, a resolute move towards greater common policy action and a deepening of the single market, more strategic autonomy, increased common investment, and a reasonable deepening of risk-sharing within the economic and monetary union (EMU), could help to achieve a rapid, broad based and sustainable recovery. Our simulations, which use growth models based on long-term scenarios to 2035, indicate that the cost of complacency could be substantial.

In a pessimistic worst-case scenario, where the policy response is fragmented and where no risk-sharing takes place, potential added value growth would be reduced by 0.8 % in 2035. For 2020 to 2035, this would represent a cumulated €2.9 trillion of added value losses for the EU as a whole compared to the initial baseline. In a more optimistic scenario, we assume a decisive move towards more sustained common action at EU level. As a result, potential added value growth is initially less impacted and the common action boosts long-term growth prospects to levels surpassing the estimates from the baseline scenario. For 2020 to 2035, such a scenario would represent a cumulated gain of €0.5 trillion of added value for the EU as a whole compared to the initial baseline.

Read the complete briefing on ‘Added value of a common EU response to the economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

Committee and political groups meetings - Brussels

Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

The European Parliament passed a resolution on Friday (17 April) describing the recent Hungarian and Polish government actions during the coronavirus outbreak as "totally incompatible with European values."

In a call for unity, leaders around the world have said that the COVID-19 outbreak is hitting us all regardless of age, sex, race or social class. They are right. However, some groups are particularly vulnerable to this crisis and they should be protected accordingly.

The EU's digital chief Margrethe Vestager has sought to allay privacy fears over the use of certain mobile applications in the fight against the coronavirus, a day after the EU rolled out a series of recommendations for the use of such technologies.

More tests, help for doctors and nurses to care for the sick: Parliament approved €3.08 billion in EU aid on Friday.
Committee on Budgets
Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

More tests, help for doctors and nurses to care for the sick: Parliament approved €3.08 billion in EU aid on Friday.
Committee on Budgets
Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

To prevent shortages or delays in getting key medical devices on the market, Parliament decided to postpone the application of the Medical Devices Regulation.
Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

To prevent shortages or delays in getting key medical devices on the market, Parliament decided to postpone the application of the Medical Devices Regulation.
Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

MEPs adopted additional measures so that EU funding can be granted immediately and with exceptional flexibility to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
Committee on Regional Development

Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

MEPs adopted additional measures so that EU funding can be granted immediately and with exceptional flexibility to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
Committee on Regional Development

Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

Mounting concerns for the health of workers in the agri-food sector have prompted stakeholders to call for stronger measures for their protection.

An average global temperature rise above 1.5 or 2°C creates risks society cannot handle. This dwarfs the fallout of Covid-19.

Some 65% of the students who are in Erasmus exchange programmes but subject to confinement measures do not yet know if they will keep or return the grant that was disbursed for their studies, while 7% said they will not get any, according to a report by the Erasmus Students Network (ESN).