European Union

The coronavirus outbreak exposed the need to transform the EU's farming and food systems, to a more sustainable agricultural system that can be resilient to future shocks. The long-anticipated 'Farm to Fork' strategy can make this difference, campaigners say.

Half-open schools, masks, no mass events, mobile tracing apps, online working, and a slow and gradual opening of borders - this is what Europe can expect in the next year.

The EU will host an online conference on 4 May for governments and organisations to pledge money to support the search for a vaccine to the coronavirus, EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday. "I hope that countries and organisations all over the world will respond to this call," she said. The commission did not reveal the exact target amount but said around €8bn would be needed.

Renew Europe on Wednesday urged a discussion in the European Parliament on the practical and ethical implications of tracing apps used as part of the Covid-19 pandemic response. "Full transparency will be of the essence regarding the decision-making process, special (commercial) interests and technical aspects (open source), in order to make sure that European citizens gain trust in such systems," they said in a statement.

The European Court of Auditors warned on Wednesday that mitigating the coronavirus crisis using European structural and investment funds to help member states requires both flexibility and accountability. The European Commission must monitor the situation "to ensure the temporary and exceptional measures are in place only as long as the extraordinary situation requires," they say. This proposal is currently being discussed in the EU Parliament and Council.

The Bulgarian health minister Kiril Ananiev said on Wednesday that the Balkan country will start large-scale testing for coronavirus, after tackling a shortage of testing kits, Reuters reported. "We will start massive testing of Bulgarians," Ananiev said during a visit to the ski resort of Bansko, where authorities are beginning to test residents. Bulgaria is one of the member states with the lowest cases of coronavirus registered.

Did you know that many European towns and regions are building projects and partnerships with local and regional governments in Africa, Asia and Latin America, but also in the Eastern partnership? This is called decentralised cooperation.

Written by Clare Ferguson,

Adstock/shutterstock

Pursuing its efforts to uphold vital democratic functions during this critical time, the European Parliament is again holding an extraordinary plenary session on 16 and 17 April 2020, using the temporary alternative voting procedure first used in March, and with a large amount of voting time on the agenda. Under Parliament’s rules, the urgent procedure (Rule 163) has been requested for a number of legislative and budgetary files concerning EU action in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Under the procedure, Members will first have to vote, on Thursday, to accept the use of urgent procedure, and would then go on to vote on the substance of the legislative and budgetary proposals, including on any amendments tabled, the following day.

Parliament will hear Council and Commission statements on EU coordinated action to combat the pandemic and its consequences on Thursday morning. This is likely to include news on progress towards SURE, the proposed temporary instrument to protect workers from unemployment and loss of income, complementing national efforts with up to €100 billion in support for ‘short-time work’ schemes and other measures. As Council may adopt measures to provide Union financial assistance to Member States who face severe difficulties outside their control, Parliament is not involved in this legislative procedure. However, should the Commission propose the creation of a permanent unemployment reinsurance scheme to strengthen the EU economy against such shocks in future, it is likely that Parliament will be fully involved.

Of course, the virus itself recognises no borders, and the EU’s international action will also be debated during the session. Even though international travel has been severely curtailed during the current lockdown, a global response is essential to prevent resurgence of the pandemic. The EU has already committed to a ‘Team Europe’ approach, using funding from the EU, Member States and financial institutions to prepare a €15.6 billion funding package to help EU neighbourhood countries and beyond tackle the health crisis and, further down the line, address health and preparedness capacity, aimed at reducing the risk of destabilisation in the face of worldwide crisis.

Members will undoubtedly focus on the measures to address the effects of coronavirus on which Parliament has to vote. Parliament’s Regional Development Committee has requested the urgent procedure for votes to take place on one of a second set of measures to tackle the crisis caused by the pandemic, the use of specific flexibility measures for European structural and investment (ESI) funds. Members are likely to vote on a proposal that would temporarily allow programmes dealing with the impact of the crisis to be financed up to 100 % from the EU budget between July 2020 and June 2021, as well as greater simplification and flexibility in the rules under which the resources are allocated.

Measures to prevent the spread of the virus, such as restaurant closures and travel bans, have hit the fisheries and aquaculture sector particularly hard. Parliament’s Fisheries Committee have requested that additional proposals to support the industry are considered under the urgent procedure. Should Members agree, they would vote on a package of measures to supplement those already agreed under the Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative. These would include support for a temporary end to fishing activities, including for aquaculture farmers, for storage costs and for greater flexibility and simplified procedures in allocating the funding.

In addition to those specific legislative measures, Members are expected to vote on a series of budgetary measures, including changes to the 2014-2020 multiannual financial framework (MFF) regulation and two amending budgets, to re-orientate current financing towards tackling the pandemic. The European Commission has proposed to amend this year’s EU budget to use three flexibility and last resort mechanisms (the Global Margin for commitments, the Flexibility Instrument and the Contingency Margin) to release €3 billion in emergency support for the healthcare sector. Complemented by €1.53 billion in payments for the reinforced Union Civil Protection Mechanism (rescEU), funding under the Emergency Support Instrument will be used for production, procurement, stockpiling and distribution of medical equipment, including testing kits, and construction of field medical facilities. However, lifting the existing restrictions on the scope of this flexibility first requires amendment to heading 3 ‘Security and citizenship’ of the 2014-2020 MFF regulation, for which European Parliament consent is required. This consent vote is thus expected to be held on Thursday, enabling the amending budget to be voted the following day. The move is not without precedent, as the ESI was extended to cover migration issues – however not without criticism of its ad hoc nature, as well as the lack of Parliamentary oversight of such measures that, conversely, a regulation would provide. A second proposal to amend the 2020 EU budget is also expected to be put to the vote, aimed at mobilising the Contingency Margin to alleviate the increased migratory pressure in Greece and earthquake recovery in Albania.

The procedure for voting during the session will follow that of the March II session, with Members voting by email.

Belgium’s National Security Council (CNS) on Wednesday (15 April) extended the coronavirus containment measures by two weeks until 3 May. Despite a very slow decline in numbers, it is not yet clear when normality can being to return.

Written by Naja Bentzen and Jakub Przetacznik,

© millaf / Adobe Stock

The true extent of the evolving coronavirus pandemic within the EU and across the world is still unclear, and the magnitude of the consequences is not known either. What is clear, however, is that the healthcare systems of many countries across the world are underfunded, and that even developed countries are severely challenged by the health crisis.

Moreover, the socio-economic impact of the crisis across the world will likely be grave, while the multiple crises related to the pandemic – including the global infodemic – may have lasting effects on the global geopolitical balance.

Against this backdrop, on 8 April 2020 the European Commission and the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (HR/VP) presented a proposal for a strong and targeted EU response to help partner countries cope with the pandemic, as outlined in a joint communication. In its response, the EU is adopting a ‘Team Europe’ approach, combining resources from the EU, its Member States and financial institutions.

The collective package of €15.6 billion is to help here and now, but also has a longer-term perspective. It will focus on addressing the pressing health crisis and resulting humanitarian needs, bolstering partner countries’ health, water and sanitation systems and their research and preparedness capacities to deal with the pandemic, as well as mitigating the impact on societies and economies. This should also help to reduce the risk of destabilisation.

The EU’s financial support for the countries covered by European Neighbourhood Policy will amount to €3.07 billion: €2.1 billion for the southern neighbourhood, and €962 million for the eastern neighbourhood. Moreover, €800 million will support the six western Balkan countries and Turkey.

As a long-standing major international aid contributor, the EU will promote and lead a coordinated multilateral response, together with the United Nations (UN), international financial institutions, and the G7 and the G20.

Read the complete briefing on ‘The EU’s response to coronavirus in its neighbourhood and beyond’ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

Funds for western Balkan countries announced on 30 March 2020

In times of crisis, the EU tends to get a kicking, and the coronavirus pandemic has offered a prime opportunity for Brussels-bashers to dust down their gloves. In this case, it is understandable but largely undeserved.

Parliament will meet in plenary this Thursday and Friday to debate and vote on the latest Commission proposals to address the effects of the Covid-19 outbreak in the EU.

Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

Parliament will meet in plenary this Thursday and Friday to debate and vote on the latest Commission proposals to address the effects of the Covid-19 outbreak in the EU.

Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

Europe’s demand for rail travel will increase over the next decade, according to new analysis that cites the public's new-found appreciation for cleaner air and climate issues as a result of the virus outbreak. Airlines are predicted to be the main loser of the train resurgence.

The COVID-19 pandemic, disrupting societies, economies, families and persons alike, is compounded by a global contagion of rumours, conspiracies, fake news and other deadly narratives that, despite their appearance of being tailored to fit local characteristics, are strikingly similar at a transnational level, writes Alina Bargaoanu.

The EU's new policy to provide financial support to workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic is a bold new initiative. But it is not a panacea, and risks being over-hyped, writes László Andor.

Written by Marcin Grajewski,

© thodonal / Adobe Stock

The coronavirus crisis is beginning to show signs of abating in some countries, but not in others. Governments and local authorities have introduced, maintained, and in certain cases even strengthened, a range of tough measures designed to prevent, suppress or mitigate the advance of the virus. Many analysts and politicians are increasingly calling for stronger global-level action to combat the pandemic, while medical scientists still struggle to find an effective treatment and a vaccine for the disease.

This note offers links to recent commentaries and reports from international think tanks on the coronavirus and related issues. Earlier publications on the topic can be found in the previous edition item in this series, published by the EPRS on 3 April.

A European approach to fund the coronavirus cost is in the interest of all
Bruegel, April 2020

The G20 must step up to confront the global health crisis
Peterson Institute for International Economics, April 2020

The coronavirus: A political earthquake
European Council on Foreign Relations, April 2020

A temporary, common fiscal stimulus to answer the mayhem of COVID-19
Bruegel, April 2020

Take me to your Leader! Or how the EU could emerge stronger from the corona crisis
Egmont, April 2020

How is the COVID-19 crisis serving the EU?
European Policy Centre, April 2020

Love thy neighbour?
Centre for European Policy Studies, April 2020

How to pandemic-proof globalization
Council on Foreign Relations, April 2020

Cities “on the front lines” of the coronavirus
Atlantic Council, April 2020

Europe should seize oil price windfall to fund its pandemic response
Peterson Institute for International Economics, April 2020

A joint effort to increase production of medical masks in Europe
Cligenael, April 2020

This time is different: The ‘COVID shock’ and future of the global oil market
Instituto Affari Internazionali, April 2020

Predictions and policymaking: Complex modelling beyond Covid-19
Chatham House, April, 2020

Europe’s economic emergency is also a geopolitical one
Atlantic Council, April 2020

Tackling Covid-19 calls for trust: Building confidence is part of containing a pandemic
Finnish Institute for International Affairs, April 2020

Beyond Corona: Getting EU economic security right
Egmont, April 2020

Does Covid-19 pose a threat to the EU’s climate neutrality efforts?
European Policy Centre, April 2020

Coronavirus: How are countries responding to the economic crisis?
Council on Foreign Relations, April 2020

The Covid-19 pandemic in Russia: No applause for Putin’s political play?
Finnish Institute for International Affairs, April 2020

The coronavirus in Eastern Europe: Avoiding another Chernobyl
European Council on Foreign Relations, April 2020

Emerging lessons from Covid-19
Chatham House, April, 2020

Supporting NHS cybersecurity during Covid-19 is vital
Chatham House, April, 2020

Trouble for the EU is brewing in coronavirus-hit Italy
Centre for European Reform, April 2020

Come on Europe, we need you!
Friends of Europe, April 2020

Will the economic strategy work?
Bruegel, April 2020

What might have been: Globalization on the medal stand at the Tokyo Olympics
Peterson Institute for International Economics, April 2020

Digital technology and economic science can help during crises like Covid-19
Peterson Institute for International Economics, April 2020

Our finest hour
European Council on Foreign Relations, April 2020

No more red lines left to cross: The Hungarian government’s emergency measures
European Council on Foreign Relations, April 2020

Can the coronavirus Reset the Abkhazia Conflict?
Carnegie Europe, April 2020

How local leaders can stave off a small business collapse from Covid-19
Brookings Institution, April 2020

How Jihadi groups in Africa will exploit Covid-19
Council on Foreign Relations, April 2020

The military, policing and Covid-19
Brookings Institution, April 2020

An emergency inside an emergency: How quarantine has changed life for women in Italy
Council on Foreign Relations, April 2020

We are already in a recession: Can we make it a short one?
Brookings Institution, April 2020

After the pandemic: Can the United States finally retool for the Twenty-First Century?
Council on Foreign Relations, April 2020

‘A Band-Aid on a gunshot wound’: How the restaurant industry is responding to Covid-19 relief
Brookings Institution, April 2020

Eight recommendations for universities and professors during the coronavirus pandemic
Brookings Institution, April 2020

Coronavirus deals a blow to Ethiopia’s elections
Atlantic Council, April 2020

Trade policy and COVID-19: Openness and cooperation in times of a pandemic
European Centre for International Political Economy, April 2020

Populists love the pandemic
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Auswärtige Politik, April 2020

L’Italie, pays-cible de la propagande chinoise à l’heure du Covid-19
Fondation pour la Recherche Stratégique, April 2020

L’Union européenne et le coronavirus
Fondation Robert Schuman, April 2020

Le Covid-19, nouveau venu dans le conflit en Libye
Fondation pour la Recherche Stratégique, April 2020

Covid-19 et instruments numériques: La délicate gestion des données
Fondation pour la Recherche Stratégique, April 2020

Coronavirus in Arab countries: Passing storm, opportunity for change or regional catastrophe?
Real Instituto Elcano, April 2020

La démocratie coréenne au temps du coronavirus
Institut français des relations internationales, April 2020

Coronavirus and the new oil prices: The case of Italy
Istituto per gli Studi di Politica Internazionale, April 2020

Why the EU will play a greater global role post-Corona
Friends of Europe, March 2020

Santé: Une plus-value européenne très perfectible
Institut Jacques Delors, March 2020

Will the Italians forgive the EU?
Friends of Europe, March 2020

Why are some stock markets in Asia less affected by coronavirus?
Bruegel, March 2020

The European Green Deal after corona
Centre for European Policy Studies, March 2020

How the coronavirus threatens a geopolitical Europe
European Council on Foreign Relations, March 2020

How Covid-19 is laying bare inequality
Bruegel, March 2020

The fiscal consequences of the pandemic
Bruegel, March 2020

Is Covid-19 triggering a new emerging-market crisis
Bruegel, March 2020

After the pandemic: Why Europe must restore its economic and social safety margins
European Council on Foreign Relations, March 2020

China’s exports of protective medical equipment fell less than its exports of all other products
Peterson Institute for International Economics, March 2020

EU solidarity in exceptional times
Centre for European Policy Studies, March 2020

Orbán exploits Coronavirus pandemic to destroy Hungary’s democracy
Carnegie Europe, March 2020

How journalists can help stop the spread of the coronavirus outbreak
Reuters Institute, March 2020

Read this briefing on ‘Policy responses to the coronavirus crisis‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

Read all EPRS publications on the coronavirus outbreak

The launch date of the much-awaited new EU food policy, the Farm to Fork strategy (F2F), is currently under review and an updated programme is due to the published in the coming weeks, a Commission official told EURACTIV.com.

Footage of President Sassoli’s visit to see Parliament’s work to provide meals for those in need.

Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

Footage of President Sassoli’s visit to see Parliament’s work to provide meals for those in need.

Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP