European Union

A German court has for the first time rejected a request to extradite a suspect to Poland, over concerns about judicial independence in the fellow EU member state, AFP reported. Judges at the court in Karlsruhe said there was a "high probability" that an extradition "would prove to be illegal, at least for the moment, because of current developments in Poland related to the 'justice reform'."

Police in Slovakia detained a dozen judges on Wednesday as part of an investigation into the murder of a journalist and his partner in 2018, which unleashed years of protests over corruption. The judges could face charges of corruption, abuse of power, and interference in the independence of the courts. Among those detained were the vice president of the Supreme Court, and a former deputy justice minister.

The US is pushing Kosovo and Serbia to make a peace deal, over a year after the last EU-led talks took place.

EU countries have introduced partial travel bans, shut down schools, sports and cultural events, closed cinemas and theatres in an effort to slow down the spread of covonavirus. Fears over the economic turmoil also grow.

EU countries have introduced partial travel bans, shut down schools, sports and cultural events, closed cinemas and theatres in an effort to slow down the spread of covonavirus. Fears over the economic turmoil also grow.

A new circular economy strategy was adopted on Wednesday intended to strengthen the EU's economy, empower consumers and protect the environment. However, it fails to set targets for the EU's so-called 'material footprint' and waste reduction for specific waste streams.

"This is the worst crisis Italy has had to face since the end of the Second World War" says Emanuele Felice, professor of economic history at the University of Chieti-Pescara, and economic advisor to Italy's Democratic Party.

"This is the worst crisis Italy has had to face since the end of the Second World War" says Emanuele Felice, professor of economic history at the University of Chieti-Pescara, and economic advisor to Italy's Democratic Party.

EU spokesperson Peter Stano has warned Turkey to stick to its recent “clear” commitment and stop undermining chances to sort out the ongoing crisis with Brussels by threatening to keep borders open for migrants.   

Germany will spend what it takes to tackle the coronavirus which is likely to infect up to 70% of the population in Europe's largest economy, Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday (11 March).

More than 30% of European adults suffer from chronic disease (heart failure, cardiovascular disease, liver cirrhosis, chronic kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, among others) and more than 85% die from it. Professor Raymond Vanholder is the President of the European Kidney...

President Donald Trump on Wednesday (11 March) suspended travel from Europe to the United States for 30 days in an "aggressive" effort to halt the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic that has sparked a run on the stock market and is rapidly multiplying.

Italy on Wednesday (11 Mach) shut all stores except for pharmacies and food shops in a desperate bid to halt the spread of a coronavirus that has killed 827 in the the country in just over two weeks.

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.