European Union

The European Commission published its proposed five priorities for the Eastern Partnership (EaP) policy post-2020 on Wednesday (18 March). The new objectives centre on economy and trade, boosting judicial reforms, the environment and digitalisation, as well as tackling corruption and strengthening civil society and media.

EU farmers' organisation COPA-COGECA has called on the  European Commission to ensure the smooth functioning of agricultural production – including cash flow – in view of further restrictions expected to be adopted in the coming weeks to halt the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The Italian government threatened on Wednesday (18 March) to ban all outdoor exercise as the coronavirus death toll soared to 2,978 and frustration grew over the number of people defying a nationwide lockdown order.

Germany and The Netherlands, two of the most staunch opponents to the idea of issuing common debt in the eurozone, would be “open” to discuss eurobonds to mitigate the economic impact of the coronavirus COVID-19.

Italy on Wednesday (18 March) reported nearly 500 new deaths from the novel coronavirus, the highest one-day official toll of any nation, as Donald Trump ordered sweeping new action against the pandemic and declared himself a war president.

The European Commission is having to re-order its priorities in the face of the coronavirus crisis, with “non-essential” initiatives like the biodiversity strategy and the farm-to-fork strategy likely to be delayed by several weeks, EURACTIV understands.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel used all her political weight in a  televised address on Wednesday to call on Germans to respect the containment rules imposed because of the coronavirus, urging them to show solidarity and help counter "the biggest challenge since World War Two".

The Turkish government has decided to close its rail and land border with Greece and Bulgaria amid fears over the coronavirus spread, AFP quoted Turkish media as saying.

The Wuhan province in China, the initial epicentre of the outbreak of the coronavirus, reported for the first time that no new people were infected by the virus on Thursday. China's national health commission said there were 34 new cases, but all were recent overseas arrivals.

The eurozone's central bank has promised to buy up to €750bn of government and private bonds in new pandemic counter-measures.

In a televised message Wednesday, German chancellor Angela Merkel said "We are not doomed to helplessly watch the spread of the virus. We have the means to fight it: we must practice social distancing out of consideration for one another". The pandemic was Germany's greatest challenge since the end of WWII, she added. Just under 12,000 individuals have been infected in Germany, according to the John Hopkins University coronavirus centre.

Coordination among EU countries to better manage border closures amid the coronavirus outbreak is slow. So are the queues of lorries and cars waiting at some internal frontiers.

Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha González Laya said on Wednesday (18 March) that Madrid would facilitate the return of foreign tourists to their home countries after Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez warned that the “worst was still to come". EURACTIV's partner EFE reports.

Greece has banned large pubic gatherings to curb the spread of the coronavirus, while imposing a curfew on thousands of asylum seekers and migrants living in misery in overcrowded camps, with one water tap for 1,300 people at one camp.

Returning home has become complicated for many EU citizens - both inside and outside the bloc -as the number of travel and entry restrictions keeps growing globally in a bid to halt the spread of the coronavirus outbreak.

Russia has defended its credibility on coronavirus data, after Belarus said its neighbouring country was "ablaze" with infections - and the EU accused Moscow of other "lies".

The numbers that the World Health Organisation publishes, the numbers that journalists and governments around the world refer to, are contaminated with politics. They are not useless, they tell us something, but they paint a skewed picture. How so?

As citizens are urged to self-quarantine and wash their hands with soap and warm water, what if there's nowhere to hide, if you live in an overcrowded site or shanty-town, and don't have access to clean water and sanitation?

The economic and labour crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic could increase global unemployment by almost 25 million, according to a new assessment by the International Labour Organization (ILO). The ILO estimate a rise in global unemployment of between 5.3 million ('low' ) and 24.7 million ('high') from a base level of 188 million in 2019. By comparison, the 2008-9 global financial crisis increased global unemployment by 22 million.

The continuous supply of essential goods and vital medical and protective equipment within the Single Market is key to addressing the COVID-19 crisis.

Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP