European Union

The UK and US on Tuesday (5 May) kicked off the first round of talks on a trade deal which London has made a priority following its exit from the EU. The talks with Washington are set to run alongside post-Brexit trade negotiations with the EU.

The European Commission expects the Spanish economy to contract by as much as 9.4% this year due to the impact of the coronavirus, although it should regain some of the lost ground in 2021, when it is expected to grow by 7%, EU sources told EURACTIV.

Written by Svetla Tanova-Encke,

© Shawn Hempel / Shutterstock

Accurate, reliable and timely information about scientific or health topics has always been important, but in a pandemic, it becomes critical. The demand for credible and science-based data today is enormous, as people seek analysis and expert opinion in response to the crisis. Despite the worrying spread of false claims about Covid‑19, it seems that in critical times people increasingly return to scientific evidence and rediscover that expertise matters. It is therefore essential to provide as much reliable information from trustworthy sources as possible.

The European Science-Media Hub (ESMH), launched two years ago by the European Parliament’s Panel for the Future of Science and Technology (STOA), has a mission to promote trustworthy, science-based information and knowledge dissemination at the interface between the Parliament, the scientific community and the media. The ESMH focuses on the nature and effectiveness of science journalism and science communication. Fulfilling its mission during the novel coronavirus crisis, the ESMH has launched a number of initiatives to promote sound science and accurate science information.

One of these new products is a series of interviews with leading European virologists and immunologists about the strategies to fight the epidemic and the experience in different European countries. With the help of science writers, the ESMH team conducted interviews with experts from Italy, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, and continue to collect further scientists’ opinions. These Covid‑19 interviews were included among the top resources and information listed by the Science Advice for Policy by European Academies (SAPEA) website, which forms an integral part of the European Commission’s Scientific Advice Mechanism (SAM).

The interviewees discuss the public health measures, confinement, the importance of testing and active surveillance and better healthcare system preparedness for a pandemic. All the experts underline the urgent necessity for cooperation and coordination at European level of research data, studies, data from clinical trials and drug development.

The EU is certainly aware of this need: On 20 April 2020, the European Commission, together with several partners, launched a European Covid‑19 data platform to enable the rapid collection and sharing of available research data. The platform is part of the ERAvsCorona action plan that aims at supporting researchers in Europe and around the world in the fight against the coronavirus outbreak.

Another recommendation from the experts – to establish an epidemiological expert council – proposed by Professor Alexander Kekulé has, in the meantime become reality: on 17 March 2020 the European Commission launched an advisory panel on Covid‑19, composed of seven leading European researchers.

One of the members of the advisory group, Professor Marion Koopmans warns in her interview that we could see more of this kind of danger in the future ‘if we topple natural balances’. Professor Ilaria Capua, Director of the One Health Center of Excellence for Research and Training, at the University of Florida in the United States of America, holds a similar position.

Professor Capua and other scientists are raising the question of better communication of science evidence to the general public and to policy-makers. According to Professor Kekulé, more scientists need to communicate and interact with the public. However, his firm opinion is clear: ‘Scientists should not take the political decisions. Ultimately, the decisions need to be taken by democratically elected politicians’.

In this context, the role of STOA as a parliamentary panel providing advice in the field of science and technology developments is an essential aid to parliamentary activities in relation to the crisis. The ESMH, operating under the political responsibility of the STOA Panel, will continue to gather European researchers’ opinions and to promote science evidence and sound science.

For those who covered the eurozone debt crisis and the stuttering response by EU political leaders - until European Central Bank boss Mario Draghi rescued them - Tuesday’s (5 May) ruling by the constitutional court in Karlsruhe landed with a grim sense of inevitability

More than 200 of the world’s foremost economic experts and officials spelled out their wishes for a post-coronavirus recovery on Tuesday (5 May), ranking airline bailouts last in order of climate-friendliness and long-term economic benefit.

The Covid-19 crisis with its overall ban on entry to the Schengen zone by non-EU residents and citizens may present a window of opportunity to allow visa free travel for Kosovars.

There will soon come a time when the coronavirus will be nothing more but a bad memory in our lives and in our society. The conservation of our environment and our sustainable production of energy and food will continue to be key challenges for the future of the planet, writes Luis Planas.

The draft declaration of Wednesday's (6 May) EU summit with the leaders of the Western Balkans, seen by EURACTIV, calls on North Macedonia to find a solution to bilateral disputes in the implementation of the Treaty on Good Neighborhood Relations with Bulgaria.

A virtual meeting of EU and Western Balkan leaders to discuss the future of the region on Wednesday (6 May) will produce a final declaration that is set to omit the word "enlargement" altogether, instead focusing on EU support during the COVID-19 pandemic and the importance of continued adherence to European value and reforms.

Germany’s central bank (Bundesbank) should suspend the implementation of the European Central Bank's critical bond-buying programme unless the ECB proves the proportionality of its monetary stimulus, aimed at shoring up the eurozone's economies, Germany's Constitutional Court ruled on Tuesday (5 May).

Written by Vivienne Halleux,

© Jiri Prochazka / Adobe Stock.

Nearly three quarters of emerging infectious diseases in humans are caused by zoonotic pathogens. The majority of them originate in wildlife. Human activities, such as trade in wildlife, increase opportunities for animal–human interactions and facilitate zoonotic disease transmission. Several significant diseases, including Ebola and the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak, have been traced, in part, to substantial animal-human contact along the trade chain. Current information suggests that the Covid-19 pandemic may have started from a local Chinese wildlife market.

Wildlife trade, though difficult to quantify, is one of the most lucrative trades in the world. It is regulated under the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES), an international agreement to which the European Union (EU) and its Member States are parties. Through a permit system, CITES aims to ensure that international trade in listed species is sustainable, legal and traceable. Curbing illegal trade, however, remains a challenge. In 2016, the EU adopted an action plan on wildlife trafficking, which runs until 2020 and is currently under evaluation. The European Parliament supports its renewal and the strengthening of its provisions.

The coronavirus crisis has thrown into sharp focus the threat of disease transmission posed by trade in and consumption of wild animal species, prompting calls for bans on wildlife trade and closure of wildlife markets. Others advocate better regulation, including enhanced health and safety and sanitation measures. With matters relating to zoonotic diseases outside CITES’ mandate, some have suggested the development of a new international convention to address the issue. To reduce the risks of future outbreaks, many recommend an integrated approach, which would notably also cover nature preservation and restoration.

Read the complete briefing on ‘Coronavirus and the trade in wildlife‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

The EU will insist on progress on fisheries and level-playing fields, in talks with Britain on their future relationship, parallel to the trade deal, Ireland's foreign minister Simon Coveney said Monday after talks with EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier. Negotiations have stalled as the UK pushes for sectorial, streamlined agreements, while the EU wants a comprehensive deal. June is the deadline for any extension to the December 2020 exit date.

Nine out of ten people living with rare diseases across Europe have been negatively impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, including three out of ten who said that this has caused “life-threatening” disruption, according to a recent study by EURORDIS-Rare Diseases Europe.

The US's accusation that China is lying about the origins of the coronavirus are growing ever louder: according to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo evidence exists that the virus came from a laboratory in Wuhan. The World Health Organisation is criticising Bejing for not letting a WHO mission into the country, but considers the accusations unfounded. Commentators are also not convinced.

Countries all over the world are gradually easing the lockdown measures. Others are waiting to see what happens and trying to figure out the best way to return to normality. Not all commentators see a return to the way things were before as desirable.