28

Apr

MEPs call for concrete details and novel tools to address the economic crisis

MEPs on Monday quizzed Commissioners Dombrovskis and Gentiloni on planned measures to tackle the looming economic crisis due to COVID-19. Opening the discussion held within the Economic and Monetary Affairs…

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28

Apr

Fight against terrorism and humanitarian response top agenda for today’s EU-Sahel video conference

The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, current Chair of the G5 Sahel, will co-chair an EU-G5 Sahel video conference later on today, with the…

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27

Apr

MEPs push for support to culture sector

MEPs underlined the special nature of the creative sector and the difficulties faced by artists and called on the EU to provide support in a resolution adopted on 17 April. The pandemic…

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27

Apr

EU Commission hosts a European hackathon to develop innovative solutions to fight the outbreak

  The European Union's efforts to respond to the COVID crisis include a major participative initiative to harvest the ideas of organisations, experts, and ordinary citizens across the continent. To…

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27

Apr

EU’s economic recovery fund should be available by Summer – Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni

The recovery fund to support EU Member States survive the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic should be available by latest mid-September and its “reasonsable size” should reach €1.5 trillion.…

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25

Apr

Photo Story: Romanian transports EU aid to Italy

A C-27 J Spartan aircraft of the Romanian Air Force took off on Saturday, April 25, from Otopeni Air Base, to Milan, Italy, with a consignment of 90,000 FFP 2.…

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25

Apr

Coronavirus Global Response: EU launches pledging effort

The European Union is joining forces with global partners to kick-start a pledging effort – the Coronavirus Global Response – starting on 4 May 2020. The World Health Organization (WHO) and global…

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24

Apr

EU ministers propose Covid-19 support for neighbouring countries

EU Ministers of Foreign Affairs are assessing the possibility of setting up an EU humanitarian air bridge to facilitate the delivery of medical supplies and transportation of healthcare staff to…

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24

Apr

Coronavirus: EU guidance for a safe return to the workplace

The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) has issued today guidance on coming back to work after coronavirus. The European Commission said in a statement that it…

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24

Apr

A strong public health response must not undermine human rights – EU Fundamental Rights Agency

The EU Fundamental Rights Agency appealed that the need for strong public health responses to protect life during the pandemic should not disrespect human rights. "This is not a zero…

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23

Apr

UPDATED: Crunch European Summit underway

Updated 1827 The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, said that a final decision will not be reached today. A face-to-face meeting is required to reach a final solution.…

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23

Apr

European Union pledges €3bn assistance package for 10 neighbouring countries

The Commission has adopted a proposal for a €3 billion macro-financial assistance (MFA) package to ten enlargement and neighbourhood partners to help them to limit the economic fallout of the…

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22

Apr

EU Commission announces exceptional measures to support the agri-food sector

The European Commission is taking swift action and proposes additional exceptional measures to further support agricultural and food markets most affected. The EU agri-food sector is showing resilience in these…

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22

Apr

Pope prays for European unity

Pope Francis said Wednesday that he was praying for European unity ahead of a big EU summit on the bloc's response to the economic earthquake caused by the coronavirus emergency.…

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22

Apr

British PM Johnson to stick to December 31 Brexit transition deadline

  The top official at Britain’s foreign ministry said that he expected Prime Minister Boris Johnson to stick to the existing end of December deadline to reach a post-Brexit trade…

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22

Apr

€100 billion from the EU to keep people in jobs

The European Parliament said in a statement this morning that when taking into consideration all the initiatives launched at European level to safeguard employment, the total assistance will be reaching…

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22

Apr

EP approves changes to Fund for the Most Deprived to reflect current realities

To ensure that the most vulnerable continue to get the help they need, the European Parliament has adopted changes to the rules on the Fund for European Aid to the…

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22

Apr

EU funds must reach media and creative sector, say MEPs

Members of the European Parliament insisted that additional EU action is needed to make sure EU help reaches the hard-hit media and culture sectors.  In a statement, the EP noted…

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21

Apr

EU sets up emergency measures to help farmers and fishermen through pandemic

A number of emergency measures have been approved by the EU in order to provide aid to farmers and fishermen affected by the coronavirus pandemic. These urgent measures are being…

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21

Apr

EU Commission launches research-sharing platform in fight against coronavirus

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, part of the ERAvsCorona Action Plan,…

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20

Apr

EU Commission lays down the law on contact-tracing apps

The European Commission rolled out a set of parameters to guide developers building contact tracing and warning apps to be used within the EU. The ‘toolbox’ allows governments in member…

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20

Apr

Covid-19 concern for Erasmus students

A quarter of students currently on Erasmus programmes have had their study experiences cut short by the coronavirus emergency. A report by the Erasmus Students Network (ESN) discovered that some…

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20

Apr

Not the time for stricter rules for production of ventilators and facemasks – EPP

The EPP Group said in a statement that it supported the postponement by one year of the entry-into-force of new, stricter rules regarding the production of medical devices such as respiratory…

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20

Apr

“This is the time to show that the EU is based on solidarity at all levels” – EP S&D Leader

“This is a crucial moment in our history. We need a Recovery Plan only comparable to the Marshall Plan. In this Parliament, we have been able to overcome ideological divisions…

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16

Apr

EP to discuss, vote on latest support measures supporting EU countries

The European Parliament will meet in plenary today and tomorrow to debate and vote on the latest Commission proposals to address the effects of the Covid-19 outbreak in the EU.…

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15

Apr

COVID-19 outbreak: Council approves financial assistance for EU fishermen

The EU's Council of Ministers has agreed on a proposal to help tackle the negative impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the fishery and aquaculture sector. The proposal will amend…

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15

Apr

Von der Leyen outlines three criteria for lifting lockdown restrictions

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen unveiled her road map for lifting coronavirus restrictions across the bloc. In a 14-page document laying out her ideas, von der Leyen says…

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09

Apr

Italian PM Conte warns EU could fail over outbreak

Italy's prime minister has told the BBC that the European Union risks failing as a project in the coronavirus crisis. Giuseppe Conte says the EU must act in an adequate…

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08

Apr

Major European operation against fraud gang based in Bulgaria and Serbia

A large criminal network involved in fraud, money laundering and social engineering was dismantled in an international investigation. Europol and Eurojust supported the investigation which involved law enforcement and judicial…

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08

Apr

Marathon talks over EU virus rescue package stall

  EU talks on how to help southern Eurozone countries badly affected by the coronavirus epidemic have stalled after 16 hours. The European Central Bank says the bloc may need…

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07

Apr

The EU should procure and distribute medical supplies – MEP Miriam Dalli

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread to every corner of the continent, nations and hospitals are struggling to secure the necessary medical equipment required to support the increasing number…

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06

Apr

EASA publishes first rules for safe drone operations in Europe’s cities

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has published the first view worldwide on the use and control of drones in an urban environment, balancing the desire to maximise the…

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05

Apr

“No single country will be left behind in this crisis” says EU Commissioner for Internal Market

“Not one single country on the planet has been prepared, fully prepared, for this kind of crisis. No one." Those were the words of the man at the heart of…

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05

Apr

European Union survival at stake – Spanish PM

The European Union’s very survival is at stake and a new ‘Marshall Plan for Europe is needed’ to rebuild the continent’s economies, Spain’s prime minister writes in article published today by…

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05

Apr

EU’s von der Leyen calls for ‘Marshall Plan’ for Europe

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called on EU nations to invest billions in the bloc's budget to avert catastrophic economic consequences from the current coronavirus crisis. "We…

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03

Apr

Plans to transform European Parliament into a hospital

  he European Parliament has offered the city of Brussels the use of one of its buildings, as well as its vehicles, to help in the fight against coronavirus. Klaus…

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03

Apr

EU top court rules countries can’t freely extradite EFTA citizens

  EU countries’ responsibility to ensure people extradited to third countries are not at risk of human rights abuse extends to citizens of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, according to the…

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03

Apr

Talks underway over possible EU border closure extension

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday that talks were underway among European Union member states over whether or not to extend border closures beyond Easter in…

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02

Apr

Top EU court says eastern states broke law by refusing to host refugees

  The European Union’s top court ruled on Thursday that Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic had broken the law by refusing to host refugees to help ease the burden…

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02

Apr

The European Commission mobilises all of its resources to protect lives and livelihoods

Saving lives and supporting livelihoods in these times of acute crisis is paramount. The Commission is further increasing its response by proposing to set up a €100 billion solidarity instrument…

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02

Apr

European Commission eyes markets to fund €100bn pandemic jobs scheme

The European Commission will propose to borrow €100bn against EU governments’ guarantees to finance a short-term work scheme to protect jobs impacted by the coronavirus epidemic. The commission will propose…

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02

Apr

Joint statement on the principles of the rule of law in times of Covid-19

Thirteen EU countries on Wednesday issued a joint statement calling for coronavirus emergency measures to be temporary and in line with rule of law principles. The move comes after Hungary’s…

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01

Apr

EU presents practical guidance to ensure the free movement of critical workers

  The European Commission has issued new practical advice to ensure that mobile workers within the EU, in particular those in critical occupations to fight the coronavirus pandemic, can reach…

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01

Apr

EU launches new naval mission to police Libya arms embargo

  The European Union announced Tuesday the launch of a new naval mission in the Mediterranean Sea aimed at enforcing the U.N. arms embargo on Libya. The new operation, dubbed…

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27

Mar

EU launches naval mission to police Libya arms embargo

EU ambassadors agreed to deploy a new naval mission in the Central Mediterranean to police the U.N. arms embargo on Libya. The new Irini mission (the Greek word for "peace"),…

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27

Mar

EU prioritizing free goods flow, vaccine search, Italy issues ultimatum

The European Union is prioritizing maintaining open borders for goods to flow and the hunt for a vaccine against the coronavirus, European Council president Charles Michel said in a video…

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26

Mar

Photo story: The travel restrictions in Europe

The EU’s border management agency has produced striking map of Europe highlighting the level of travel restrictions in each country. Where a mode of travel is restricted, it is highlighted…

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26

Mar

Major telecom companies to help EU track virus

  Vodafone, Deutsche Telekom, Orange and five other telecoms providers have agreed to share mobile phone location data with the European Commission to track the spread of the coronavirus, lobbying…

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26

Mar

‘Europe is in a fight for its life’ says Ursula Von Der Leyen

European Council President Ursula Von Der Leyen said that Europe was in a 'fight for its life' as the death toll and infection rate of coronavirus rises across the continent.…

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26

Mar

EU guidelines to protect critical European assets and technology in current crisis

  The European Commission issued guidelines to ensure a strong EU-wide approach to foreign investment screening in a time of public health crisis and related economic vulnerability. The aim is to…

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25

Mar

European bid to ensure supply of protective equipment proving successful

The joint procurement of personal protective equipment launched by the European Commission to address the coronavirus crisis has proven successful. Producers made offers covering and, in some cases, even exceeding…

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25

Mar

Air pollution goes down across Europe

  The European Environment Agency’s (EEA) data has confirmed large decreases in air pollutant concentrations — of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations in particular — largely due to reduced traffic and…

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23

Mar

EU moves to start membership talks with Albania, North Macedonia

The European Union can start membership negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia, according to a draft decision by the bloc's 27 member states seen by Reuters on Monday and due…

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22

Mar

European standards for medical supplies made freely available to increase production

In the context of the Coronavirus crisis, the European Commission is working with industry and Member States to maximise the availability of masks, gloves, gowns and other medical supplies. Efforts…

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22

Mar

ETUC appeals for extraordinary macroeconomic measures

The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), with the support of economists and personalities, has issued an appeal on the need of extraordinary macroeconomic measures to tackle the COVID-19 emergency. The…

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20

Mar

EU adopts Temporary Framework to enable Member States to further support the economy in the COVID-19 outbreak

The European Commission has adopted a Temporary Framework to enable Member States to use the full flexibility foreseen under State aid rules to support the economy in the context of the…

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19

Mar

ECB launches emergency €750bn coronavirus package

The European Central Bank (ECB) has launched an emergency €750bn package to ease the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. It will buy government and company debt across the eurozone, including…

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