Sarantis Michalopoulos
EU official: Member states’ reports on COVID-19 still insufficient
EU countries still do not report enough to the European Commission about the situation on the ground when it comes to COVID-19, putting at risk the attempt to formulate a unified approach to tackle a second wave of the pandemic.
Historic or not? Greece and US lost in translation over North Macedonia
A joint statement signed on Monday (28 September) between the US and Greece, during a visit by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, has sent confusing messages about whether Washington and Athens consider the North Macedonia name change deal (Prespa Agreement) historic or not.
Commission tones down hopes for a COVID-19 vaccine soon
The European Commission is not able to say when a COVID-19 vaccine will be available, EU health chief Stella Kyriakides admitted on Thursday (24 September), even though a senior EU official voiced hope earlier this month that the first vaccine could have market authorisation as early as November.
Sources: No mandatory relocation but enforced solidarity in new EU migration pact
The European Commission will have the last say through legislative acts when it comes to the enforcement of the EU's new migration - the latest balancing act trying to reconcile Europe's southern and eastern members.
Erdogan in search of EU ‘allies’ to block sanctions
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has held a series of contacts with EU leaders in recent days, aiming to find allies who would block potential sanctions against Turkey at the 24-25 September EU summit over its illegal drilling activities in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Teach health literacy at schools to combat fake news, expert says
Social and traditional media, patient organisations and policymakers have all a role to play in providing clear messages when it comes to public health. But without proper investments in health literacy at school, fake news cannot be combatted, according to...
Commission urged to consider common regulatory framework for nanomedicines
The lack of a fit-for-purpose regulatory framework on nanomedicines and their “generics” poses risks for the safety of EU patients and this is something that the European Commission should urgently look at, EAASM has said.
Mandatory relocation still point of contention in new EU migration pact
The European Commission's long-awaited new migration pact will consist of five regulations and a political text, EU sources have told EURACTIV. However, the thorny issue of mandatory relocation, which some EU countries strongly oppose, continues to cause headaches.
OECD official: 20% of all health spending in Europe is pure waste
Europe’s current health systems have been facing long-standing malfunctions which have led to almost 20% of health spending in Europe being “pure waste”, a senior official of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development told EURACTIV in an interview.
Poor investment in digitising health hit Europe back with COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has reminded Europe that its piecemeal approach to investing in the digitisation of health systems comes at a cost, but not all countries and policymakers have yet learned the lesson, the chairman of the European Connected Health Alliance told EURACTIV.
The Brief, powered by Eurogas – Hagia Sophia in Cyprus: when Eurocrats ruin Europe
Europe’s unification process was never going to be an easy task. When there are economic imbalances among EU member states, when the creation of an ‘EU identity’ clashes with different cultures, the integration process is faced with difficulties. But with...
Europe’s health after COVID-19
Many EU countries are now experiencing the second wave of the COVID-10 pandemic and it seems that the lack of Europe-wide coordination that marked the first wave is still there.
Seventy-one MEPs ask EU member states to finally break silos in COVID-19 crisis
Seventy-one lawmakers from the major political groups in the European Parliament have called on EU member states and the Commission to end fragmentation and improve coordination in order to better tackle the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Socialists push for EU arms embargo against Turkey
Several Socialist lawmakers in the European Parliament have floated the idea of imposing an arms embargo, along with sanctions, on Ankara, as the EU gears up for a crucial September summit meant to define its response to Turkey's activities in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The Brief, powered by amfori – Moria burns, and solidarity with it
Moria is burning, and with it, the European values we pretend to uphold. This is how Green MEP Philippe Lamberts described the tragic events at Greece’s overcrowded migrant camp of Moria after a fire broke out there on Tuesday night....
EU pharma boss says ‘not possible’ to predict COVID-19 vaccine date
It’s impossible to predict exactly the timeframe necessary for a COVID-19 vaccine to become available, said Nathalie Moll, director-general of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA).
Stoltenberg: NATO to focus on East-Med de-confliction, leaves diplomacy to Germany
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg clarified on Friday (4 September) that his statement about a deal for dialogue between Greece and Turkey referred to “technical talks” to defuse tensions and complement the diplomatic part that remains in the hands of EU presidency-holder Germany.
Commission hopes for COVID-19 vaccine market authorisation in November
The European Commission hopes for the first COVID-19 vaccine to have market authorisation in November, an EU official said yesterday (3 September). However, a timeline for its distribution is still unknown.
Greece overrules NATO’s announced launch of dialogue with Turkey
Athens denied on Thursday (3 September) a statement by NATO’s Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that Greece and Turkey had agreed to technical talks to defuse tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean. Greek diplomatic sources said the only way to de-escalate was for...
Greece’s blood centre says can no longer perform COVID-19 tests
Greece's national blood donation centre EKEA, which is also the main testing hub for coronavirus, has warned hospitals across the country that it can no longer perform COVID-19 tests due to their “irrational” use that has created a shortage of reagents.
An ‘accident’ in the Mediterranean is in no one’s interest, EU official says
The European Union's efforts are focused on de-escalation and dialogue because it is in no one's interest to have an accident in the Eastern Mediterranean amid the escalating crisis between Greece and Turkey, an EU official said on Wednesday (2 September).