Coronavirus
Commission to probe COVID-19 apps in Europe
The European Commission is monitoring the use of mobile applications used in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic to make sure that the bloc's "values and rules" are not being infringed upon, Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton said on Thursday (2 April).
Virus lockdowns put Europe’s invisible workers on front line
As the coronavirus outbreak confines millions of Europeans to their homes, others still show up every day to perform jobs too often undervalued -- from truck drivers and checkout clerks to security guards and street sweepers.
Innovation spurred by COVID-19 crisis highlights ‘potential of small-scale farmers’
the recent coronavirus outbreak has put an enormous strain on the EU whole agri-food sector and especially on small-scale producers. However, farmers have been rapidly innovating to create novel means of selling their produce to keep themselves afloat.
Netherlands, Austria push for tougher conditions for corona-loans
The Hague and Vienna are insisting on including stricter conditionality attached to loans for coronavirus-hit countries, toughening up the formula proposed by the eurozone’s bailout fund (ESM) and seen by EURACTIV.com.
Von der Leyen: EU budget should be the Marshall plan we lay out together
The EU's next long-term budget should be a key instrument in the recovery plan to confront the huge economic consequences of the COVID-19 crisis, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday (2 April).
German auto chiefs hold crisis call with Merkel
The bosses of BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen held a crisis call with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday (1 April) to discuss how to get production restarted, according to Handelsblatt.
Debts can be returned unlike human lives, Tsipras says
Human lives do not come back unlike public debts which can be returned, former Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras wrote in an op-ed for Le Monde.
EU recommends keeping borders open as agri-labour conundrum looms large
Following concerns regarding a shortage of labour in the agri-food sector, the Commission has issued new practical advice to ensure that seasonal workers can travel to work in critical occupations.
Austrian digital expert: Well-made disinformation is emotionally intelligent
The coronavirus pandemic has led to a flood of disinformation: Fictitious numbers of infection, ineffective treatments or false insider information. The Austrian author and digital expert Ingrid Brodnig, who monitors such cases, explains to EURACTIV Germany how and why coronavirus created a breeding ground for disinformation.
Brussels Airlines could be renationalised
Belgian flag-carrier Brussels Airlines could be brought into state-ownership in order to save it from bankruptcy, according to TV channel LN24, as coronavirus wreaks havoc on the aviation industry.
‘No gloves, no masks’: Romania medical workers fear for lives in virus fight
"We don't have gloves, masks, anything," says one of the medical team at southeastern Romania's Râmnicu Sărat hospital, one of those designated to treat COVID-19 patients.
We must break the cycle of panic and neglect
Health, global security and international stability are inextricably linked. And our globalised, urbanised and at the same time politically fragmented world has never been as prone to pandemics as it is today. Wolfgang Ischinger and Stefan Oschmann present five points that are critical in order to be better prepared for situations like these in the future.
Europe’s domestic air travel emissions increase again
Greenhouse gas output from plane journeys within the EU rose again in 2019, according to new data from the European Commission, but that growth is likely to stop for a while, with 2020 set to be a lean year for airlines because of coronavirus.
Spain tops 100,000 COVID-19 infections, with record death toll
Spain topped 100,000 coronavirus infections and registered its highest daily death toll Wednesday as health authorities race to deploy hospital beds to deal with the pressure of the pandemic.
Shortage of drugs and equipment: Brussels hospitals sound the alarm
Hospitals in the Belgian capital called on the federal government on Wednesday (1 April) to address a shortage of medicines and equipment, as COVID-19 patients continue to arrive at intensive care units that are starting to fill up.
The Brief – Is Eastern Europe more resilient to COVID-19?
Have you ever wondered why the numbers of people contaminated with COVID-19 are substantially bigger in the western part of our continent than in the former communist countries? The subscribers to our The Capitals and the Coronavirus tracker haven’t failed...
This is how the EU’s €100 billion corona-fund will work
Member states will provide guarantees to raise up to €100 billion for a new temporary fund to support workers in hard-hit countries affected by coronavirus, such as Italy and Spain, according to the proposal seen by EURACTIV.com.
Pressure builds for EU to back new African debt relief programme
African finance ministers want the European Union, International Monetary Fund and World Bank to support a multi-billion debt relief programme for the continent amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis.
F1 engineers help develop virus aid in record time
Formula One engineers from the championship-winning Mercedes team have helped develop a breathing aid that can keep coronavirus-infected patients out of intensive care. The device was given the green light by the UK health service in record time.
Authorities call on bankers to adjust bonuses in response to pandemic
Banking authorities are calling on European banks to cut their bonuses for this year in order to reflect the impact of the coronavirus and dedicate more resources to the real economy.
France wins EU approval for airline virus aid
The European Commission will allow France to defer some aeronautical taxes up to two years in order to help embattled airlines, after Brussels decided on Tuesday (31 March) that the plan is in line with its new looser state aid rules.
EFSA chief: EU food safety rules ensure protection against COVID-19
Although coronavirus can survive on surfaces for a limited time, food safety regulations in EU member states ensure a high level of protection against contaminated food, said the chief of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) Bernhard Url in an interview.
‘We are writing history, not an economics textbook’, Conte tells Germans
In an interview with German TV channel ARD, Italy’s Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte called on Europe to show "common house" and demonstrate it can respond to the epoch-making challenge of coronavirus.