Health
Serbia to spend €2.5 billion to aid recovery from coronavirus crisis
Serbia plans to spend about €2.5 billion in loans and subsidies to businesses and payments to pensioners and other citizens to help them cope with the economic impact of the coronavirus, President Aleksandar Vučić said on Tuesday (26 January).
Portugal urged to seek international help as COVID-19 deaths hit record
Portugal's government was urged to transfer COVID-19 patients abroad on Tuesday (26 January) as deaths hit a record high and the oxygen supply system of a large hospital near Lisbon partly failed from overuse.
Commission envisages tobacco-free Europe by 2040 in leaked cancer plan
The much-awaited 'Europe's Beating Cancer Plan' is being shaped with a strong push on prevention, targeting in particular alcohol and tobacco products, including novel tobacco products like e-cigarettes, EURACTIV has learnt.
French sports retailer Decathlon to participate in EU ‘green consumption’ project
The European Commission launched its green consumption commitment initiative on Monday (25 January) and French sporting goods retailer Decathlon was among the first companies to announce its participation in the project. EURACTIV France reports.
Sweden pauses vaccine payments after Pfizer starts charging for sixth dose
Sweden's Health Agency has paused COVID-19 vaccine payments to Pfizer and is seeking clarification over the number of doses available in each vial of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter reported on Tuesday (26 January).
Covid-19 vaccine firms must deliver, says EU chief
Companies producing Covid-19 vaccines "must deliver", EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday (26 January) as tensions mounted between her European Commission and pharmaceutical firms over delayed deliveries.
Global pandemic: Second night of Netherlands violence, Biden touts herd immunity
The Netherlands has been hit by a second night of riots, as coronavirus curfew frustrations boiled over, even as President Joe Biden said herd immunity could be achieved this year.
Schmit: Recovery fund key to get hospitality sector back on its feet
Placing the hospitality and tourism sectors at the heart of national recovery and resilience plans will be essential, the EU commissioner for jobs and social rights, Nicolas Schmit, told EURACTIV.
AstraZeneca rejects ‘incorrect’ reports on Covid-19 jab efficacy in elderly
Pharma giant AstraZeneca has defended the efficacy of its Covid-19 vaccine after media reports said the German government had doubts about its effectiveness among those over 65.
Italy sends warning letter to Pfizer over COVID vaccine delays
The Italian government on Monday (25 January) sent a letter of formal notice to Pfizer calling on the drug company to respect its contractual commitments over its COVID-19 vaccine deliveries, the government special commissioner said.
AstraZeneca vaccine deliveries must be delivered, Commission says
The European Commission expects contractual obligations of vaccines incurred by drug-maker Astrazeneca to be met as laid out in the original purchase agreements.
Commission has no plans to look into COVID-19 vaccine patent options
Wealthy nations are buying up hundreds of millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses while poorer countries are struggling to secure basic supplies. EU lawmaker Udo Bullmann (S&D) has called for a global vaccination strategy to avert a "human catastrophe" but the European Commission has ruled out the idea of a mandatory release of vaccine patents. EURACTIV Germany reports.
COVID crisis ‘trigger’ for innovation in hospitality sector, say researchers
The COVID-19 crisis has deeply impacted the hospitality sector, but it has also been a trigger of business model innovation and this must be encouraged to help businesses adapt to the "new normal", according to new research.
Special Edition: EU hospitality sector seeks support to open, not remain closed
Following the first lockdown, Europe’s hospitality sector was the first to take immediate safety measures. However, it has also been the sector that has paid the full cost of the pandemic. In 18 out of 27 EU member states, pubs,...OpinionPromoted content
Commission’s proposed ban of Aloe supplements reveals concerning scientific and procedural shortcomings
A ban of Aloe in food supplements could set a dangerous precedent for the use of natural products for health in the EU. Producers need to be given the opportunity to prove the safety of their products, writes Livia Menichetti from EHPM together with MEP Piernicola Pedicini.
Pandemic could have far reaching effects on bone health, expert warns
The COVID pandemic may have far-reaching consequences on bone health, due to a combination of lack of physical activity and late diagnosis, according to Jane Barratt, secretary general of the international federation of ageing.
Top Spanish general resigns over allegations of vaccination queue-jumping
Spain’s top general resigned after allegations he had received the COVID-19 vaccine ahead of priority groups, one of a number of public officials who have sparked public anger because of reports they have jumped the vaccination queue.
Borders tightened around the world as coronavirus curfew fury spills over
Border restrictions were being tightened around the world Monday (25 January) in the face of an unrelenting coronavirus threat, after a weekend in which anger at social distancing rules bubbled over into fiery clashes in the Netherlands.
Nations tighten virus curbs as Dutch curfew protesters clash with police
Clashes broke out in the Netherlands on Sunday (24 January) as anti-curfew demonstrators protested against coronavirus restrictions, while France imposed new border controls with numerous countries under pressure to slow the spread of new variants. France introduced a requirement for...
Italy says delays in vaccine supplies unacceptable
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte lashed out at suppliers of COVID-19 vaccines on Saturday (23 January), saying delays in deliveries amounted to a serious breach of contractual obligations.
Border testing of hauliers will disrupt food and medicine supply, warns union
Mandatory COVID-19 testing of goods transport drivers at borders will lead to “devastating consequences” if implemented, forcing supply chains for essentials such as food and medicine to “grind to a halt”, the International Road Transport Union (IRU) has said in a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Monte Carlo Rally has no place in ‘post-crisis world’, say environmentalists
The first round of the World Rally Championship began with the Monte Carlo Rally on Thursday (21 January). However, the sport's polluting nature, criticised by environmental associations, is raising questions about its raison d'être. EURACTIV France reports.
COVID vaccine contract: nearly a quarter obscured
As European lawmakers demand more transparency around COVID vaccine contracts, a EURACTIV analysis has found that nearly a quarter of the CureVac COVID vaccine contract made available to MEPs this week, including nearly two-thirds of its Annexes, has been redacted.