About: COVID 19 crisis
Regional leader: Without cohesion, Europe cannot stand
As the EU faces the deepest recession in its history, the bloc's long-contested Cohesion Policy – its regional development instrument – has now become central to the recovery plan. EURACTIV spoke about it with the President of the European Committee of the Regions, Apostolos Tzitzikostas.
Von der Leyen calls mini-summit to push for a deal on recovery plan
European Commission president Ursula Von der Leyen called on Thursday (2 July) a mini-summit for next week with her counterparts at the Council, Parliament and German Chancellor Angela Merkel to work towards a deal on the EU recovery package.
Germany’s ‘crisis’ EU Presidency explained
Germany takes over the rotating six-month Presidency of the Council of the European Union on 1 July. This responsibility comes at a time when the EU is facing unprecedented challenges and expectations of Germany's leadership and diplomatic skills are higher than ever.
The new ERA must do more for gender equality
As we slowly emerge from the coronavirus outbreak in Europe, one thing is clear – it has brought to the front various aspects of gender equality issues in Research and Innovation (R&I), writes Marcela Linkova.
Green investment plan will be an impulse for economic growth
The coronavirus pandemic has forced decision-makers to change their perspective on the economy and adapt to the new normal. In this unprecedented moment, we propose solutions which will trigger a new impulse for development. Michał Kurtyka presents Poland's view on the green investment plan.
Protecting the seasonal workers in Europe
If we have fresh strawberries on our table these days, if we can enjoy delicious asparagus from our fields, it is thanks to the people who work outside. Quite often, they are seasonal workers, and we have to protect them, write Dan Nica and Jens Geier.
Commissioner Schmit: The future of Europe is not low wages, insecure jobs
The EU is facing the worst recession in history as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. To ensure that the crisis does not turn into a social emergency, the bloc must address issues like job security, minimum wages, or youth opportunities, the Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, Nicolas Schmit, told EURACTIV in an interview.
Let us not confine global trade
COVID-19 has stalled economies in the EU and the world, revealing vulnerabilities and shortcomings in global value chains. We need a resilient and sustainable European recovery by fostering sustainable and digital industrial ecosystems that diversify trade, stimulate sustainable growth and create jobs, write Reyes Maroto and Simon Kollerup.
Madeira: Portuguese archipelago invests in development of safe destination brand
The Portuguese islands of Madeira and Porto Santo will reopen to tourism on 1 July. After almost four months without revenue from one of its economic engines, the Atlantic archipelago's regional government seems optimistic about the reopening, but experts caution that it might still be necessary to rethink the future of tourism.
Changes in education as a result of COVID-19 crisis are here to stay, experts say
As lockdown measures are relaxed and schools reopen across Europe, EURACTIV has interviewed experts on whether the pandemic could have a long-lasting impact on education systems in Europe, and they said changes are here to stay.
Europe’s COVID crisis does little to disparage Mediterranean migrants
Alfa Jafo has spent the last few months working in the kitchen at a restaurant in the historic city of Agadez in Niger, a launchpad for irregular migration in the Sahel. Asked if the COVID-19 pandemic has killed his dream of going to Europe, Jafo looks genuinely puzzled and says 'No'.
Commission continues with EU minimum wage push, using coronavirus momentum
The European Commission insists that minimum wages ensuring workers across the EU earn a decent living are crucial to the coronavirus recovery and on Wednesday (3 June) launched a new round of consultations with social partners.
Worker participation in management can be stabilising factor, expert argues
Worker participation in the management can be a stabilisation factor in times of crisis, according to a recent study conducted by the Institute for Codetermination and Corporate Governance. EURACTIV has interviewed the co-author and political adviser on the matter, Sebastian Campagna.
Cohesion becomes central to EU recovery package
Through the new REACT-EU emergency instrument, cohesion policy will be one of the key elements in the European Commission's proposal for a recovery package, which takes into account that the impact of the COVID-19 crisis has been uneven across the EU.
Cédric O defends French COVID-19 app ahead of crunch vote
France's Secretary of State for Digital, Cédric O, defended the rollout and use of the country's planned coronavirus contact tracing app, StopCovid, ahead of a National Assembly vote on the technology today (27 May).
2020 will go down in history as the EU’s turning point thanks to COVID-19
In the two months since mid-March, the European Union has seen a change of course that was unthinkable at the start of the year. Entrenched taboos are falling away, and things that had been awaited for more than 20 years are happening within days and weeks. We must not waste this historic moment, writes Luca Jahier.
Byung-Chul Han: COVID-19 has reduced us to a ‘society of survival’
“Survival will become an absolute, as though we were living in a permanent state of war”. That is how South Korean philosopher Byung-Chul Han described the world after COVID-19, in an interview with Efe: “a society of survival that loses all sense of the good life”, one where “enjoyment is also sacrificed for health”.
Commission warns against the risk of the COVID19 becoming a social crisis
The economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic has hit the European economy hard, but not equally across all countries and sectors, and the fragmentation could lead to a social crisis, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights Nicolas Schmit warned on Wednesday (20 May).
Two-thirds of analysts concerned about prolonged recession, WEF says
Some 66,3% of senior risk professionals pointed to a “prolonged global recession” as one of the most worrisome risks for their company, according to a report by the World Economic Forum (WEF), published on Tuesday (19 May).
EU Parliament to ask for ‘massive’ €2 trillion corona recovery package
The European Parliament will demand a €2 trillion recovery package to counter the economic fallout of the COVID-19 crisis in a resolution to be voted on Thursday (14 May) by the assembly's five biggest political groups.
Central Europe and Baltic states GDP will fall by 4.3% in 2020, ERBD report says
The economies of Central Europe and the Baltic states are seen contracting by 4.3% on average in 2020, according to a report by the European Bank for Reconstructing and Development (ERBD) published on Wednesday (13 May). The report also showed that EU members in south-eastern Europe are expected to face a 4.8% GDP decline in 2020.
Masks obligatory in public transport as Spain relaxes measures
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced on Saturday (2 May) that face coverings will be mandatory in public transport after phase 0 of the government’s multi-staged de-escalation plan begins on Monday. EURACTIV’s partner EFE reported. “We know that the absolute...
How to solve the crisis? Strengthen workers’ voices.
In a matter of a few weeks, the political challenges facing Europe have changed dramatically, with the unfolding health and economic crisis. In the previous economic turmoil, our collective response was to weaken the rights of the worker. This time it must be different, argue Danish MEPs Marianne Vind, Nikolaj Villumsen and Kira Marie Peter-Hansen.