Comunicare

The European Central Bank (ECB) has published a briefing assessing short-term economic developments during the COVID-19 pandemic via the use of adjusted tools of measurement. (Source: DeHavilland) Under the State Aid Temporary Framework, the Commission has recently approved: €23 million for Belgian measures to support the production of coronavirus-relevant products; two Czech employment schemes to support […]

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has announced that an exceptional meeting on the approval of the Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine against COVID-19 has now been scheduled for 21 December, eight days earlier than originally envisaged. Vaccinations across the EU will begin on 27 December, provided the EMA authorises the shot. A second vaccine by Moderna will be […]

EU leaders finally reached a compromise on the EU’s next budget and the recovery fund „Next Generation EU”, together amounting to €1,8 billion. EU leaders had originally agreed on the deal in the summer. However, in recent weeks, Poland and Hungary had threatened to veto the deal over its „rule of law mechanism”, which the […]

On 2 December, the European Commission adopted a strategy for sustainably managing the pandemic over the coming winter months. The strategy recommends continued vigilance and caution throughout the winter period and into 2021 when the roll out of safe and effective vaccines will occur. Measures include physical and social distancing, testing and contact tracing, safe […]

The European Parliament approved €823 million in EU aid to seven countries to help them tackle emergencies including the coronavirus pandemic. More than €130 million will be distributed in advance payments to Germany, Ireland, Greece, Spain, Croatia, Hungary and Portugal. The majority of the aid, up to €683 million, will be used to support Croatia […]

The governments of Hungary and Poland have threatened to block the EU’s next budget, the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027, and the bloc’s recovery package over provisions that recipients of funds must follow rule of law principle. Should their veto persist, then the timely adoption of the budget deal before the current budget expires on the […]

A new vaccine against the coronavirus jointly developed by U.S. pharmaceuticals company Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech is reportedly achieving 90% effectiveness in trials in people that had not been exposed to the virus previously. While it is yet unknown for how long the vaccine’s immunising effect lasts, the announcement has sparked hopes that the severe […]

Member State governments have disbursed only 15% of the €3 trillion in State aid approved by the Commission to help businesses in the first wave of the outbreak. There are also large differences between Member States: Germany by far made the most money available to companies (almost half of all aid schemes approved by the […]

The EU’s top scientific adviser, Belgian microbiologist Peter Piot, has cautioned hopes that the coronavirus will be over soon. Without a vaccine, and unless the structure of the virus changes and becomes less lethal, the two options continue to be herd immunity at the expense of millions of deaths, or continued lockdowns that devastate European […]