COVID 19

On 27 March, Independent Retail Europe and EuroCommerce had sent a joint letter to Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič asking him to ease the regulatory burden for the retail sector by postponing new regulations and Commission consultations until after the crisis. Given the momentous challenge that the pandemic poses for the sector, members would otherwise be unable […]

Commission President von der Leyen and Council President Charles Michel have presented the EU’s exit strategy for the current lockdown measures at a press conference on 15 April 2020. Von der Leyen stressed that a gradual, consolidated and coordinated approach was needed for an orderly exit. While the legal authority to lift measures continues to […]

In the evening of Thursday, 9 April, EU Finance Ministers reached an agreement in the Eurogroup format, launching a €540 billion package of measures to counter the economic fallout from the coronavirus outbreak. The agreement did not follow the wishes of Italy and a group of other Member States that wanted to institutionalise ‘coronabonds’ – […]

In the previous edition of our COVID-19 update we had reported on a new waiver of duties and VAT on imports of goods, including Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Following frequent contacts with the European Commission, Independent Retail Europe has now received confirmation that the Decision can be applied to supermarkets when they import PPE for […]

On 3 April 2020, the European Commission published Decision C(2020) 2146 „on relief from import duties and VAT exemption on importation granted for goods needed to combat the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak during 2020”. The measure extends for instance to any kind of protective and medical equipment such as gloves, masks, glasses and ventilators […]

The European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services, Mr Thierry Breton, has decided to organise a video call with high level representatives (producers, suppliers, wholesalers, retailers) of different supply chains in order to get an understanding of the current functioning of different ‘ecosystems’ and to optimize the European response to the coronavirus crisis. In the […]

Având în vedere Decretul nr.195/  2020 privind instituirea stării de urgență pe teritoriul României: Ministerul Economiei, Energiei și Mediului de Afaceri acordă, la cerere, solicitanților, operatori economici, a căror activitate este afectată în contextul pandemiei SARS–CoV-2, certificate de situație de urgență (CSU). Certificatele de situație de urgență sunt emise în doua forme: TIP 1 (ALBASTRU) […]

During the video conference between Council President Michel, Commission President von der Leyen, the European Central Bank, and the Eurogroup, the Presidents took stock of the socio-economic fallout of the COVID-19 crisis and discussed the next steps. These next steps should include a coordinated exit strategy, a comprehensive recovery plan, and unprecedented investments. Whilst Council […]

This document compiles information, obtained from public sources, on the measures proposed and taken at the EU or Euro Area level to mitigate the economic and social effects of Covid19. It will be regularly updated, following new developments. The table covers, specifically: 1. EU/EA budgetary and financialsupport measures, including loans by EIB 2. Decisions taken by […]

The Commission has adopted on 30 March an Implementing Regulation providing for a temporary possibility for Member States to perform official controls on the agri-food chain in a simplified manner in view of the ongoing situation linked to COVID-19. This Implementing Regulation is also available in the other EU official languages. (Source: Official Journal of the […]