The EU’s €100 billion furlough scheme SURE has received loan requests totalling €91 billion so far. The largest shares of claims come from Italy (€28 billion) and Spain (€20 billion). Other claimants are Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. (Source: POLITICO)
In its latest deal on a potential COVID-19 vaccine, the European Commission has agreed to purchase 300 million doses of AstraZeneca’s potential product, marking the first advance purchase of a coronavirus related vaccine. The Commission has not disclosed the terms of the deal with the UK drug manufacturer. (Sources: DeHavilland, euobserver)
The number of employed people in the European Union fell by 2,6% in April and June (2,8% in the euro zone), the sharpest drop since Eurostat records began in 1995. (Source: POLITICO)
Under the State Aid Temporary Framework, the Commission has most recently approved:
- a €4,4 million Bulgarian support measure to Burgas and Varna airports in the context of the coronavirus outbreak;
- an Irish loan guarantee scheme mobilising €2 billion support for companies affected by the coronavirus outbreak;
- a €100 million Slovenian scheme to support companies affected by the coronavirus outbreak, as well as research, development and production of coronavirus-relevant product.
In addition, the Commission has approved financial support for businesses and the health sector in France, by making available €22 million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to combat the effects of the coronavirus epidemic.