European responses to the corona crisis – Part 7 (1 May – 8 May)

During the Coronavirus crises, the European Science-Media Hub is collecting and publishing a regular update of the most relevant releases provided by EU institutions and other European and global actors. 🆕 Last Update : 8 may

on May 4, 2020

coronavirus updates part 7
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May 8, 2020 update

• Coronavirus Global Response: EU Humanitarian Air Bridge – The European Commission has set up an EU Humanitarian Air Bridge to transport humanitarian workers and emergency supplies for the coronavirus response to some of most critical areas around the world.

• European Commission: Delivery of a first batch of 1.5 million masks to EU healthcare workers – Over the coming days, 1.5 million medical masks will be delivered to 17 Member States and the UK to protect healthcare workers against coronavirus.

• European Commission: Invitation to MSs to extend restriction on non-essential travel to the EU until 15 June – This calls for continued measures at the external borders to reduce the risk of the disease spreading through travel to the EU. The lifting of travel restrictions should be phased.

May 7, 2020 update

• World-leading virologist Peter Piot to advise EC President von der Leyen on the response to COVID-19 – In this role, he will advise the Commission in supporting and steering research and innovation in the global fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

• European Commission’s guidance – On free movement of health professionals and minimum harmonisation of training in relation to COVID-19 emergency measures.

• State aid to Hungary, Czechia, Croatia, Finland, the Netherlands – The European Commission approved €7.3 million Czech scheme to support research and development activities related to coronavirus outbreak, €314 million Hungarian guarantee scheme to support SMEs active in the agri-food value chain during the coronavirus outbreak, €650 million Dutch scheme to compensate companies in the floriculture, specialty horticulture and potato sectors for damage caused by coronavirus outbreak, €40 million Finnish direct grant schemes to support companies in the agriculture and fishery sectors affected by coronavirus outbreak

May 6, 2020 update

• EP President Sassoli’s statement – “Be brave on EU recovery plan”

• European Commission: Spring 2020 Economic Forecast – A deep and uneven recession, an uncertain recovery.

• EP Policy Department Briefing – The ECB’s Monetary Policy Response to the COVID-19 Crisis.

• ICAO: COVID-19 Safety Risk Management – A new Handbook for Civil Aviation Authorities (CAAs) on the Management of Aviation Safety Risks related to COVID-19.

• EP statement – Covid-19 tracing apps: ensuring privacy and data protection.

• ENISA: Understanding and dealing with phishing during the covid-19 pandemic – EU Agency for Cybersecurity says that coronavirus-related email phishing attacks have spiked since the end of February 2020.

May 5, 2020 update

• State aid to Belgium, Czechia, Denmark – The European Commission approves Belgian €250 million subordinated loan scheme to support start-ups, scale-ups and SMEs affected by the coronavirus outbreak, €5.2 billion Czech guarantee scheme for loans to large exporting companies affected by coronavirus outbreak, modification and prolongation of Danish scheme to compensate companies particularly affected by the coronavirus outbreak, prolongation and extension of voucher scheme for faster broadband services in Greece, €10 million Greek scheme to support companies in the floriculture sector affected by the coronavirus outbreak.

• New EU platform for cultural and creative stakeholders – The new platform, Creatives Unite offers a common space for all those looking for information about cultural and creative sector initiatives responding to the coronavirus crisis.

• UNODC: Impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on trafficking in persons – Preliminary findings and messaging based on rapid stocktaking

May 4, 2020 update

• EIB release – EIB Group outlines finance and advisory support for health in response to COVID-19 at global Pledging Conference.

• The Commission registered €7.4 billion, equivalent to $8 billion, in pledges from donors worldwide during the Coronavirus Global Response pledging event. – The aim of the event, which begins on 4 May is to gather significant funding to ensure the collaborative development and universal deployment of diagnostics, treatments and vaccines against coronavirus.

• State aid to France, Italy – The European Commission approves, French plans to provide €7 billion in urgent liquidity support to Air France, €30 million Italian scheme to support SMEs in the agriculture and fishery sectors affected by coronavirus outbreak

• EP release: EU recovery plan should include climate crisis action – MEPs say the Green Deal must be at the centre of any reconstruction package.

• EUvsDisinfo: New Stories, Old Plots – How the Pro-Kremlin Disinformation Network Capitalises on the COVID-19 Outbreak.

May 3, 2020 update

• The global response: Working together to help the world get better – Op-ed co-authored by Giuseppe Conte, President of the Government of the Italian Republic, Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, Angela Merkel, Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Charles Michel, President of the European Council, Erna Solberg, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Norway, Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada* and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission.

May 2, 2020 update

• European Commission: RescEU masks delivered to Spain, Italy and Croatia – RescEU is the first ever common European reserve of medical equipment set up last month to help countries affected by the coronavirus outbreak.

May 1, 2020 update

• EUROPOL report – Beyond the pandemic – How COVID-19 will shape the serious and organised crime landscape in the EU.

• EASO: Latest Asylum Trends – Latest figures show that applications for asylum in the EU+ dropped by almost half in March as COVID-19 containment measures took effect.

• Eurostat release – GDP down by 3.8% in the euro area and by 3.5% in the EU.

• IEA: New report – Global energy demand to plunge this year as a result of the biggest shock since the Second World War A new report released by the International Energy Agency provides an almost real-time view of the Covid-19 pandemic’s extraordinary impact across all major fuels.

• EP release – MEPs urge EU Commissioner Wojciechowski to step up aid for EU farmers.

• EP ECON Committee release – EP ECON activities in regard to COVID-19.

• EEAS statement – Declaration by the High Representative Josep Borrell, on malicious cyber activities exploiting the coronavirus pandemic.

• European Commission: 117 solutions selected at European Hackathon – A total of 117 innovative solutions to tackle the coronavirus have been selected as winners of the European Innovation Council-led #EUvsVirus Hackathon.

• ESA: Galileo positioning aiding Covid-19 – As European governments plan their phased recoveries from the lockdown states triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, the positioning delivered through satellite navigation is becoming more important than ever before.

• State aid to Hungary, Poland, Estonia, France – The European Commission approves, €900 million Hungarian schemes to support companies affected by coronavirus outbreak, €1.55 billion Hungarian guarantee scheme to support companies affected by the coronavirus outbreak, prolongation of the Polish resolution scheme for cooperative and small commercial banks, two additional Estonian schemes to support companies affected by coronavirus outbreak, €5 billion loan guarantee by France to the Renault group to mitigate economic impact of coronavirus outbreak

Consult older ESMH articles on the European responses to the corona crisis