The European Union's response to COVID-19

Author: Iain McIver and Damon Davies

PDF Published: Thursday 21 May 2020 (SB 20-35)

Expand
Overview
Report

Hide

Hide

Overview
Report
- Executive Summary
- Context - shared EU and member state competence
- The EU response - a summary
- The EU institutional response
  - The European Council
  - The European Commission
  - The European Parliament
  - Eurogroup response
- Public health response
  - Procurement of medicines and medical equipment
  - Availability of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
  - Support for research on treatment, diagnostics and vaccines
  - Guidance for Member States
- Economic response
  - European Commission proposals
    
    The Corona Response Investment Initiative
    
    The SURE instrument to protect jobs and people at work.
    
    Temporary State Aid rules
    
    Easing budgetary flexibility for Member States
    
    Eurobonds
  - European Investment Bank
  - European Central Bank
- Analysis of the EU's economic response to COVID-19
- External financial support
- Borders and mobility
- Tackling disinformation
- Recovery and exit strategies
  - Economic recovery
Sources

Image: Figure 2

European Council. (2020, March 10). Conclusions by the President of the European Council following the video conference on COVID-19. Retrieved from https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2020/03/10/statement-by-the-president-of-the-european-council-following-the-video-conference-on-covid-19/ [accessed 20 May 2020]

Eur-Lex. (2016, June 6). Consolidated version of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. Retrieved from https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:12016E004 [accessed 20 May 2020]

European Commission. (n.d.) The common EU response to COVID-19. Retrieved from https://europa.eu/european-union/coronavirus-response_en [accessed 20 May 2020]

Eur-Lex. (2013, October 22). DECISION No 1082/2013/EU OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 22 October 2013 on serious cross-border threats to health and repealing Decision No 2119/98/EC. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/health/sites/health/files/preparedness_response/docs/decision_serious_crossborder_threats_22102013_en.pdf [accessed 20 May 2020]

European Council. (2020, March 17). Conclusions by the President of the European Council following the video conference with members of the European Council on COVID-19. Retrieved from https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2020/03/17/conclusions-by-the-president-of-the-european-council-following-the-video-conference-with-members-of-the-european-council-on-covid-19/ [accessed 20 May 2020]

European Council. (2020, March 26). Joint statement of the Members of the European Council. Retrieved from https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/43076/26-vc-euco-statement-en.pdf [accessed 20 May 2020]

European Council. (2020, April 23). Conclusions of the President of the European Council following the video conference of the members of the European Council, 23 April 2020. Retrieved from https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2020/04/23/conclusions-by-president-charles-michel-following-the-video-conference-with-members-of-the-european-council-on-23-april-2020/ [accessed 20 May 2020]

European Commission. (n.d.) European Commission's coronavirus response team. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/info/live-work-travel-eu/health/coronavirus-response/european-commissions-action-coronavirus_en [accessed 20 May 2020]

European Commission. (n.d.) Overview of the Commission’s response. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/info/live-work-travel-eu/health/coronavirus-response/overview-commissions-response_en [accessed 20 May 2020]

European Parliament. (2020, April 17). COVID-19: Stepping up EU’s response to alleviate the effects of the crisis. Retrieved from https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20200415IPR77111/covid-19-stepping-up-eu-s-response-to-alleviate-the-effects-of-the-crisis [accessed 20 May 2020]

European Parliament. (2020, April 17). COVID-19: MEPs free up over €3 billion to support EU healthcare sector. Retrieved from https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/priorities/eu-response-to-coronavirus/20200415IPR77110/covid-19-meps-free-up-over-EU3-billion-to-support-eu-healthcare-sector [accessed 20 May 2020]

Council of the European Union Eurogroup. (2020, March 4). Statement on the situation with COVID-19. Retrieved from https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2020/03/04/statement-on-the-situation-with-covid-19/ [accessed 20 May 2020]

Flear, M. (2020, March 27). EU joint procurement – UK’s delayed participation undermines the NHS and risks lives. Retrieved from https://ukandeu.ac.uk/eu-joint-procurement-uks-delayed-participation-undermines-the-nhs-and-risks-lives/ [accessed 07 May 2020]

The Guardian. (2020, April 22). What is the EU medical equipment scheme and why did UK opt out?. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/22/coronavirus-what-is-eu-medical-equipment-scheme-why-did-uk-opt-out [accessed 07 May 2020]

European Commission. (2020, April 2). European Union Emergency Support Instrument for the healthcare sector - questions and answers. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/QANDA_20_577 [accessed 11 May 2020]

European Commission. (n.d.) Emergency Support Instrument. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/info/live-work-travel-eu/health/coronavirus-response/emergency-support-instrument_en [accessed 11 May 2020]

European Commission. (2019, February 2). rescEU. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/echo/what/civil-protection/resceu_en [accessed 11 May 2020]

European Commission. (n.d.) COVID-19: First ever rescEU stockpile. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/covid-19_resceu_stockpile_3_003.pdf [accessed 11 May 2020]

European Commission. (2020, May 2). Coronavirus: rescEU masks delivered to Spain, Italy and Croatia. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_20_785 [accessed 11 May 2020]

European Commission. (n.d.) Horizon Europe - the next research and innovation framework programme. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/info/horizon-europe-next-research-and-innovation-framework-programme_en [accessed 12 May 2020]

UK Government. (2020, February 27). The Future Relationship with the EU: The UK’s Approach to Negotiations. Retrieved from https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/868874/The_Future_Relationship_with_the_EU.pdf [accessed 12 May 2020]

UKRI. (n.d.) UKRI & Europe. Retrieved from https://www.ukri.org/research/international/ukri-europe/ [accessed 12 May 2020]

European Commission. (n.d.) Coronavirus Global Response. Retrieved from https://global-response.europa.eu/index_en [accessed 12 May 2020]

European Commission. (n.d.) Jobs and economy during the coronavirus pandemic. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/info/live-work-travel-eu/health/coronavirus-response/jobs-and-economy-during-coronavirus-pandemic_en [accessed 20 May 2020]

European Commission. (2020, March 13). European Coordinated Response on Coronavirus: Questions and Answers. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/qanda_20_458 [accessed 20 May 2020]

European Commission. (2020, April 22). COVID-19: More flexibility for deploying EU budget money. Retrieved from https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2020/04/22/covid-19-more-flexibility-for-deploying-eu-budget-money/ [accessed 20 May 2020]

European Commission. (2020, April 22). COVID-19: Council adopts rules to help EU fishermen. Retrieved from https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2020/04/22/covid-19-council-adopts-rules-to-help-eu-fishermen/ [accessed 20 May 2020]

European Commission. (n.d.) A European instrument for temporary Support to mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency (SURE). Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/info/business-economy-euro/economic-and-fiscal-policy-coordination/eu-financial-assistance/loan-programmes/sure_en [accessed 20 May 2020]

Eur-Lex. (n.d.) Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION on the establishment of a European instrument for temporary support to mitigate unemployment risks in an emergency (SURE) following the COVID-19 outbreak COM/2020/139 final. Retrieved from https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM%3A2020%3A139%3AFIN [accessed 20 May 2020]

European Commission. (2020, March 19). Communication from the Commission Temporary Framework for State aid measures to support the economy in the current COVID-19 outbreak. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/competition/state_aid/what_is_new/sa_covid19_temporary-framework.pdf [accessed 20 May 2020]

European Commission. (2020, March 25). State aid: Commission approves UK schemes to support SMEs affected by coronavirus outbreak. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_20_527 [accessed 20 May 2020]

European Commission. (2020, April 6). State aid: Commission approves £50 billion UK “umbrella” scheme to support the economy in the coronavirus outbreak. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_20_603 [accessed 20 May 2020]

European Commission. (2020, May 11). State aid: Commission approves € 10.3 billion UK scheme to support self-employed individuals and members of partnerships during the coronavirus outbreak. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_20_860 [accessed 20 May 2020]

European Commission. (n.d.) Coronavirus Outbreak - List of Member State Measures approved under Article 107(2)b TFEU, Article 107(3)b TFEU and under the Temporary State Aid Framework. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/competition/state_aid/what_is_new/State_aid_decisions_TF_and_107_2_b_and_107_3_b.pdf [accessed 20 May 2020]

Politico. (2020, May 18). Berlin buckles on bonds in €500B Franco-German recovery plan. Retrieved from https://www.politico.eu/article/berlin-buckles-on-bonds-in-e500b-franco-german-recovery-plan/ [accessed 20 May 2020]

European Investment Bank. (n.d.) Coronavirus outbreak: EIB Group’s response. Retrieved from https://www.eib.org/en/about/initiatives/covid-19-response/index.htm [accessed 20 May 2020]

European Central Bank. (2020, March 18). ECB announces €750 billion Pandemic Emergency Purchase Programme (PEPP). Retrieved from https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/pr/date/2020/html/ecb.pr200318_1~3949d6f266.en.html [accessed 20 May 2020]

Bevington, M. (2020, April 23). Criticisms of poor EU co-ordination overblown. Retrieved from https://ukandeu.ac.uk/criticisms-of-poor-eu-co-ordination-overblown/# [accessed 20 May 2020]

Begg, I. (2020, April 24). Covid-19: the struggle to agree an EU response. Retrieved from https://ukandeu.ac.uk/covid-19-the-struggle-to-agree-an-eu-response/ [accessed 20 May 2020]

The Irish Times. (2020, March 28). ‘Coronabonds’ row could endanger the European project. Retrieved from https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/coronabonds-row-could-endanger-the-european-project-1.4213161 [accessed 20 May 2020]

Rubio, E. (2020, May 7). The EU’s budget and the Covid-19 recovery plan. Retrieved from https://ukandeu.ac.uk/the-eus-budget-and-the-covid-19-recovery-plan/ [accessed 20 May 2020]

Menon, A. (2020, April 27). Covid-19’s threat to the EU. Retrieved from https://ukandeu.ac.uk/covid-19s-threat-to-the-eu/ [accessed 20 May 2020]

Council of the European Union. (2020, May 5). COVID-19: Council greenlights €3 billion assistance package to support neighbouring partners. Retrieved from https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2020/05/05/covid-19-council-greenlights-3-billion-assistance-package-to-support-neighbouring-countries/ [accessed 20 May 2020]

Council of the European Union. (n.d.) Timeline - Council actions on COVID-19. Retrieved from https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/covid-19-coronavirus-outbreak-and-the-eu-s-response/timeline/ [accessed 20 May 2020]

European Commission. (2020, May 6). Summary of the European Commission’s response to Corona virus (COVID-19) crisis to date. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/ireland/news/summary-of-the-european-commission-s-response-to-corona-virus-covid-19-crisis-to-date_en [accessed 12 May 2020]

European Commission. (2020, April 15). A European roadmap to lifting coronavirus containment measures. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/info/live-work-travel-eu/health/coronavirus-response/european-roadmap-lifting-coronavirus-containment-measures_en [accessed 19 May 2020]

Polticio. (2020, April 14). EU left behind as capitals plan coronavirus exit strategies. Retrieved from https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-left-behind-as-capitals-plan-coronavirus-exit-strategies/ [accessed 20 May 2020]

Last Updated: 29/5 8:10pm

Image: Figure 1

Image: Figure 2

An error occured while loading, please try again in a few minutes.