How does EU respond to the coronavirus crisis?
Many people are asking, how does the EU help during current #COVID19 pandemic. Therefore we are offering a PDF summary of taken measures. Feel free to download and share!
You can find more about:
Public health measures
- supply of protective and medical equipment, joint procurements, practical guidance to the Member States on healthcare cooperation across borders, research funding
- To finance this action, on 2 April the Commission mobilised €3 billion from the EU budget, of which €2.7 billion will be channelled through the Emergency Support Instrument and €300 million though the rescEU medical equipment capacity. Additional contributions will be possible from Member States and also individuals, foundations and even crowdfunding.
Border and travel measures
- Since the beginning of the outbreak, around 350,000 Europeans have been repatriated thanks to EU consular efforts, with some 230,000 still stranded abroad. The EU Civil Protection Mechanism has facilitated the return of 22,135 Europeans more than 70 flights organised by 15 Member States and the UK from Algeria, Cabo Verde, Canada, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Japan, Jordan, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, New Zealand, Panama, Philippines, Peru, Senegal, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tunisia, the United States, and Vietnam.
- reintroduction of internal border controls across the EU, guidance on the implementation of the temporary restriction on non-essential travel to the EU, guidance to ensure that essential freight keeps moving by air
Socio-economic measures
- €37 billion Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative (CRII) to provide liquidity to small businesses and the health care sector, guidelines to ensure a strong EU-wide approach to foreign investment screening & other comprehensive economic response:
§ The first economic response focused on what was immediately necessary, available and deliverable. However, given the fast evolving nature of the pandemic, the Commission has further stepped up its response and on 2 April adopted a new set of far-ranging measures to mobilise every euro of the EU budget to protect lives and livelihoods
§ The Commission proposed to create SURE, an EU-wide scheme to mitigate unemployment risks and to help workers keep their income and help businesses stay afloat and retain staff. SURE will provide financial assistance up to €100 billion in EU loans.
§ The Commission proposed to adapt the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived to ensure that food deliveries can continue going to where they are needed, while making sure that those delivering and those receiving aid stay safe.
