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#Coronavirus – Broad agreement that a common debt instrument is needed
President of the Eurogroup, Mario Centeno Yesterday (24 March) EU finance ministers met to discuss the coronavirus pandemic and the measures it can take to address its impact on Europe’s economy. The most contentious question of using the European Stability Mechanism to support states remained unresolved, though there was ‘broad support’. Centeno has kicked this […]
#Coronavirus – ‘Do we act together, or do we act alone?’ Paul Tang MEP
EU Reporter spoke to Paul Tang MEP (S&D, NL) about the Dutch response to coronavirus. In the Netherlands there has been a voluntary lockdown, bars and restaurants are closed down and people are encouraged to stay at home though parks are busy, especially in the spring sunshine. Tang speculated that the Netherlands might have to […]
#ECB announces €750 billion Pandemic Emergency Purchase Programme
Tonight (18 March), the European Central Bank’s Governing Council decided to purchase €750 billion in a new temporary asset purchase programme, called the Pandemic Emergency Purchase Programme (PEPP), reports Catherine Feore. Given the emerging scale of the downturn facing Europe’s economy, national governments, the European Commission and economists have been working overtime trying to find a package big enough to face […]
#Coronavirus – Lagarde calls for an ambitious and co-ordinated fiscal response #ECB
European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde has said that the coronavirus is proving to be a significant shock to the EU’s economies and that banks need to be in a position to continue financing households and corporates experiencing temporary difficulties. There is also unanimous support for strong co-ordinated action to protect the economy. Speaking at […]
#Coronavirus – ‘All travel from Europe, except for the United Kingdom, will be suspended’ Trump
US President Donald Trump made an address from the Oval Office of the White House on his administration’s response to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic (11 March). Trump announced that all travel from Europe, except for the United Kingdom, will be suspended for at least a month from midnight on Friday (13 March); he described the […]
#AalstCarnaval – European Commission says images like this should not be on our streets 75 years after the Shoah
The Aalst Carnaval (23 February) parade has caused widespread offence with participants dressed as Nazi SS officers, Orthodox Jews depicted as insects and a ‘wailing wall’ for those who want to criticize the event, writes Catherine Feore. The three-day carnival before the start of Lent begins with a parade prepared by local inhabitants. The festival has a tradition of mocking world events […]
#Huawei research operations in Europe can support key EU objectives
Abraham Liu, the Chief Huawei representative to the EU institutions today said that Huawei research operations in Europe can positively contribute to the implementation of key EU policy goals. In launching its Digital Strategy White Paper today, the EU Commission stated: “Europe will build on its long history of technology, research, innovation and ingenuity, and […]
