European Parliamentary Research Service Blog
Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Ten opportunities for Europe post-coronavirus: Exploring potential for progress in EU policy-making
The coronavirus pandemic that hit the world from January 2020 onwards, with Europe at its epicentre for some weeks in the spring, has led to a major, multi-dimensional global crisis. Continue reading
EU budget and recovery fund: Is it a done deal? [What Think Tanks are thinking]
After nearly five days of tough negotiations, the European Council agreed on the EU’s next seven-year budget, the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), worth more than one trillion euros from 2021 to 2027, and crucially, on an additional 750-billion euro fund to help countries recover from the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Continue reading
Road and rail transport and coronavirus: Mapping the way out of the crisis
In the first weeks of the coronavirus crisis, the lockdown and border closures halted most passenger services in road and rail transport and left road hauliers to face uncertainty and very long waiting times at many border crossings. Continue reading
Future financing of the Union: MFF, Own Resources and Next Generation EU
On 21 July, EU Heads of State or Government reached a political agreement on the future design of EU finances. Continue reading
Impact of the pandemic on elections around the world: From safety concerns to political crises
The coronavirus has taken a heavy toll on electoral processes around the world, with many elections being postponed because of emergency situations. Continue reading
Coronavirus: An uncertain future [What Think Tanks are thinking]
The spread of the coronavirus pandemic is reshaping the world economy and politics. Analysts and politicians argue that the extent of changes will depend of the persistence of the crisis and the ability of global powers to cooperate in efforts to contain and control it. Continue reading
Tracking key coronavirus restrictions on movement and social life
All the EU Member States adopted emergency measures in an attempt to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Continue reading
Lifting coronavirus restrictions: The role of therapeutics, testing, and contact-tracing apps
The key to tackling the coronavirus pandemic is a combination of safe and readily available vaccines that provide everyone with immunity, as well as effective treatments that work to cure the disease in all infected people. Continue reading
Digital contact tracing: Call for a stronger EU-wide approach
There is no trade-off between privacy and health in the context of contact tracing applications as, without citizens’ trust, no technology can deliver the expected outcomes. Continue reading
Plenary round-up – Brussels, July 2020
The July 2020 plenary session was the fifth conducted with Members participating remotely, using the alternative voting procedure put in place in March by Parliament’s Bureau, although a majority were present in Brussels. Continue reading
EU tourism sector during the coronavirus crisis
Tourism in the European Union (EU) is one of the sectors hardest hit by the coronavirus crisis, with some parts of the sector and some regions more affected than others. Continue reading
Cultural tourism out of confinement
The lockdowns, border closures and other restrictive measures in response to the coronavirus pandemic brought tourist and cultural activities to a halt in most EU Member States between mid-March and mid-June, significantly affecting businesses and consumers. A progressive easing of these restrictive measures is now under way. Continue reading
Coronavirus: Tough decisions ahead [What Think Tanks are thinking]
As the coronavirus crisis shows no sign of abating globally, many governments around the world face tough choices between easing virus containment measures, in order to allow economic recovery, or keeping these measures in place, to protect their citizens’ health and their healthcare systems from being overwhelmed. Continue reading
States of emergency in response to the coronavirus crisis: Situation in certain Member States IV
With the virulence of the coronavirus pandemic gradually diminishing, and in the light of the restrictive measures adopted by Member States, attention remains on the way chosen by the various states to respond to the crisis. Continue reading
European Parliament Plenary Session – July 2020
The agenda for the July session – the last regular session before the summer, and likely the last in Brussels, with Parliament planning for a return to Strasbourg in September – opens with Council and European Commission statements. Continue reading
Next Generation EU: A European instrument to counter the impact of the coronavirus pandemic
The socio-economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic across the European Union (EU) is posing significant challenges, not least to the good functioning of the single market and the euro area. Continue reading
The EU budget and coronavirus [What Think Tanks are thinking]
European Union leaders and institutions are now discussing plans to provide a major boost to the European economy to help it recover from the coronavirus crisis. Continue reading
Performing arts: Emerging from confinement
In the EU as elsewhere in the world, the performing arts were among the first sectors to be hit by measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus, and are now among the last to reopen. As the confinement measures are relaxed, the focus now is on supporting the performing arts and finding a way to re-engage with live audiences. Continue reading
Coronavirus: An uncertain outlook [What Think Tanks are thinking]
While many countries, notably in Europe, are currently easing restrictive measures aimed at containing the spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19), the latter is now rapidly spreading in other parts of the world, notably in the Americas and Indian sub-continent. Continue reading
A more resilient, sustainable and fair Europe after coronavirus?
The triple-crisis – the pandemic’s public health and economic consequences intertwined with the underlying environmental crisis – may lead to increasing divergence, instead of convergence and cohesion among Member States, regions, generations and different groups of society across the EU and globally. Continue reading
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