COVID-19 - EU response
04/05: COVID-19: Save European culture and values, MEPs tell Commission – European Parliament
In their discussion with Commissioners Mariya Gabriel and Thierry Breton, Culture and Education Committee MEPs stressed that the damage to the cultural and creative sector – especially for small businesses and individual actors – meant “more than just jobs being lost”. Rebuilding the hard-hit cultural and media sectors in post-COVID-19 Europe must be a major objective in the EU’s recovery plan.
04/05: Long-term EU budget: MEPs demand safety net for beneficiaries – European Parliament
The current health crisis compels us to tackle the risk of the next long-term EU budget not coming into force on 1 January 2021 with even more urgency, MEPs say.
06/05: Sassoli to EU institutions: “Be brave on EU recovery plan” – European Parliament
Statement by President Sassoli on the EU recovery plan, which will be anchored to the next Multiannual EU budget
05/05: Recovery plan and demographic challenges in the spotlight at the meeting of Employment and Social Policy Ministers – EU 2020 HR
EU Employment and Social Policy Ministers discussed the economic recovery plan and the demographic challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic in the videoconference organised by the Croatian Presidency.
05/05: COVID-19: Council greenlights €3 billion assistance package to support neighbouring partners – Council of the EU
The EU ambassadors endorsed a Commission proposal to provide up to 3 billion euros of macro-financial assistance to ten enlargement and neighbourhood partners to help them cope with the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.
07/05: Main results of the EU-Western Balkans Zagreb summit – EU 2020 HR
EU leaders agreed on the Zagreb declaration, which focused on the future relations and cooperation to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
04/05: Eurogroup President on Europe's economic recovery – interview with five European papers – Council of the EU
EU Spring Economic Forecast
06/05: Spring 2020 Economic Forecast: A deep and uneven recession, an uncertain recovery – European Commission
Growth projections for the EU and euro area have been revised down by around nine percentage points compared to the Autumn 2019 Economic Forecast.
Remarks from Commissioner Gentiloni available here.
Digital Services Act (DSA)
/05: Reform of the EU liability regime for online intermediaries: Background on the forthcoming digital services act – European Parliament Research Service
/04: Study requested by IMCO: New aspects and challenges in consumer protection – Digital services and artificial intelligence – European Parliament
30/04: Making the Digital Services Act work for consumers: BEUC’s recommendations - BEUC
Events
May: Commission to present Coronavirus recovery plan (delayed)
Mid-May: EU consultation on Digital Services Act postponed
13-15 May: European Parliament Plenary
18 May: Commissioner Breton takes part in European Parliament IMCO meeting
15 July: Postponed CJEU opinion on the YouTube copyright case
