May 8, 2020 | The European Commission has set up an EU Humanitarian Air Bridge to transport humanitarian workers and emergency supplies for the coronavirus response to some of most critical areas around the world. Janez Lenarčič, Commissioner for Crisis Management, is travelling today to Bangui on the first flight and will meet H.E. Faustin-Archange Touadéra, President of the Central African Republic, as well as humanitarian organisations. Commissioner Janez Lenarčič said: “Leaving any area of the world unprotected today leaves us all unprotected tomorrow. As part of...

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May 6, 2020 | Fiscal policies have provided large emergency lifelines to people and firms during the COVID-19 pandemic. They are also invaluable to increase a country’s readiness to respond to a crisis and to help with the recovery and beyond. When the Great Lockdown finally ends, a strong economic recovery that benefits everyone will depend on improved social safety nets and broad-based fiscal support. This includes public investment in health care, infrastructure, and climate change. Countries with high debt levels will have to...

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May 7, 2020 | The pandemic has highlighted the role of the public sector in saving lives and livelihoods. State-owned enterprises are part of that effort. They can be public utilities that provide essential services. Or public banks that provide loans to small businesses. But some are also struggling and adding to the burden on government finances. These range from national oil companies that are dealing with a large fall in oil prices, to national airlines without enough passengers traveling. Most people...

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May 4, 2020 | Today, the Commission registered €7.4 billion, equivalent to $8 billion, in pledges from donors worldwide during the Coronavirus Global Response pledging event. This includes a pledge of €1.4 billion by the Commission. This almost reaches the initial target of €7.5 billion and is a solid starting point for the worldwide pledging marathon, which begins today. The aim is to gather significant funding to ensure the collaborative development and universal deployment of diagnostics, treatments and vaccines against coronavirus. President of the European Commission, Ursula von...

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May 6, 2020 | The coronavirus pandemic represents a major shock for the global and EU economies, with very severe socio-economic consequences. Despite the swift and comprehensive policy response at both EU and national level, the EU economy will experience a recession of historic proportions this year. The Spring 2020 Economic Forecast projects that the euro area economy will contract by a record 7¾% in 2020 and grow by 6¼% in 2021. The EU economy is forecast to contract by 7½%...

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The Regulatory Scrutiny Board (RSB) has released their 2019 Annual Report. The Regulatory Scrutiny Board is part of the process of policy-making based on evidence. It provides quality assurance of impact assessments, fitness checks and major evaluations to the political level of the Commission. It helps ensure that initiatives take due account of data and stakeholder groups’ views before political decision-makers consider what action to take. The Board scrutinises all impact assessments and fitness checks and a selection of evaluations. To...

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Together with our members we are creating a Video series of first-hand accounts of the Pandemic’s impact, both personally & professionally. We invite you to join us today for a first-hand look at the impact of the global shutdown following the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak – Today we are featuring Harriet Berg, the Consul General of Norway here in New York and a EACCNY member. The questions we asked our members for this series are: 1) What are some challenges you, personally and...

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May 3, 2020 | Op-ed co-authored by Giuseppe Conte, President of the Government of the Italian Republic, Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, Angela Merkel, Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Charles Michel, President of the European Council, Erna Solberg, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Norway, Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada* and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission. “Chance favours the prepared mind”. This was the mantra of Louis Pasteur, one of the world's greatest scientists and a mastermind behind...

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May 4, 2020 | As the EU looks at how best to recover from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, MEPs say the Green Deal must be at the centre of any reconstruction package. The current health crisis and its consequences remain the immediate priority, but the European Parliament is also focusing on a strategy for the post-crisis period. In a resolution adopted on 17 April, MEPs said the EU needs a massive recovery and reconstruction package with the Green Deal, a series of initiatives...

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