April 14, 2020 Introduction and key messages The increasing spread of the coronavirus across countries has prompted many governments to introduce unprecedented measures to contain the epidemic. These are priority measures that are imposed by a sanitary situation, which leave little room for other options as health should remain the primary concern. These measures have led to many businesses being shut down temporarily, widespread restrictions on travel and mobility, financial market turmoil, an erosion of confidence and heighted uncertainty. In a...

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April 28, 2020 | The Commission has today adopted a banking package to help facilitate bank lending to households and businesses throughout the European Union. The aim of this package is to ensure that banks can continue to lend money to support the economy and help mitigate the significant economic impact of the Coronavirus. It includes an Interpretative Communication on the EU's accounting and prudential frameworks, as well as targeted “quick fix” amendments to EU banking rules. The rules put in...

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April 24, 2020 | The European Union is joining forces with global partners to kick-start a pledging effort – the Coronavirus Global Response – starting on 4 May 2020. The World Health Organization (WHO) and global health organisations have launched a joint call for action to develop fast and equitable access to safe, quality, effective and affordable diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines against coronavirus. To raise funds in support of this endeavour, the European Union and its partners will organise a worldwide pledging marathon. Countries...

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Main results On 23 April 2020 EU leaders discussed progress on the various dimensions of the European response to the COVID-19 outbreak. It was the fourth video meeting of this kind. • Conclusions by President Charles Michel after the video conference with members of the European Council on 23 April 2020 Lifting COVID-19 containment measures Leaders welcomed a European roadmap towards lifting COVID-19 containment measures, presented by Presidents Michel and von der Leyen on 15 April. "We all agreed that the health and safety of...

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"On April 20, 2020, the Secretary of the Treasury and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will be postponing for 90 calendar days the deadline for payment for the deposit of certain estimated duties, taxes, and fees for importers experiencing a significant financial hardship due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). This temporary postponement applies to formal entries of merchandise entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption (including entries for consumption from a Foreign Trade Zone) in March 2020 or...

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April 22, 2020 | • ECB to grandfather until September 2021 eligibility of marketable assets used as collateral in Eurosystem credit operations falling below current minimum credit quality requirements • Appropriate haircuts will apply for assets that fall below the Eurosystem minimum credit quality requirements • Decision reinforces broader package of collateral easing measures adopted by the Governing Council on 7 April 2020, which will also remain in place until September 2021 • ECB may decide further measures, if needed, to continue ensuring...

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April 22, 2020 | The EU is taking further urgent measures to make the best use of cohesion policy money to help tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. The Council today adopted a second legislative act in less than a month amending the rules on the use of EU structural funds, which underpin EU cohesion policy. These changes allow member states to refocus resources on crisis-related operations. The act, known as the Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative Plus, was adopted by written procedure less than three...

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The Commission has adopted a proposal for a €3 billion macro-financial assistance (MFA) package to ten enlargement and neighbourhood partners to help them to limit the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. The proposal comes on top of the ‘Team Europe' strategy, the EU's robust and targeted response to support partner countries' efforts in tackling the coronavirus pandemic. It represents an important demonstration of the EU's solidarity with these countries at a time of unprecedented crisis. The proposal, following a...

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