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Image header Agence Europe
Europe Daily Bulletin No. 12462
Contents Publication in full By article 3 / 36
EU RESPONSE TO COVID-19 / Eib

Eight billion euros for 100,000 SMEs affected by impact of pandemic

The European Commission announced on Monday 6 April that it has unlocked one billion euros from the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), which will serve as a guarantee for the European Investment Fund (EIF), part of the European Investment Bank (EIB) group.

This will enable the EIF to issue special guarantees to incentivise banks and other lenders to provide liquidity to at least 100 000 SMEs affected by the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, for an estimated available...

Contents

EU RESPONSE TO COVID-19
EUROGROUP: EU Finance Ministers invited to detail options available for a comprehensive response to pandemic
STATE AID: green light for British, Polish, Portuguese, Greek and Dutch schemes to help economy in context of COVID-19
EIB: eight billion euros for 100,000 SMEs affected by impact of pandemic
BUDGET: Member States support principle of mobilising emergency assistance to combat COVID-19
HEALTH: EU is working on common criteria for lifting of social distancing measures
HEALTH: pharmaceutical industry to appoint a point of contact for reporting shortages
JUSTICE: COVID-19, EU Ministers reiterate that fundamental values of EU must be respected
RESEARCH: meeting of European ministers is expected to make it possible to coordinate national research activities devoted to COVID-19
SOCIAL: COVID-19, temporary emergency assistance instrument SURE may take some time to become operational
COHESION: COVID-19, new measures of European Commission receive a positive reception in Council of EU
TRANSPORT: German, Spanish, French, German, and Italian Ministers in turn call on Commission to support transport sector
DEFENCE: EU is reducing scope of its military missions in context of COVID-19
CHINA: COVID-19, reserved for Italy by Commission, Chinese aid has arrived in Rome
AFRICA: EU and Denmark support UNICEF in delivering 7.5 tonnes of health supplies to children in Mali
CIVIL PROTECTION: COVID-19, EU co-finances Latvian flight to supply Chinese protective equipment to Baltic States
SECTORAL POLICIES
DIGITAL: Croatian EU Council Presidency proposes redirecting action in response to COVID-19 pandemic
JUSTICE: work on electronic evidence at European Parliament put on hold
AGRICULTURE: EU Council is ready to negotiate with European Parliament on CAP transitional measures
ENVIRONMENT: COVID-19 and European Green Deal to mobilise European Parliament Committee on Environment on 21 April
ENERGY: EU electricity sector reduced its emissions by around 12% in 2019, reveals Commission report
ENVIRONMENT: European “green-tech” sectors call for recovery plans to be geared towards sustainable investment
COHESION: work on Just Transition Fund is expected to resume by end of month
SECURITY - DEFENCE
DEFENCE: Commission launches calls for proposals for industrial projects worth €160 million
EXTERNAL ACTION
FOREIGN AFFAIRS: Europeans support UN's appeal for a global ceasefire in light of COVID-19
CHINA: imports of certain TFV glass fibre fabrics subject to anti-dumping duties of up to 99.7%
UNITED STATES: new European tariffs in response to US sanctions on steel and aluminium by-products
INSTITUTIONAL
EESC: EESC proposes to create a European fund dedicated to COVID-19
ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS
COMPETITION: Commission to assess MasterCard's proposed acquisition of Nets A/S account-to-account payment business
COMPETITION: Commission approves acquisition of European catering business of LSG by Gategroup, subject to conditions
COUNCIL OF EUROPE
COUNCIL OF EUROPE: ECHR registers its first application referring to pandemic in prisons
NEWS BRIEFS
CHINA: EU welcomes release of human rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang
WOMEN: UN Secretary-General calls on states to act against domestic violence, exacerbated by lockdown measures
IRAN: for Tehran, activation of Instex is a good omen, but it is not enough
RUSSIA: no reason to lift the sanctions, says Mr Stano
HEALTH: several elected politicians taking up the reins again as doctors
SERBIA/KOSOVO: EU and Member State Ambassadors in Belgrade and Pristina call for resumption of Dialogue