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Europe Daily Bulletin No. 12471

22 April 2020
Contents Publication in full By article 28 / 32
COUNCIL OF EUROPE / Corruption
Council of Europe's GRECO group warns that health emergency increases risks of corruption
Strasbourg, 21/04/2020 (Agence Europe)

On Tuesday 21 April, the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) published its guidelines to counteract specific risks in this area caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pointing to the immediate need for medical supplies and the simplification of procurement rules that are likely to make bribery, corruption in R&D, and counterfeiting easier, its president, Marin Mrčela, said that “the health sector is specifically exposed”.

More generally, other risk factors as countries face emergencies...

Contents

EU RESPONSE TO COVID-19
ECONOMY: negotiations on Recovery Fund must be separate from those on post-2020 EU budget, according to Mário Centeno
STATE AID: Commission approves Italian, Finnish, Slovakian and Estonian schemes to support economy during pandemic
HEALTH: COVID-19, assessment of European response will come later, Commission tells MEPs
CIVIL PROTECTION: COVID-19, Slovakia sends aid to Italy, Austria to Croatia and the Western Balkans
CLIMATE: Frans Timmermans seeks to reassure Parliament that the Commission's climate ambitions will be maintained
TOURISM: with a view to a “overhaul of sector”, Thierry Breton plans to hold a European summit dedicated to tourism
TRADE: MEPs in turn review EU trade policy priorities in light of COVID-19 pandemic
AGRICULTURE: Commission services are considering market measures for wine sector in context of COVID-19
DIGITAL: COVID-19, calls in European Parliament for a resolutely European approach to digital tracing of Europeans
INTERNAL AFFAIRS: Commission soon to publish guidelines for travel within EU
SPORT: European Ministers discuss ways of mitigating impact of COVID-19
RESEARCH: launch of European online platform allowing researchers to store their data on COVID-19
CULTURE: COVID-19, MEPs point out several ways to financially support sector
INSTITUTIONAL
RULE OF LAW: Commission to present its review of national emergency measures to European Affairs Ministers
MEDIA: Bulgaria is EU country where press freedom is least respected, Reporters Without Borders says
ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS
TAXATION: economic support for companies hit by crisis must go hand in hand with tax transparency, according to Manon Aubry
TAXATION: financial industry requests deferral of tax information reporting obligations to 2021
FINANCE: rejecting technical standards for PRIIPS key information document would have a “devastating” effect according to BETTER FINANCE and AGE Europe
SECTORAL POLICIES
ENVIRONMENT: MEPs say no to raising maximum residue levels authorised for pesticides
FISHERIES: Parliament Committee on Fisheries to adopt position on aid to Baltic cod fishermen on 23 April
AGRICULTURE: G20 calls for targeted and temporary “emergency measures” to address crisis
FOOD: PAN Europe warns flaws in EU pesticide risk assessment may undermine ambition of ‘Farm to Fork’ strategy
INTERNAL MARKET: Eurochambres and SMEunited put forward proposals for successful exit from pandemic
REGIONS: regions put forward proposals to revive economy after COVID-19
ENERGY: according to IRENA, integrating energy transition into global economic recovery would generate a cumulative gain of $98 trillion by 2050
SOCIAL AFFAIRS
SOCIAL: SURE instrument will not replace unemployment reinsurance system, confirms Nicolas Schmit
EXTERNAL ACTION
HUMAN RIGHTS: Mr Borrell hopes that European sanctions regime will be adopted in coming months
COUNCIL OF EUROPE
CORRUPTION: Council of Europe's GRECO group warns that health emergency increases risks of corruption
HUMAN RIGHTS: according to Commissioner Dunja Mijatović, COVID-19 pandemic is further eroding fundamental rights in a Europe in turmoil
HUMAN RIGHTS: Iceland's Robert Spano elected President of European Court of Human Rights
NEWS BRIEFS
ENERGY: following Belgium and Austria, Sweden is also withdrawing from coal
SOCIAL: trade unions regret Commission's postponement of gender pay equality measures