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Europe Daily Bulletin No. 12478
Contents Publication in full By article 40 / 46
NEWS BRIEFS / Migration

Asylum applications drop 43% in EU in March 2020 as a result of Covid-19

30/04/2020 (Agence Europe) – The number of asylum applications fell by 43% in March 2020 compared to the previous month, according to new data from the European Asylum Support Office (EASO). This decrease is directly related to the pandemic and the restrictions that authorities have placed on the processing of asylum applications. In March, only 34,737 applications were filed in the EU. Just prior to Covid-19, applications had increased compared to the same period in 2019 (+16% compared to January-February 2019), with 65,300 applications filed in January and 61,100 in February. Thus, the March figures are not really indicative of asylum-related migration trends in the EU, warns the EASO. Before the ‘pause’, Syrians and Afghans were continuing to file the largest number of applications, along with Colombians and Venezuelans. (SP)

Contents

Labour Day: please note that our offices will be closed on Friday 1 May. EUROPE 12479 will be dated 5 May 2020
EU RESPONSE TO COVID-19
ECB: monetary institute stands ready to adjust its monetary policy to cope with a recession “unprecedented in peacetime”
TRANSPORT: EU ministers, in favour of further cooperation, call for sector-specific guidelines for relaxing containment measures
TRANSPORT: sixteen Member States support a temporary amendment to European regulation on air passenger rights
SOCIAL: Member States make progress on SURE instrument
STATE AID: Commission approves modification of Greek ‘guarantee’ to support businesses affected by coronavirus
COMPANIES: Commission proposes extension of time limit for convening general meetings of ‘European companies’ in 2020
CYBERSECURITY: EU condemns cyber threat and cyber attack activities
CONSUMERS: online scams and unfair commercial practices during Covid-19 crisis in sights of ECC and European Commission
MEDIA: twenty MEPs call for European fund to aid press
HEALTH: global donor conference to fund universal vaccine and treatment is only a start
HEALTH: fewer meetings for scientific advisory panel
DIGITAL: 117 projects chosen at end of #EUvsVirus hackathon
INSTITUTIONAL
FUTURE OF EU: governments have a responsibility to direct their stimulus plans towards reducing poverty and inequality, says Olivier De Schutter
POLAND: 612 Polish judges call on OSCE to properly monitor presidential election on 10 May
DEMOCRACY: Borrell rejects allegations that a report on disinformation was ‘watered down’ following Chinese pressure
SECTORAL POLICIES
AGRICULTURE: Commission and some MEPs support mobilisation of agricultural crisis reserve
FISHERIES: MEPs call for ‘safeguard clause’ linking EU/UK trade agreement to access to water and fish
FISHERIES: European Ombudsman calls on EU Council to release documents on fisheries quotas
COHESION: Manolis Kefaloyiannis proposes substantial increase in budget of Just Transition Fund
REGIONS: Commission proposes 279 million euros in aid for four countries affected by bad weather in 2019
MIGRATION: EPP say asylum seekers have to be fairly distributed among Member States, but other forms of assistance are possible
JHA: European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties will decide on possible resumption of its most sensitive work in videoconference format
CLIMATE: to comply with Paris Agreement, global emissions would have to be reduced by 40-50% by 2030, according to a new study
DEVELOPMENT: Covid-19, UNDP highlights huge disparities in ability of countries to cope and recover
EXTERNAL ACTION
UNITED KINGDOM: first meeting of Specialised Committee on Protocol on Northern Ireland
TRADE: 2019 confirms the intensification of trade defence activities
UNITED STATES: Washington still annoyed by EU geographical indication protection policy, report says
COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE EU
TAXATION: Italian-Portuguese double taxation regime is in conformity with EU law, according to Court of Justice
EMPLOYMENT: Working Time Directive applies to Hungarian police officers guarding external borders of Schengen area, says Court of Justice
INDUSTRY: advocate general clarifies concept of a diesel engine defeat device
NEWS BRIEFS
AGRICULTURE: Covid-19, Commission guidelines on rural development in candidate countries
COUNCIL OF THE EU: Mr Jeppe Tranholm-Mikkelsen remains Secretary-General for another five years
ENERGY: European Ombudsman grants Commission a new deadline for its inquiry into fourth PCI list
COMPANIES: European investor group calls on European Commission not to delay implementation of Shareholder Rights Directive
SPACE: Arianespace to resume its launch campaigns at Guiana Space Center
FINANCE: ‘BlackRock’ affair, European Ombudsman will not open an inquiry for now
TAXATION: Poland is considering a ‘Netflix tax’
TAXATION: European Commission to present three tax initiatives this summer
MIGRATION: asylum applications drop 43% in EU in March 2020 as a result of Covid-19
NICARAGUA: Member States said to have initiated procedure leading to targeted sanctions
WTO: entry into force of multi-party appeal arbitration
RESEARCH: Commission provides further €150 million to fund new Covid-19 innovations
SYRIA: EU condemns attack on Afrin market
CALENDAR
Main activities of European Institutions: from 04/05 to 10/05/2020
CALENDAR EXTRA
Other Events: until 10 May 2020