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Europe Daily Bulletin No. 12479

5 May 2020
Contents Publication in full By article 2 / 39
EU RESPONSE TO COVID-19 / Health
“We could not have prevented spread of virus”, says ECDC’s Andrea Ammon
Brussels, 04/05/2020 (Agence Europe)

If we had it to do over again, we could have lowered the curve, but we wouldn't have been able to stop the spread of Covid-19. On Monday 4 May, this was the point made by Andrea Ammon to MEPs on the European Parliament's Committee on Public Health.

The Director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) also responded to criticism of the agency by some MEPs, especially regarding their delayed reaction and an ambiguous position on the issue of masks.

We could only have...

Contents

EU RESPONSE TO COVID-19
HEALTH: Covid-19, EU largest contributor to €7.4 billion in pledges to fund and deploy a vaccine worldwide
HEALTH: “We could not have prevented spread of virus”, says ECDC’s Andrea Ammon
AGRICULTURE: Commission adopts several measures of aid package in context of Covid-19
DIGITAL: trend is towards a decentralised approach to Covid-19 contact tracing applications, says Margrethe Vestager
STATE AID: Commission approves French plan to provide €7 billion of urgent liquidity to Air France
STATE AID: Covid-19 – company recapitalisations carry risk of distorting competition “in the long term”, says Ms Vestager
EMPLOYMENT: EU Member states will discuss deconfinement measures
EDUCATION/CULTURE: MEPs' concern about financial support for cultural industry and access to education
DEMOCRACY: Commission continues work with online platforms to tackle Covid-19 disinformation
CIVIL PROTECTION: EU continues to send masks from RescEU stockpile hosted by Germany and Romania
NEIGHBOURHOOD: Member States support €3 billion in macrofinancial assistance
SPACE: GSA and European Commission announce mobile application for ‘green lanes’
INSTITUTIONAL
BUDGET: MEPs call for ‘contingency plan’ in case of failure to agree on 2021-2027 MFF
SECTORAL POLICIES
DIGITAL: Digital Services Act, Margrethe Vestager details her conception of ex ante regulation
MIGRATION: future pact should insist on development of legal labour migration, according to European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties
COHESION: European Parliament Environment Committee points out insufficient level of Just Transition Fund
FISHERIES: agreement between EU, Norway and Faroe Islands on control measures for pelagic fish stocks
AGRICULTURE: EU must “scrap” current Common Agricultural Policy, says Greenpeace
CLIMATE: post-Brexit negotiations, European Parliament Committee on Environment calls for any agreement to be made conditional on compliance with Paris Agreement
CLIMATE: European insurance sector takes its position on adaptation element of draft Climate Law
ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS
TAXATION: an agreement at OECD on broad lines of international tax reform postponed until October
FINANCE: Finance Watch presents its recommendations for better aligning finance with biodiversity and nature
COMPETITION: Commission clears Aurubis’ acquisition of large copper scrap refiner Metallo
STATE AID: financial aid to airlines is expected to reach €26 billion
EXTERNAL ACTION
MIDDLE EAST: European Commission acknowledges a sharp increase in demolitions of EU-funded projects in 2019
WESTERN BALKANS: Viola von Cramon-Taubadel calls for strong cross-compliance for EU support
RUSSIA/UKRAINE: EU welcomes Normandy Format meeting
MYANMAR: EU calls for rescue of Rohingyas at sea
TRADE: threats from Covid-19 to trade are clear, but solutions are unclear, Bruegel debate concludes
SOCIAL AFFAIRS
SOCIAL: European Commission will not propose to postpone implementation of Posting of Workers Directive
COUNCIL OF EUROPE
COUNCIL OF EUROPE: postponement of June session of Parliamentary Assembly and agreement to allow committees to telework
RULE OF LAW: “The rule of law is not on sick leave”, warns Council of Europe
NEWS BRIEFS
CLIMATE: Romania joins call for green recovery
COURT OF JUSTICE: Eleanor Sharpston believes she is entitled to complete her term as Advocate General
ENVIRONMENT: MEPs approve agreement on reuse of waste water for agricultural irrigation purposes
FINANCE: Covid-19, ESAs amend deadline for bilateral margining requirements for non-centrally cleared derivatives
POLAND: presidential elections could be postponed for week or two
SOUTH SUDAN: EU supports population and warns against any threat to peace process
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