Consider this: on the day the UK announced it had given the coronavirus jab to 1.5m of its citizens, there were some EU member states yet to vaccinate a single one of their citizens. These included The Netherlands, which has always prided itself on its healthcare system but neighbouring Belgium also pretty much matched the…
SpiceJet has tied up with Brussels Airport for seamless delivery of Covid-19 vaccine between India and Europe. The strategic partnership will aid in the global mission of a speedy and reliable solution for air transport of vaccine in a temperature-controlled environment. They will also work towards developing a direct air link for SpiceJet with Brussels…
The European Commission on Friday proposed to the EU Member States to purchase an additional 200 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine produced by BioNTech and Pfizer, with the option to acquire another 100 million doses. This would enable the EU to purchase up to 600 million doses of this vaccine, which is already…
As from 31 December, the Belgian authorities now require a PCR test for Belgian residents returning from a red zone, and the test capacity at the airport is being increased to meet the anticipated surge in demand for tests. As of today (1 January) it has been possible to take 300 tests per hour by…
On 9 May 2020, to mark the 70th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration, New Europeans launched an appeal for an ‘International Conference on the Lessons Learned by the EU after Coronavirus’, with the aim of paving the way to a European Health Union, writes Roger Casale. Six months later, it is fair to say that both objectives are somehow…
The confinement has been depressing for us all and, despite an imminent vaccine, there is no end in sight. But, happily, there is some good news and that includes a few go ahead initiatives in Belgium that have emerged during the confinement. At a time of many business closures, this includes the creation of a…
Thirteen human rights NGOs have called on the authorities of China, Iran and Russia to release religious prisoners under threat of being infected by COVID-19. These are the three countries that have the highest number of believers of all faiths behind bars, according to Human Rights Without Frontiers’ (HRWF) database of FoRB prisoners which documents thousands of…
On Friday 11 December the Special Committee on Beating Cancer (BECA) of the European Parliament will hear from seven leading specialists in cancer prevention about the effect the environment can have on everybody’s risk of developing cancer, including radiation, air pollution, exposure to chemicals and pesticides, and being exposed to carcinogens at work. Campaigners hope…
In a final decision, the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg has unanimously rejected an applicant’s objections to the handling by the French State of the Covid-19 health crisis. The Court observed that the applicant was complaining about the measures taken by the French State to curb the propagation of the Covid-19 virus among…
