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…
The World Vapers’ Alliance staged a ‘covid-friendly’ demonstration at the European Parliament to highlight the importance of vaping to beat cancer in the EU. The demonstration coincided with a meeting of the Parliament’s Special Committee on Beating Cancer, at which a number of MEPs highlighted the potential of vaping in addressing the harm of tobacco…
The EMA will organise a public meeting on 11 December 2020 to inform European citizens about the EU regulatory processes for the approval of COVID-19 vaccines and the Agency’s role in their development, evaluation, approval and safety monitoring. The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented global crisis, with devastating health, social and economic impact. Safe and effective vaccines for COVID-19…
