The European Parliament’s special COVI committee has elected Kathleen Van Brempt as its Chair, alongside four Vice-Chairs, and will commence its review of the EU’s response to the pandemic. Specifically tasked with looking into how the European response to the pandemic and the lessons learned can contribute to future action in a variety of EU…
The EESC is urging the creation of a European network of special ombudsmen to help SMEs cope with the financial and funding issues they are experiencing, particularly as a result of the COVID crisis. The Committee also stresses that for SMEs to take up AI there needs to be the political will to support them…
The EPP Group wants the European Union to become what it calls a true Health Union with more health powers. To this end, the EPP Group will vote this week for more resources for the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to prevent shortages of critical medicines and medicinal devices. Furthermore, clinical trials will be made more…
The most effective response to the resurgence of COVID-19 is vaccination, say MEPs, addressing the main topic on the agenda of the European Council. In a debate with Commission President von der Leyen and the Slovenian Presidency, they insisted that vaccination remains the strongest and most promising weapon available against the pandemic. Additional efforts are…
The European Commission has granted a conditional marketing authorisation (CMA) for the COVID‑19 vaccine Nuvaxovid, developed by Novavax, the fifth COVID-19 vaccine authorised in the EU. This authorisation follows a positive scientific recommendation based on a thorough assessment of the safety, effectiveness and quality of the vaccine by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and is…
The Commission has adopted rules relating to the EU Digital COVID Certificate, establishing a binding acceptance period of 9 months (precisely 270 days) of vaccination certificates for the purposes of intra-EU travel. A clear and uniform acceptance period for vaccination certificates will guarantee that travel measures continue to be coordinated, as called for by the European Council…
The European Commission has disbursed €126 million to Estonia and €41 million to Malta in pre-financing under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). These payments are equivalent to 13% of each country’s grant allocation under the RRF. These pre-financing payments will help to kick-start the implementation of the crucial investment and reform measures outlined in…
The In Vitro diagnostic medical devices regulation that will apply as from 26 May 2022, can now be progressively rolled out, thanks to its adoption by the European Parliament and the Council. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic Member States, health institutions and economic operators redeployed financial and other resources to address the unprecedented…
The European Economic and Social Committee launched its vaccination campaign at the December plenary session. Vaccination against COVID-19, along with all the other safety measures, is the best option we have for ending the ongoing health crisis. Currently, the rate of fully vaccinated people varies considerably between countries, ranging from 26% to 82% of the…
With the recovery beating expectations and market conditions easing, European firms expect to increase investment again. Financial support for firms during the lockdowns was crucial in keeping the economy afloat: more than half (56%) of EU firms have received some form of financial support in response to COVID-19. Moreover, despite difficult circumstances, four out of…
