Debate: Coronavirus outbreak, state of play and ensuring a coordinated European response to the health, economic and social impact
Date: TUESDAY, 10 MARCH 2020
Speaker: Nikolina Brnjac
Language: EN

Over the last five weeks the Presidency has taken a number of steps to coordinated the EU’s response to the Covid-19 outbreak. The current scale of the outbreak, however, demonstrates that we need to further enhance the coordination of our actions in close cooperation between Member States, EU institutions, bodies and agencies such as the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the European Medicines Agency, and with the international organisations such as the World Health Organization.  We have had numerous meetings, including at Council level, where we have intensively discussed various consequences of the Covid-19 spread in the European Union, and exchanged information on the level of preparedness of Member States in terms of the implementation of relevant protective measures.  The Health Security Committee established to coordinate risk and crisis communication and the responses of the Member States to serious cross-border threats to health has already met 10 times to exchange information on this outbreak.  The first action taken by the Presidency at the EU level was the activation of the first level of the integrated policy crisis response on 28 January, which we then escalated to full mode last Monday due to the worsening epidemiological situation. I’m sure that you are already aware of the large-scale efforts within the Union Civil Protection Mechanism to repatriate EU citizens first from Wuhan in China and now from other countries such as Japan and Iran. In this context, it should be noted that consular affairs fall under Member States’ competences, but of course also here we are stronger if we cooperate. As to the current situation, the Presidency, together with the European External Action Service, conducted local consular cooperation meetings with the Member States to update on changing needs to consular assistance in different third countries. The capitals are also in very close contact to coordinate and support each other on consular assistance to EU citizens.  Through the constant monitoring of the situation, I believe that we currently have a good overview of the spread of Covid-19 and I need to underline at this stage that the swift exchange of up-to-date information among us, and further coordination of measures taken, are crucial elements for an effective response to reduce the impact of the outbreak. To that end, we will convene an IPCR round-table meeting at ambassador level for detailed discussions on concrete measures necessary for an effective and coordinated response.  I will now give you more details about the coordinated response at Council level to the health, economic and social impact of the Covid-19 outbreak. On 7 February, the Presidency organised an informal, high-level video-conference with Member States’ delegations. Together with representatives of the Commission and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, they had an opportunity to exchange information on the implementation of protective measures taken and to compare experience concerning the activation of national systems for handling public health emergencies.  On 13 February, the EPSCO Council held intensive discussions in which Member States, the Commission, the WHO and the ECDC explored ways to further enhance communication and cooperation at EU level to efficiently tackle this public health emergency. They also focused on possible solutions to safeguard the sustainable supply of medicines and equipment on the EU internal market. We adopted conclusions that strengthened the coordinated approach and included a number of actions to be taken to protect public health in the European Union.  In light of the recent rapid increase of Covid-19 cases in the EU – where now all Member States have cases, with some counting hundreds, and, in the case of Italy, thousands of cases – the Presidency held another meeting of the EPSCO Council last Friday. The Member States had an opportunity to exchange views on the consequences of this rapid increase, to assess the effectiveness of measures in place and discuss ways to strengthen the response. That exchange of views suggested that at present our operational emergency mechanism and protective measures are functioning in a satisfactory and coordinated manner.  The key message expressed by the Council, which I would like to share with you, is above all we need to strengthen solidarity between the Member States, cooperation and exchange of information. Member States stand ready to further raise collective and individual awareness of the threat from Covid—19 and to establish coherent containment measures while maintaining the principle of freedom of movement in the European Union. We will further develop a coordinated approach to prevention and good practices for all people affected, including vulnerable groups such as the elderly.  Last but not least, Member States have identified a need for European monitoring of the supply of medicines and medical equipment. They share the same aim to secure production, stocking, availability and rational use of protective equipment in the European Union. As regards the economic and social impact of this health crisis, we all realise that it is imperative to act quickly in order to prevent huge further costs. For that reason, finance ministers held an informal discussion last week to discuss appropriate countermeasures. They discussed the specific actions to adequately provide financial support to national civil protection systems in order to cope with this crisis. Next week, finance ministers will meet again to take stock of the situation and propose additional targeted measures if necessary. Specific sectors and regions of Europe are suffering disproportionately from this crisis and they will need all our support and solidarity to address the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak on society and the economy.  Furthermore, on Thursday, on the Presidency’s initiative, the EU education ministers will hold a conference call to discuss an effective national response to ensure continuity of education in the light of the Covid-19 outbreak. As you probably know, President Michel convened a video-conference with leaders this afternoon to discuss how to coordinate EU efforts to respond to the outbreak in order to protect the health of our citizens. The meeting will be an opportunity for the leaders to exchange information, facilitate the coordination of efforts and to prepare the next steps.  I know that we can count on our robust European social model, ensuring adequate social protection and that citizens are not left behind in these precarious circumstances. Solidarity and a coordinated approach are the key in this situation. We welcome the support mobilised by the Commission so far, provided in a number of sectors such as public health, research and civil protection, and we will continue to work closely with the Commission to ensure that comprehensive support is delivered to the Member States. We remain convinced that the coordinated measures taken will help sustainably diminish the impact of Covid-19 in Europe and will minimise disruption to the continuity of social, economic and democratic life.