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EU global response to the COVID-19 pandemic

In “Development - DEVE”

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As part of the EU's action on coronavirus, on 8 April, the European Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy / Vice-President of the Commission, Josep Borrell, published a Joint Communication on the Global EU response to COVID-19. The responsible European Parliament committee is the Committee on Development (DEVE).

Background

The extent of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic is still unknown. But it is already clear that even advanced economies are being severely challenged by the crisis, and that many health-care systems around the world are under-resourced for dealing with a problem of this magnitude. The effects in a wide range of linked areas – economy, political stability, security, human rights – are gradually surfacing as the pandemic spreads, with the potential to affect the global geopolitical balance.

Against this backdrop, the European Commission and the HR/VP, Josep Borrell, set out the EU's global response to the pandemic in a Joint Communication on 8 April 2020. Council and Commission made statements on the EU’s coordinated action to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences at the European Parliament's plenary session on 16-17 April 2020. On 20 April, the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) exchanged views on the issue with HR/VP Borrell during a remote meeting. On 21 April 2020, Parliament's DEVE Committee discussed EU measures to combat COVID-19 in developing countries, with EU Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, and EU Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič.

The 'Team Europe' response package

Of the pledged package of €15.6 billion, €3.25 billion will go to Africa, including €2.06 billion for sub-Saharan Africa and €1.19 billion for the Northern African neighbourhood countries. The EU is allocating in total €3.07 billion for the whole neighbourhood: €2.1 billion for the south, and €962 million for the Eastern Partnership countries. In addition, €800 million will go to the western Balkans and Turkey. The overall package entails another €1.42 billion in guarantees for Africa and the neighbourhood from the European Fund for Sustainable Development (EFSD). The EU will support Asia and the Pacific with €1.22 billion. Another €291 million will go to the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific region, €918 million to support the EU's partners in Latin America and the Caribbean, and €111 million to support Overseas Countries and Territories.

During DEVE's 21 April meeting with Urpilainen and Lenarčič, MEPs highlighted the global nature of the pandemic, and the need to work in solidarity both within and outside the EU in support of its partners. They underlined that COVID-19 cases continue to evolve in Africa and that experts believe that the pandemic in Africa could be more deadly than elsewhere in the world. The coronavirus is also spreading rapidly in other developing countries such as Yemen and Afghanistan.

Commissioner Urpilainen promised that her team would follow up on the EU supported COVID-19 global initiatives to ensure the swift operationalisation on the ground of the top priorities: reallocate €500 million to short-term emergency response; provide €2.8 billion to bolster research as well as enhancing social protection, and provide €12.3 billion to address social-economic impact of the pandemic. She added that the Commission would coordinate well with the EU member states and partners such as the World Health Organisation, multilateral lending institutions and other partners in a global partnership to ensure maximum impact.

On 4 May 2020, the European Commission co-organised an online pledging event to boost funding for diagnostics, medicines and vaccines. It aimed to  raise 7.5 billion euros. By September, it had reached 16 billion euros by 27 May, thus 8.5 beyond target.

The EU's budget powering the recovery plan for Europe

The EU's 27 May 2020 Communication on the EU's budget the Commission proposed - in order to demonstrate solidarity with its partners across the world - to set the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument at 86 billion euros, via a new External Action Guarantee, and the European Fund for Sustainable Development to support partners – in particular in the Western Balkans, the Neighbourhood and the rest of Africa –  to fight and recover from the impact of the pandemic, in cooperation with international partners such as as international financial institutions, the United Nations and the World Health Organisation. An adjustment to the current financial framework will allow 1 billion euros of additional support to be made available already in 2020. It also proposed supporting the partner countries in the Western Balkans by bringing the preaccession assistance up 12.9 billion euros. The Commission proposed an additional 5 billion euros to reinforce the humanitarian aid instrument in the face of growing humanitarian needs in the most vulnerable parts of the world.

On 8 June, the Council in its conclusions fully supported the 'Team Europe' approach and welcomed the announcement that almost 36 billion euro have now been mobilised and will be used to address the devastating effects of the COVID-19 crisis in partner countries and regions.

On 18 September, the European Commission confirmed its participation in the COVAX Facility for equitable access to affordable COVID-19 vaccines, following its expression of interest on 31 August and its announcement of a contribution of €400 million.

References

Further reading

Author: Enrico D'Ambrogio, Members' Research Service, legislative-train@europarl.europa.eu

As of 20/03/2023.