Domov Carmen AVRAM

. – Following the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, a new worrying phenomenon emerged: “ghost flights”. Despite a significant decline in passenger demand, who followed the instructions to cancel their trips, empty planes started flying our skies. Even though this would not make any economic sense, companies kept flying their planes only to secure their slots for next year. This is of great concern, as it not only causes needless carbon emissions, but it also deepens the economic crisis the aviation industry is going through right now. In this sense, while air carriers are experiencing a 40-60% year-on-year drop in forward bookings for the period March-June 2020 for non-Italian routes, bookings on Italian routes have dropped by over 50% in early March 2020 with load factors as low as 40%. Therefore, I voted in favor of the Commission proposal to temporarily alleviate airlines from their slot usage obligations under EU law without losing their rights. It is my firm belief this exceptional situation we have all been thrown in, could only be tackled by a firm, strong and urgent set of exceptional rules. If we are to defend our companies, our industries and our citizens, we have to act accordingly. The European Union should send a clear-cut message that under these unforeseen circumstances, no one, either citizens or company, is left behind.

. – “The coronavirus pandemic is a human tragedy of potentially biblical proportions”, former ECB chief have said and this is just one way to describe the unprecedented situation the EU is going through right now.
Over the night, the Coronavirus pandemic has changed everything we knew before: the economic activity has been sharply reduced, businesses have started to struggle, and the citizens have been advised to stay at home in order to prevent the spread of the new virus. Actually, the EU is at war and we all must fight this war accordingly.
In order to do so, interventions are needed in the health care systems, for small and medium enterprises, for the labour markets and for every vulnerable industry. This is why I welcomed the Commission’s proposal for a “Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative”, and I voted in favour of releasing liquidities of more than €37 billion into the market to fight the crisis immediately.
However, I believe this money would not be of much help, if we are not simultaneously going to change the paradigm and reprioritize our policies, values and strategies on the long term. The world has changed, and so the EU has to adapt to the new economic realities.

. – In order to fight the COVID-19 crisis, the EU Solidarity Fund (EUSF) plays an important role in manifesting EU’s solidarity towards Member States and help them successfully tackle the emergency situation.
However, given the fact that the EUSF has been initially designed to cope with major natural disasters, it has been observed it cannot be used for the COVID-19 pandemic. This is why, the European Commission’s proposal to adapt its scope and to include major public health emergencies like the one we are all facing, has been the right solution in order to enable financial assistance for all Member States under this fund. This will include assistance to the population in case of health emergency crisis, including medical, and any other necessary measures to contain the further spreading of an infectious disease.
Apart from enlarging its scope, I also welcome the proposals to increase both the advance payments of the expected EUSF contribution and the total level of appropriations for EUSF contribution in the annual budget.
I firmly believe these are most needed kind of measures in such critical times and for all the above mentioned reasons I voted in favour.