Check out our timeline to find out how the EU continues to tackle the impact of the coronavirus pandemic in 2022.
Discover what measures the EU is taking in 2022 to ensure access to vaccines and treatment, strengthen health systems, support the economic and social recovery, enable travel and transport and help its partners worldwide to fight Covid-19.
You can also check out our 2021 and 2020 coronavirus timelines
MEPs have a second discussion with representatives from pharmaceutical companies that worked on developing vaccines and therapeutics during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Health Union: stronger EU response to public health emergencies
Parliament approves new measures strengthening the EU’s capacity to prevent and control the outbreak of communicable diseases and tackle cross-border health threats.
Parliament delegation assesses work of European Medicines Agency and BioNTech
On 20-21 September, a delegation of the special committee on Covid-19 pandemic visits the European Medicines Agency in the Netherlands and the headquarters of BioNTech in Germany.
Fundamental rights in the EU: long-standing problems exacerbated by Covid-19
Parliament’s latest assessment of the state of fundamental rights in the EU identifies numerous concerns and demands member states act in defence of European values.
Covid-19: the EU has delivered €47.7 billion to help its partners address the pandemic and its consequences
The EU's Covid-19 response supports more than 140 partner countries. From the overall €53.7 billion package mobilised so far, €47.7 billion was disbursed as of 31 December 2021.
The European Medicines Agency recommends granting a marketing authorisation for Covid-19 vaccine Valneva for use in the primary vaccination of people from 18 to 50 years of age.
EU Covid Certificate: MEPs approve one-year extension
MEPs endorse а deal with EU countries to extend the legal framework of the EU Digital Covid Certificate for another 12 months. With current rules expiring on 30 June, the Parliament wants to make sure that Europeans can exercise their right to free movement. The European Commission may propose to repeal it after six months if it is no longer necessary.
European Health Union: deal on stronger cross-border cooperation
Parliament and Council reach a provisional agreement on how the EU and member states should deal more efficiently with future serious cross-border health threats. This should reinforce cooperation and coordination among EU countries and allow the EU to better anticipate and respond to future crises.
The European Parliament sets up a new committee tasked with looking into the European response to the Covid-19 pandemic and the lessons learned. The committee will focus on four areas: health; how countries’ coordinated response respected democracy and fundamental rights; the societal and economic impact; and the role of the EU in the world.
Eurobarometer survey reveals women severely affected by Covid
Increased physical and emotional violence against women, negative impact on their income, work-life balance and mental health issues are among the consequences of the pandemic revealed by a special survey among European women commissioned by the European Parliament.
Rules for travellers should be based on their individual situation, Council says
The Council adopts a recommendation that says Covid-19 measures should be based on the individual status of travellers rather than the situation in the region they are coming from. From 1 February 2022, a valid EU digital Covid certificate should ensure free movement without additional restrictions, with the exemption of areas with a very high level of virus circulation, recommends the Council.
Parliament endorses a provisional agreement with the Council on strengthening the role of European Medicines Agency to ensure that the EU is better prepared for future health crises by tackling shortages of medicines and medical devices more effectively. The decision applies as of 1 March 2022.
€47 million for intellectual property protection of small and medium-sized firms
The EU launches a new fund that aims to help small and medium-sized enterprises to protect their intellectual property rights and support them in the Covid-19 recovery and through the green and digital transition.