Coronavirus

Global Europe 09-09-2021

Chizhov: Russia is well-placed to play a constructive role in Afghanistan

Est. 16min

In a wide-ranging interview, the Russian ambassador to the EU Vladimir Chizhov discussed Afghanistan, the ‘Crimea Platform’, carbon border tax, COVID and vaccines, and the new political season.

12-05-2021

Kyriakides: AstraZeneca remains an important part of the EU portfolio

Est. 6min

After months of broken promises and unmet contractual targets, the European Commission has stepped up its legal offensive against pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca. But EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides says its vaccine remains an “important part” of the EU portfolio in the efforts to protect Europeans against the COVID-19.

Politics 01-02-2021

Sinkevicius: ‘There can be no return to business as usual’ after the pandemic

Est. 10min

There can be no return to business as usual after the pandemic and no amount of economic pressure should force us to compromise on people’s health and the health of our planet, Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius said in an interview.

10-12-2020

EMA director: Europeans are better protected with ‘EU licensed’ COVID vaccine

Est. 4min

In an exclusive interview in Amsterdam with EURACTIV’s partner EFE, Emer Cooke, the executive director of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), stressed that Europeans are much “better protected" if the COVID-19 vaccine is authorised by the EU agency.

18-06-2020

Invest in digital tools to help avoid future crises, say intensive care experts

Est. 5min

Investment in digital infrastructure and better coordination between data scientists and healthcare professionals can play a key role in the prevention of a second wave of coronavirus and future pandemics, healthcare professionals have told EURACTIV.

Economy 10-06-2020

Ex-Eurogroup boss: Nobody is so stupid to propose to ‘just go back under 3% deficit’

Est. 8min

As one of the most influential Eurogroup figures during the previous crisis, Thomas Wieser chaired the preparatory meetings of eurozone finance ministers between 2011 and 2018. In an interview with EURACTIV, the American-Austrian economist described the EU’s fiscal rules as “bad practical economics”, in particular for handling a crisis such as the current one.

EU-China 29-05-2020

Breton: With better information from China and WHO, we would have been better prepared

Est. 4min

Commissioner for Internal Market, Thierry Breton, told EURACTIV.com in an interview that Europe could have been better prepared to face the COVID-19 if China and the World Health Organisation had offered “better and more reliable information earlier”.

Economy 17-04-2020

Bulgarian Deputy PM: Eastern Europe could replace China in sectors critical to the EU

Est. 5min

The countries of Central and Eastern Europe do not have the huge human resources of China, but they do have plenty of advantages that must be used after the end of the pandemic, said Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister Tomislav Donchev in an exclusive interview with EURACTIV Bulgaria.

Economy 16-04-2020

Austrian author and civil society activist outlines the way to a ‘common good economy’

Est. 7min

Award-winning author Christian Felber believes the coronavirus outbreak is the perfect moment to question the entire system, after advocating for years to switch from capitalism to a public-interest economy. He explained his ideas in an interview with EURACTIV Germany.

Economy 10-04-2020

Dombrovskis: ‘I could imagine containment costs covered by ESM loans’

Est. 8min

Following the Eurogroup’s agreement on the economic response to the coronavirus, European Commission vice-president Valdis Dombrovskis on Friday (10 April) welcomed the €540 billion package in an exclusive interview with EURACTIV.com

Agrifood 09-04-2020

Eurocommerce boss: ‘no food shortages’ in EU provided everyone plays by the rules

Est. 6min

Despite the agri-food chain have been under pressure in the past few weeks in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, there is no risk of food shortage provided that people behave appropriately, the head of the food retailers lobby told EURACTIV.

03-04-2020

Being a doctor is quite a commitment, says MEP working on the ‘front line’

Est. 4min

Some MEPs are getting personally involved in the fight against the coronavirus. EURACTIV France spoke to one of them, French centrist MEP Chrysoula Zacharopoulou, who is currently on the 'front lines' at a military hospital near Paris.

Technology 02-04-2020

Austrian digital expert: Well-made disinformation is emotionally intelligent

Est. 9min

The coronavirus pandemic has led to a flood of disinformation: Fictitious numbers of infection, ineffective treatments or false insider information. The Austrian author and digital expert Ingrid Brodnig, who monitors such cases, explains to EURACTIV Germany how and why coronavirus created a breeding ground for disinformation.

Justice 26-03-2020

Migration and the coronavirus pandemic: Crash tests for Schengen

Est. 11min

The refugee crisis in 2015 and the current coronavirus pandemic will put the Schengen area to the hardest test since its creation 25 years ago, says Christian Moos, Secretary General of the non-partisan Europa-Union Germany, in an interview with EURACTIV Germany.

Agrifood 25-03-2020

Increase the price of goods to control demand, expert recommends

Est. 6min

With restrictions to contain the coronavirus getting stricter in many member states and the fear of contagion growing, online shopping can be the solution to do the groceries, a consumer researcher told EURACTIV in an interview.

23-03-2020

Pharma boss: EU will have to focus on long-term medical research ecosystem

Est. 9min

After the coronavirus crisis is over, Europe will need policies that can create a research ecosystem in the long run as well as ensure access to medicines to the patients who need them in a way that is sustainable for health systems today and tomorrow, a leading representative of European pharmaceuticals told EURACTIV in an interview.

20-03-2020

WHO expert: Finding and distributing COVID-19 vaccine in 18 months would be ‘historic’

Est. 6min

It would be "historic" to find a vaccine that can be distributed to all countries in 18 months to defeat the coronavirus, a high-ranking researcher at the World Health Organisation told EURACTIV's partner EFE in an interview. "We are all working …

Economic governance 26-02-2020

Dombrovskis: EU’s fiscal rules are flexible for impact of coronavirus

Est. 9min

The European Commission will be "flexible" with Italy and other member states affected by the coronavirus when assessing their efforts to balance their public accounts, European Commission vice-president Valdis Dombrovskis said in an interview.

EU-China 01-02-2020

Chinese ambassador: Panic could be a more fearful adversary than coronavirus

Est. 14min

In fighting an epidemic, it is quite befitting to say that the only thing to fear is fear itself. In other words, panic could be a more fearful adversary than the virus itself, the Chinese Ambassador to the EU Zhang …