Sunday

1st Oct 2023

EU states struggle to better sync Covid-19 measures

  • German state minister for EU affairs, Michael Roth (l) and Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, Greek alternate minister of European affairs at the beginning of the council meeting (Photo: Council of the European Union)

EU countries have agreed to better coordinate their Covid-19 measures, but the details remain sketchy.

EU affairs ministers, on Tuesday (22 September), discussed how countries could share data, communicate better, and have common assessment and measures as they fight to stem the spread of Covid-19.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

But the issue remains highly sensitive, as health competencies and related measures belong to member states, which are reluctant to move to a more joint approach.

"In order to be better forearmed, so that we can both protect people and guarantee their rights under Schengen [the EU's passport-free zone] and in the internal market, the German presidency - working closely with our French partners - have proposed ... better-coordinated measures on a European level," German European affairs state minister Michal Roth, whose country holds the EU presidency, said after the meeting.

Roth acknowledged that, at the beginning of the pandemic, member states had no blueprint on how to tackle the outbreak of such a virus.

"If we have learnt something, it is how strongly people feel about being able to move around borders, and the limited introduction of border checks have been a huge inconvenience for people," he said.

The German EU presidency hopes to finalise "recommendations" in the next weeks.

These will be political, but not legally-binding, agreements between EU countries to coordinate actions.

Some issues, such as a joint risk assessment and common measures seemed "particularly sensitive", the German presidency's report on the talks said.

Nevertheless, a "catalogue" of common measures is expected to be drawn up.

Member states were also asked to publish any measures 24 hours before such move come into effect in future.

If measures affect another country - for instance, if one EU state is to declare that another one is a 'red zone' - that country should be informed first, prior to publication of the new travel advisory.

Member states are to rely on joint data and maps for the assessment of epidemiological risks across the EU, which are to be drawn up by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), an EU agency in Sweden.

Countries are to retain their own national assessments as well, however.

The ECDC will provide data weekly based on a 14-day notification rate of new cases per 100,000 inhabitants, the testing rate per 100,000 inhabitants, and the test positivity rate.

It will also be asked to provide data on population size, hospitalisation rate, the rate of intensive care admission, and the mortality rate on a weekly basis.

Member states are asked to send the data to Sweden and the ECDC is to draw up maps based on those figures.

Six-moths after the European outbreak of the virus, EU countries still have different rules for quarantines, red zones, and for travel restrictions.

And EU officials agree the lack of coordination has created a "big mess" in Europe.

One EU source said the discord was not "a matter of will" by governments, but was linked to the fact that health responses remained a national prerogative.

"There needs to be a balance between flexibility and coordination," the source said.

Meanwhile, the European Commission has also come up proposals for member states to agree common thresholds and common colour codes for risk zones, which fed into the ministers' discussions.

Analysis

Coronavirus: What EU can and can't do

Legal limitations means the European Commission's role when it comes to tackling the Covid-19 pandemic is broadly limited to coordination and support. It is up to member states to work together.

EU unveils Covid-19 'colour-code' travel zones

The European Commission has unveiled recommendations, including common criteria for member states on coronavirus epidemiological risks and harmonised 'colour-coding' of risk regions.

Infographic

Coronavirus: Will a second wave divide Europe again?

Experts are now warning of the "very serious" surge in Covid-19 cases in Europe - where new weekly cases exceede those reported in March. The worst-hit countries are Spain and France - while Italy is resisting the much-feared second wave.

Interview

2020: EU solidarity tested in face of Covid-19 pandemic

When decisive, coordinated action from EU institutions and member states was most needed to respond to the first coronavirus outbreaks, the bloc struggled to find a common and timely response. What lessons have been learned?

EU Commission's Covid-19 expert offers bleak outlook

Belgian microbiologist Peter Piot offered a bleak assessment of available options to rid the world of the pandemic caused by Covid-19. Aside from wishful thinking, millions of possible deaths, and crushing poverty, a vaccine appears to be the only solution.

Opinion

Time for a reset: EU regional funding needs overhauling

Vasco Alves Cordeiro, president of the European Committee of the Regions, is advocating a revamp of the EU's regional policy so that it better supports all regions in addressing major challenges such as the green and digital transitions.

Opinion

How do you make embarrassing EU documents 'disappear'?

The EU Commission's new magic formula for avoiding scrutiny is simple. You declare the documents in question to be "short-lived correspondence for a preliminary exchange of views" and thus exempt them from being logged in the official inventory.

Latest News

  1. EU women promised new dawn under anti-violence pact
  2. Three steps EU can take to halt Azerbaijan's mafia-style bullying
  3. Punish Belarus too for aiding Putin's Ukraine war
  4. Added-value for Russia diamond ban, as G7 and EU prepare sanctions
  5. EU states to agree on asylum crisis bill, say EU officials
  6. Poland's culture of fear after three years of abortion 'ban'
  7. Time for a reset: EU regional funding needs overhauling
  8. Germany tightens police checks on Czech and Polish border

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersThe Nordic Region is stepping up its efforts to reduce food waste
  2. International Medical Devices Regulators Forum (IMDRF)Join regulators, industry & healthcare experts at the 24th IMDRF session, September 25-26, Berlin. Register by 20 Sept to join in person or online.
  3. UNOPSUNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
  4. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsGeorgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA
  5. International Medical Devices Regulators Forum (IMDRF)Join regulators & industry experts at the 24th IMDRF session- Berlin September 25-26. Register early for discounted hotel rates
  6. Nordic Council of MinistersGlobal interest in the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations – here are the speakers for the launch

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of Ministers20 June: Launch of the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations
  2. International Sustainable Finance CentreJoin CEE Sustainable Finance Summit, 15 – 19 May 2023, high-level event for finance & business
  3. ICLEISeven actionable measures to make food procurement in Europe more sustainable
  4. World BankWorld Bank Report Highlights Role of Human Development for a Successful Green Transition in Europe
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersNordic summit to step up the fight against food loss and waste
  6. Nordic Council of MinistersThink-tank: Strengthen co-operation around tech giants’ influence in the Nordics

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us