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.

Concern is growing that emergency powers deployed to control the coronavirus pandemic will be used to erode democracy and civil rights.

The coronavirus crisis resembles a medieval morality play. Either save as many people as possible - or keep the economy going at the cost of thousands of lives.

The EU has agreed to open accession talks with two Western Balkan states in a "strategic" move to be rubber-stamped on Wednesday (25 March).

There is a place in Italy where the coronavirus has already been defeated. Its name is Vo', a small settlement of 3,000 inhabitants in the countryside of the Veneto region, about 70km from Venice.

This week Spain hopes it may see the longed-for 'peak' of the epidemic - if measures taken so far prove to be effective in the fight against the coronavirus. Yet the government is set to extend lockdown until 11 April.

Doing EU foreign policy by videoconference works, but legal and security constraints vexed the process, Lithuania's foreign minister has said.

Italy is not the only European country turning to China for help in fighting the crisis, and the Chinese authorities consistently use European requests for self-aggrandisement. Europe should be wary of being used to advance an authoritarian state's propaganda.

The EU commission wants countries to allow goods to flow undisturbed in the bloc, warning that further congestion at borders can lead to shortages.

At the moment, Europe clearly lacks a true moral leadership and coordination to deal with this emergency. We, members of Volt Belgium, call on you to stand up and show more solidarity and unity across the EU.

In a draft bill Hungary's ruling government seeks special powers uncontrolled by parliament, election, referendums, courts for an indefinite amount of time, rights' groups worry. The bill could be vote on within eight days.

EU nationals who get sick from coronavirus while abroad had better read the small print of their policies, an insurance federation has said.

EU leaders will discuss the coronavirus reponse online, while MEPs will vote on urgent measures by email. Starting accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia will also be high on the agenda.

Governments are attempting to track the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic across Europe using mobile phone data. When it comes to data protection, exceptions are allowed in times of crisis but must be limited in time and scope, critics warn.