As a key supplier of the food and drink industry, the European flavour industry is mobilised to fulfil its role in EU’s food security during this difficult moment. EFFA celebrates the effort that our members and their employees are doing to achieve this objective and stays committed to provide information and assistance where needed. We would like to share with you an overview of EU and national measures on COVID-19 and the efforts to contain it and mitigate the consequences of the crisis.
The EU is coordinating a common European response to the outbreak of COVID-19.
Council agrees on a coordinated approach on COVID-19 travel measures
On 13 October 2020, the Council adopted a recommendation establishing common criteria and a common framework on travel measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The recommendation aims to help Member States take decisions based on the epidemiological situation region by region.
A common colour-coded map broken down by region will be produced weekly by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) with the data provided by Member States based on the following criteria:
Member States also agreed to provide clear, comprehensive, and timely information to the public on any new measures or requirements, at least 24 hours before the measures come into effect.
More information on the Council website: https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/coronavirus/
second covers Austria, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Malta, Romania and Slovenia (available here).
More information on national measures can be found on this EC page:
https://ec.europa.eu/info/live-work-travel-eu/health/coronavirus-response/eu-eea-and-uk_en
Once the survey is closed and data is processed, a dashboard will be published on this same address.
EU leaders agreed on a €750 billion recovery effort, Next Generation EU, to help the EU tackle the crisis caused by the pandemic. Alongside the recovery package, EU leaders agreed on a €1074.3 billion long-term EU budget for 2021-2027. Amongst others, the budget will support investment in the digital and green transitions and resilience.
Together with the €540 billion of funds already in place for the three safety nets (for workers, for businesses and for Member States), the overall EU's recovery package amounts to €2364.3 billion. In addition, the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group put in place a new €25 billion pan-European guarantee fund. This fund will provide loans up to €200 billion for companies with a focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) throughout the EU.