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An overview of the main actions taken at EU level to coordinate the response to the COVID-19 outbreak, mitigate the socio-economic impact of the pandemic and support EU countries' recovery.
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all EU countries. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the EU has been working together with its member states to protect the health and wellbeing of EU citizens, reinforce national healthcare systems and limit the spread of the virus.
At the same time, the EU is coordinating the response to mitigate the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 and support EU countries' recovery.
The EU’s emergency response to the COVID-19 outbreak
EU leaders agreed in March 2020 on four priorities to guide the EU’s emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic:
limiting the spread of the virus
ensuring the provision of medical equipment
promoting research for treatments and vaccines
supporting jobs, businesses and the economy
During the peak of the COVID-19 crisis, EU leaders regularly met via video conference to discuss and assess the situation and coordinate action. Even after the emergency, the European Council returned regularly on the topic of COVID-19.
While working on the future recovery, EU leaders agreed to continue the coordination effort at EU level on different fronts:
development, manufacturing and deployment of the COVID-19 vaccines
testing strategies and mutual recognition of tests
cross-border contact tracing
quarantine regulations
interoperable digital vaccination certificates
Safe and effective vaccines against COVID-19
The development and distribution of safe and effective vaccines against COVID-19 represent a lasting solution and a cornerstone of the EU's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the EU has been redirecting research funding to the most promising vaccine leads and coordinating a joint effort to secure the production and delivery of a sufficient quantity of vaccines to EU countries.
The COVID-19 vaccination campaigns started on 27 December 2020 across the Union. By June 2022, 18 months later, nine out of ten adults in the EU population (86%) are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Stronger together: the incredible journey of COVID-19 vaccines
The speed at which the many pieces of the puzzle were fitted together to protect people from the coronavirus is a tale of scientific innovation and ingenuity backed by continuous cooperation, timely political decisions and enormous medical and logistical efforts.
What made it possible? What are the challenges still left to overcome the pandemic? Follow the journey of COVID-19 vaccines from their invention in a laboratory to their administration to people across Europe and beyond.
EU countries have been coordinating in the Council on facilitating free movement in the EU during the COVID-19 pandemic.
To do so, they adopt common recommendations on travel measures that are regularly updated and adjusted to the current epidemiological situation. The latest Council recommendations on travel measures were adopted on 13 December 2022.
Under the new recommendations member states should impose no restrictions on travel on the grounds of public health. However, the recommendations contain some safeguards to cover a deteriorating epidemiological situation or appearance of a new variant of concern.
The EU agreed to issue a common EU digital COVID certificate to facilitate safe and free movement during the COVID-19 pandemic by providing proof that a person has either:
been vaccinated against COVID-19
received a negative test result
or recovered from COVID-19
The EU regulation establishing the EU digital COVID certificate was valid from 1 July 2021 until 30 June 2023.
As of June 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) takes up the EU system of digital COVID-19 certification to establish a global system that helps protect citizens across the world from ongoing and future health threats, including pandemics.
To support EU citizens, businesses and countries in the recovery from the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, EU leaders agreed to work on recovery plan for Europe. On 23 April 2020, they committed to establishing an EU recovery fund aimed at mitigating the effects of the crisis.
On 21 July 2020, EU leaders agreed on an overall budget of €1 824 billion for 2021-2027. Combining the multiannual financial framework (MFF) and an extraordinary recovery effort of €750 billion (€800 billion in current prices), Next Generation EU (NGEU), the package helps the EU to rebuild after the COVID-19 pandemic, and supports investment in the green and digital transitions.
These elements are in addition to the three safety nets of €540 billion already put in place by the EU to support workers, businesses and countries.
EU budget 2021-2027 and recovery plan (infographic)
5 ways the EU and member states work together against COVID-19
There is a great story to tell about how the EU and its member states worked together as a team to help people through the COVID-19 pandemic. From securing safe and effective vaccines, to sending medical equipment where it is most needed, to taking in patients from other countries; from protecting jobs and workers to helping partner countries across the globe, EU countries went above and beyond to support each other.
The COVID-19 pandemic is a global challenge and requires a global response. Acting together, guided by the principles of solidarity and multilateralism, EU countries have provided support to partners around the world and secured significant funding to counteract the pandemic's disruptive consequences on a global scale.
Team Europe is one of the lead donors of COVAX, the global collaboration to accelerate the development, production, and equitable access to COVID-19 tests, treatments, and vaccines.
EU member states committed in May 2021 to donate doses of COVID-19 vaccines to partners across the world. Additionally, the EU and its member states are assisting partners with vaccine donations and exports, as well as financial and humanitarian support for countries in need.
Only a shared spirit of global solidarity and responsibility will defeat the COVID-19 crisis.
Charles Michel, President of the European Council
COVID-19: the EU's contribution to global vaccine solidarity (infographic)
On 30 March 2021, a group of world leaders have joined the President of the European Council Charles Michel and the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) in calling for an international treaty to improve pandemic preparedness and response in the wake of COVID-19, for the sake of future generations.
At a special session of the World Health Assembly, the 194 members of the WHO have adopted on 1 December 2021 the decision to kickstart the process to draft and negotiate a new international agreement on pandemics.
During this crisis, EU countries are stepping up their efforts to support each other, helping those most in need and sharing resources to fight the spread of the virus. This is European solidarity at its best.
The EU has also been helping EU citizens stranded in third countries during the first wave of the pandemic. In the first months of the pandemic, EU delegations worked with member states' embassies to coordinate the repatriation of more than 650 000 EU citizens, contributing to the costs of over 400 repatriation flights organised by member states.
10 incentives and benefits of an international treaty on pandemics (infographic)
What the EU has already done
During these times of crisis, the EU and its member states are working together and helping each other.
The EU mobilised resources to support the emergency response to the virus: ensuring supply of protective equipment, boosting research and supporting our global partners in need.
The EU’s emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic (infographic)
The role of the Council: crisis coordination
On 28 January 2020, the Croatian presidency decided to activate the EU's integrated political crisis response mechanism (IPCR) in information sharing mode to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak. IPCR is the EU framework for coordination of cross-sectoral crises at the highest political level.
The information sharing mode means that member states have access to:
regular situational awareness and analysis reports by the European Commission and the European External Action Service
a dedicated page on a secured web platform to share information
Considering the changing situation and the different sectors affected (health, consular, civil protection, economy) by the COVID-19 pandemic, the presidency escalated the activation of the IPCR mechanism to full mode on 2 March 2020. The full activation mode allows for crisis roundtables with the participation of:
affected member states
the European Commission
the European External Action Service
the office of the President of the European Council
relevant EU agencies and experts
Throughout the first outbreak, the Croatian presidency decided to convene regular roundtables to facilitate the exchange of information and coordination of crisis response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The roundtables kept being regularly convened by the following presidencies.
On 2 May 2023, the Swedish presidency has decided to deactivate the full mode integrated political crisis response (IPCR) for COVID-19. The IPCR for COVID-19 is kept in monitoring mode and matters relating to COVID-19 continue being handled in the EU health security committee and in the Council Working Party on Public Health.
How the IPCR crisis response mechanism works (infographic)
Background
COVID-19 is a disease caused by a new type of coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). It was first identified in China in December 2019.
In December 2019, there was an outbreak of COVID-19 in the Chinese municipality of Wuhan, quickly spreading to other regions of China and the world. By January 2020, isolated cases had appeared in some EU member states.
At the end of February 2020, Italy reported a significant increase of COVID-19 cases concentrated in the northern regions of the country. Most other EU member states started reporting cases of people infected.
By March 2020, all EU member states had reported COVID-19 cases. The number of cases has since continued to increase.
The Council, together with other EU institutions, is closely monitoring the situation and taking action. This includes adoption of relevant EU legislation and ongoing coordination with member states to share information, assess needs and ensure a coherent EU-wide response.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) is coordinating the worldwide response. On 11 March 2020, the WHO declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. The EU is directly contributing to the global response of the WHO.
By May 2023, the pandemic had, according to the WHO, caused almost 7 million deaths (6 921 614). On 5 May 2023, the WHO declared an end to COVID-19 as a public health emergency.
For more updates on COVID-19 related Council meetings, press releases, infographics and publications see here:
Only a shared spirit of global solidarity and responsibility will defeat the COVID-19 crisis.
