The Roundup As the pandemic marches on, don’t miss EURACTIV’s comprehensive overview of the latest coronavirus developments, brought to you by our pan-European network of reporters. EU lawmakers called on member states and EU institutions to adopt a more ambitious package to address the economic fallout of the coronavirus COVID-19, as the European economy is expected to fall into recession this year due to the pandemic. Most of the drugs sold worldwide come from India and China, where production is cheapest. As a result, Europe’s supply of medicines is in the hands of a few companies. While the West blames Russia for spreading disinformation about the coronavirus pandemic with the aim of sowing distrust in Western public institutions and healthcare systems, an expert has pointed out that Russia’s domestic audience may actually be the main target of the disinformation campaign. In Belgium, the coronavirus pandemic has lead to a small political breakthrough, as the main political parties agreed to grant the current caretaker government under Prime Minister Sophie Wilmes special powers for the next six months to bridge the crisis. With a record abstention estimated between 53.5% and 56%, the French deserted the polling stations during the first round of municipal elections, held despite the coronavirus pandemic. The European Commission tabled its much-awaited Climate Law in March, in a bid to carve into stone Europe’s objective of becoming the first climate-neutral continent in the world by 2050. EURACTIV explains what the Climate Law does, how it works and what its criticisms are. The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) decided to restrict how airlines can offset their emissions under a new climate change-busting mechanism. Look out for… EU finance ministers hold a teleconference later on Monday (16 March) to agree on a coordinated economic response to the pandemic. On Tuesday, EU leaders also debate coronavirus in a teleconference. |