Coronavirus
Pfizergate: Belgian court to hold hearing amid competence row with EU prosecutor
Est. 3minA Belgian court will hold a hearing on 17 May where it will be decided whether Belgian or EU prosecutors are competent to continue the 'Pfizergate' probe involving European Commission boss Ursula von der Leyen, according to a document seen by Euractiv.
EU equips single market for crisis management
Est. 5minThe European Council and Parliament reached a provisional agreement on Thursday (1 February) on legislation aimed at ensuring the smooth functioning of the single market during crises.
COVID vaccines saved over 1.4 million lives in Europe, WHO study finds
Est. 5minCOVID-19 vaccines have saved 1.4 million lives in Europe, a new study by the World Health Organisation (WHO) released on Tuesday (16 January) showed.
EU countries should prepare for seasonal respiratory diseases – health agencies
Est. 4minThe European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) recommend targeting people at risk in vaccination campaigns against respiratory viruses as the cold season is starting.
Looming deadline puts pressure on slow pandemic treaty negotiations
Est. 7minControversial topics, little time and closed doors - talks are moving slowly and significant disagreements are yet to be negotiated among the World Health Organisation (WHO) members on a Pandemic Accord.
Belgian lobbyist involves EU Court in Pfizergate row
Est. 5minA Belgian citizen has filed a second complaint against European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, this time with the EU Court in Luxembourg, in connection with the controversial Pfizer-gate affair.
Pfizer France head: COVID vaccine contract talks remain a ‘business secret’
Est. 3minThe negotiations that led to the European Commission brokering the controversial COVID-19 vaccine contracts with pharmaceutical giant Pfizer remain "a business secret", the chairman of Pfizer France told French Senators during a hearing on Wednesday (29 March).
EU medicines agency: COVID vaccine side effects still being monitored
Est. 4minEuropean Medicines Agency (EMA) chief Emer Cooke assured that COVID-19 vaccines are safe and side effects are still being monitored, in response to criticism from vaccine-sceptic MEPs.
Commissioner: Von der Leyen not involved in vaccine contract talks
Est. 4minEU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides insisted EU executive chief Ursula von der Leyen did not have any role whatsoever in negotiating COVID vaccine contracts, during a heated hearing before the European Parliament's Special Committee on COVID-19 on Monday (27 March).
Bulgaria leads group opposing Pfizer COVID vaccine supply conditions
Est. 3minBulgaria, Poland, Lithuania, and Hungary have demanded that the European Commission renegotiate the conditions for the supply of COVID vaccines manufactured by Pfizer. The health ministers of the four countries tabled a joint request during an EU Council meeting on 14 March.
FBI director says China lab leak likely caused COVID pandemic
Est. 3minFBI Director Christopher Wray said on Tuesday (28 February) the agency has assessed that a leak from a laboratory in Wuhan, China, likely caused the COVID-19 pandemic.
New York Times takes EU Commission to court over ‘Pfizergate’ affair
Est. 3minThe New York Times is suing the European Commission for failing to make public the text messages exchanged between Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the CEO of pharmaceutical giant Pfizer during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Big Pharma has ‘disproportionate’ influence on public health, new report says
Est. 5minThe pharmaceutical industry disproportionately influenced EU institutions resulting in harm to public health, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report from two health NGOs.
Europe has not used potential of COVID tools to ease travel, EU auditors say
Est. 4minOf all the tools Commission proposed to facilitate travel during the pandemic, only EU Digital COVID Certificate was effective, the European Court of Auditors (ECA) found.
Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg discourage travel to Covid-hit China
Est. 3minGermany, Belgium and Luxembourg on Saturday (7 January) discouraged non-essential trips to China, the world's most populous nation, as it struggles with a surge in Covid cases after relaxing strict virus restrictions.
EU countries ‘encouraged’ to demand Covid tests from China passengers
Est. 6minEU countries are "strongly encouraged" to demand Covid tests from passengers coming from China, a crisis meeting of European Union experts decided Wednesday (4 January).
Health agency: COVID surge in China unlikely to cause rise in EU cases
Est. 4minAs COVID-19 cases in mainland China rise, the EU's health agency said on Tuesday (3 January) that the increase is unlikely to cause a spike in infections across the bloc.
China state media plays down severity of COVID wave before WHO meeting
Est. 5minChina's state media played down the severity on 3 January of the COVID-19 wave, with its scientists expected to give a briefing to the World Health Organization on the evolution of the virus later in the day.
EU to discuss joint Covid response to China arrivals on 4 January
Est. 2minEU countries will meet next week to discuss a joint response to travellers from China amid concern over the country's explosion of Covid cases, incoming EU presidency holder Sweden announced Saturday (31 December).
France, Britain, Spain impose Covid tests on travelers from China
Est. 5minFrance, Britain and Spain on 30 December joined a growing list of nations imposing Covid tests on travelers from China, and the World Health Organization pressed Beijing to be more forthcoming on real-time data amid an explosion of cases there.
EU urges more checks for COVID variants given surge in China
Est. 2minThe EU should consider immediately scaling up genomic sequencing of COVID-19 infections and monitoring of wastewater, including from airports, to detect any new variants given the virus surge in China, the bloc's health chief said.
China media decry Covid curbs against its travelers
Est. 5minChinese state-media said COVID-19 testing requirements imposed by several places around the world in response to a surging wave of infections were "discriminatory", in the clearest pushback yet against restrictions that are slowing down its re-opening.
Europe seeks joint stance on measures towards China
Est. 3minTop health officials from the European Union were holding talks on Thursday (29 December) to try to coordinate very different views on how to respond to China's decision to lift its COVID-19 restrictions amid a wave of infections there.
Chinese hospitals ‘extremely busy’ as COVID spreads unchecked
Est. 5minChinese hospitals were under intense pressure as a surge of COVID-19 infections strained medical resources, while the scale of the outbreak and doubts over official data prompted some countries to consider new travel rules on Chinese visitors.