Brussels 21 October 2020,
The European Parliament held today a debate on the EU measures to mitigate the social and economic impact of the corona pandemic. The Commission and the Council provided an overview of the actions taken for the recovery of the European Union and outlined the next steps.
During the debate, Member of the European Parliament Zeljana Zovko stated that it has become more than clear that the current pandemic is not only a health crisis, but also affects us on many other levels. She referred to the many companies that needed to pause their activities during the first lockdown, as well as the high amount of citizens that lost their job. “Appropriate actions are required, especially now we see that in many Member States a second lockdown has been initiated,” Zovko said.
These socio-economic measures depend, according to Zovko, on a balance of competences between national and European level. She called on the Commission to increase its active monitoring and guidance and asked the Council to uphold solidarity and Europe-wide coordination. “Borders should stay open, the internal market should remain active and health risks should be tackled together.”
Zovko stated that special attention should also go to those that are the hardest hit, namely the research, health and cultural sector, tourism and SMEs in general. She underlined that the Croatian government recently announced additional measures to improve support for micro-entrepreneurs, as together with SMEs they form the backbone of our economy.
“This crisis requires a lot from us. Only with a genuine European approach, we can ensure a social and economic recovery. We are in this together,” Zovko concluded.