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EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen again tries to raise her sheep around her when she lifts the crown restrictions.
It has been slowed down by the Member States: the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
In the first phase of the crown pandemic, EU countries looked mostly for themselves, much to the chagrin of Brussels. The dispute over financial aid has opened old gaps between north and south. The Schengen area was temporarily suspended and border controls resumed. In the crisis, EU member states present themselves once again as a disputed group rather than a real union.
Since then, the President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has tried to save what can be saved. This now applies in particular to the ways out of the social stalemate that almost all European countries have ordered in the fight against the spread of the virus, and to prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed.
Von der Leyen makes another attempt to gather his sheep around him and guide the governments of the 27 member states towards a coordinated approach. The first countries have already announced that the restrictions will be eased, for example Austria.
Tailor-made for all countries
Von Leyen presented a corresponding plan in Brussels on Wednesday. However, he made it clear that there would be a tailor-made exit to the closure for each country and not a standardized approach for all. This is logical insofar as the corresponding powers are in the hands of the Member States anyway. However, at the March digital summit, the heads of state and government explicitly asked the Commission to prepare an exit plan and take over the coordination.
However, the capitals prevented von der Leyen from presenting the plan before Easter. In Italy and Spain in particular, concerns were raised that premature submission of the plan could cause harm. Governments feared that people would be encouraged to ignore the rules of staying away during the beautiful Easter weekend. This could have given the virus a new boost.
The Commission now recommends a gradual lifting of restrictions if three criteria are met: the spread of the virus must have slowed down or stopped. To do this, the number of infections, hospitalizations, or admissions of Covid-19 patients to hospital intensive care units in a country must decrease substantially over a longer period of time.
Sufficient capacities are also needed in health centers. This includes, for example, free beds in intensive care units, but also trained personnel, medicines and equipment.
It doesn’t work without massive testing
Finally, the Commission recommends that adequate monitoring be established. Member States should be able to carry out large-scale coronavirus tests by lifting the restrictions. The Commission has presented guidelines for this. It wants to improve the quality of the evidence, validate it at the EU level and, above all, make it accessible in the most affected areas.
Brussels hopes to track down the chains of infection, particularly with smartphone apps, to reduce the risk of a second wave of viruses. Citizens should immediately isolate themselves if a notice on the smartphone reveals contact with an infected person.
Gradually planned border opening
Border controls must also be gradually lifted. The Commission recommends that controls and travel restrictions within the EU be lifted in a first phase. The prerequisite for this is that the pandemic on both sides of the border has been contained to a comparable degree. Member States should coordinate closely and give priority to cross-border travelers and seasonal workers. In a second phase, the borders can be reopened for travelers from outside the EU. Brussels also wants to gradually allow meetings again. The Commission recommends that older people and other risk groups be treated differently. That probably means they need to further isolate themselves.
Say hello to Orban with the fence post
More than half of the EU Member States have declared a state of emergency in some way. The Commission wants governments to gradually reduce these regimes so as not to hamper democratic controls. This can be seen as a track with the fence post towards Hungary, where Prime Minister Viktor Orban has been able to equip himself with exceptional powers that are unlimited in time. So far, the Commission has hindered the Budapest pillory in this regard.
Von der Leyen then reiterated his plans to transform the EU budget into a kind of Marshall Plan for the reconstruction of the European economy. The first proposals for this should be available in late April.
Track infection strings with your smartphone
Together with the member states, the EU Commission wants to present a toolkit for anti-coronavirus applications. These are important in identifying infection chains and speeding up the lifting of restrictions. The Red Cross recently launched such an app in Austria. Shortly before Easter, the Commission presented guidelines on what requirements those applications must meet. This includes the strict EU rules on data protection. Furthermore, citizens should be able to use it voluntarily, anonymously, under the control of their own data and without tracking their own movements. Data can only be collected during the pandemic and must be deleted afterward. It is more important to the Commission than a common EU application that national programs “be understood”. National health authorities should participate in and fight fraud.
