Von der Leyen

The European Union's next long-term budget should be used to sponsor economic recovery after the coronavirus pandemic, the heads of the bloc's Brussels-based institutions said on Wednesday.

The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on Wednesday urged European Union states to lift export bans on medicines to avoid causing shortages in the bloc as it tackles the coronavirus crisis.

A massive € 100 billion solidarity plan has been announced by the European Commission in response to the pandemic. This tool will help workers retain their earnings and help businesses survive in an unprecedented crisis.

The next EU budget should take the form of a new "Marshall Plan" to stoke Europe's recovery from the coronavirus crisis, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday.

China will send more than 2 million protective masks to the European Union after Europe becomes the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic. This was announced today by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Layen, quoted by France's press.

Chinese Prime Minister Li Kutsian told Von der Lien in a phone call about sending medical supplies, she announced on Twitter.

Politicians have underestimated the danger of the coronavirus epidemic. This is what EC President Ursula von der Leyen said.

"'We underestimated coronavirus," EU admits: Ursula von der Leyen said that "all of us who are not experts initially underestimated the coronavirus".

"I think all of us who are not experts at first underestimated the corona virus," Ursula von der Leyen said in an interview published today by the German daily "Bild".
She said officials realized that now all those measures that seemed drastic two or three weeks ago should be taken.

Germany-based research firm CureVac, which receives EU funding, is likely to develop a coronavirus vaccine in the second half of this year. This was announced today by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, quoted by the DPA.

The Commission provided financial support to the company for EUR 80 million.

European Union leaders agreed this evening to close Europe's borders for 30 days to prevent the spread of coronavirus but establish fast-track lanes at their countries' frontiers to keep goods moving, bloc leaders said after a video-conference summit.

European Union leaders agreed on Tuesday to close Europe's borders for 30 days to prevent the spread of coronavirus but establish fast-track lanes at their countries' frontiers to keep goods moving, bloc leaders said after a video-conference summit.