Brussels Reporter
  • Home
  • Brussels
  • Europe
    • Europe

      Kamala Harris to MEPs: ‘Build a world that…

      March 8, 2021

      Europe

      Anti-coup protesters in Myanmar bombarded with tear gas

      March 8, 2021March 8, 2021

      Europe

      At least 20 dead, 600 wounded in Equatorial…

      March 8, 2021March 8, 2021

      Europe

      Meet the Polish teenager whose cosmetics website is…

      March 8, 2021March 8, 2021

      Europe

      Protests and celebrations take place worldwide ahead of…

      March 7, 2021March 8, 2021

  • Globe
  • Lifestyle
  • Business

Brussels Reporter

  • Home
  • Brussels
  • Europe
    • Europe

      Kamala Harris to MEPs: ‘Build a world that…

      March 8, 2021

      Europe

      Anti-coup protesters in Myanmar bombarded with tear gas

      March 8, 2021March 8, 2021

      Europe

      At least 20 dead, 600 wounded in Equatorial…

      March 8, 2021March 8, 2021

      Europe

      Meet the Polish teenager whose cosmetics website is…

      March 8, 2021March 8, 2021

      Europe

      Protests and celebrations take place worldwide ahead of…

      March 7, 2021March 8, 2021

  • Globe
  • Lifestyle
  • Business
Home Brussels Coronavirus forces Council of the EU to reduce meetings to ‘absolute minimum’
BrusselsFeatured

Coronavirus forces Council of the EU to reduce meetings to ‘absolute minimum’

by editor October 26, 2020October 27, 2020
October 26, 2020October 27, 2020

The Council of the EU will reduce physical expert meetings “to the absolute minimum” and also limit videoconferences to “priority topics” in response to rising coronavirus cases, the German presidency said Monday.

“The second wave of the corona pandemic is currently hitting the EU capital Brussels with full force. The infection figures in Brussels are among the highest in Europe,” a spokesperson for the German presidency said.

The presidency has therefore decided “to reduce physical meetings at expert level to the absolute minimum necessary until further notice,” the spokesperson said, adding: “Virtual meetings will also be limited to priority topics, taking into account the spatial, personnel and technical resources of the Council secretariat and the presidency.”

“Only essential meetings, which are necessary for the functioning of the EU or for the coordination of the COVID-19 crisis response, will continue to be able to take place in person — and only under the condition that all ‘social distancing’ and hygiene regulations can be strictly observed,” the spokesperson said.

The measures will apply as long as long as required by pandemic situation in Brussels, the spokesperson said, adding that EU ambassadors had expressed “broad support” for the decision at a meeting this morning.

Negotiations on the EU budget and the recovery fund will continue physically as “it is practically impossible” to reach an agreement without personal meetings, the spokesperson said.

The presidency did not immediately reply to a question about whether scheduled meetings of EU ministers could still take place in Brussels, but an EU diplomat said “Our understanding is that the overwhelming majority, if not all Ministerial Councils will take place via video-conference in November.“ 

This story has been updated.

Source link

previous post
Covid: Italy brings in sweeping new coronavirus measures
next post
US elections: Senate set to confirm Trump court nominee despite Democrats’ opposition

Related Posts

EU leaders to talk pandemic, defense policy in...

February 23, 2021

Drone training zone opens in Wallonia

February 2, 2019

Disappearing Wall: Goethe Institute calls citizens to take...

February 6, 2020

De Croo: “Belgium will invest an extra 43...

December 2, 2018

Colruyt to ban plastic bags from its stores,...

April 2, 2019

Michel critical of “arrogance amongst some Ecolo deputies”

February 19, 2019

Red Easter weekend on roads throughout Europe

April 2, 2019

University students join Thursday's climate demonstrations

February 14, 2019

EU Confidential #152: Timothy Garton Ash — Second...

May 14, 2020

Citizens’ tributes to Brussels attacks to go on...

March 11, 2019
Promotion Image

Recent Posts

  • EU institutions to start vaccinating officials March 22
  • Kamala Harris to MEPs: ‘Build a world that works for women’
  • Anti-coup protesters in Myanmar bombarded with tear gas
  • Meet 7 modern heroines of Belgian comics
  • New US guidance says fully vaccinated people can meet without masks
Promotion Image

GO!

Lifestyle

  • Scientists are using satellites to count elephants from space for the first time

  • France: Hospital workers demand more resources to fight COVID-19

  • Alexei Navalny: Millions watch jailed critic's 'Putin palace' film

  • Covid vaccine: WHO warns of ‘catastrophic moral failure’

  • Belgium looks good in white

Popular Posts

  • 1

    The death of the city

    July 27, 2020
  • 2

    Amazon directs customers to vaccine misinformation, study finds

    March 5, 2021
  • 3

    Assange fight draws in Trump’s new intel chief Ric Grenell

    February 25, 2020

Editor’s Choices

  • European Parliament will set up vaccination centers for MEPs, staff and locals

    January 21, 2021
  • Why ‘equal access’ to coronavirus vaccines is failing poor countries

    January 20, 2021
  • Merkel era may only just be beginning

    January 16, 2021

Opinions

  • EU institutions to start vaccinating officials March 22

    March 8, 2021
  • Kamala Harris to MEPs: ‘Build a world that works for women’

    March 8, 2021
  • Brussels police to send out plainclothes patrols to counter street harassment

    March 8, 2021

@2018-2021 - Brussels Reporter (www.brusselsreporter.com). All Right Reserved.