EU Update - June, 2020
May has mostly seen Member States working to stabilise their countries and economies after the initial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In EU Foreign Affairs and Security, States are working to reopen their borders, the EU raises concerns about China’s policy in Hong Kong and a summit was held between the EU and the western Balkan nations.
Developments in European Law include reactions to the German Constitutional Court’s PSPP ruling and the European Court of Justice’s decision to classify the Röszke transit zone as ‘detention’.
The Finance, Trade and (Digital) Internal Market section discusses the impact of COVID-19 on the Internal Market and key points arising from the Next Generation EU recovery package, as well as new developments in energy and trade policy.
In terms of Migration, a new COVID-19 relief fund has been made available to migrants returning from the EU to Africa. Asylum seekers in Hungary have been removed from the Röszke transit zone and in Malta another group have been rehoused in ‘tourist boats’.
Finally, the Environment section covers new EU regulations on agriculture and further research into COVID-19’s effect on emissions.
As countries around the EU start to loosen their lockdown restrictions the focus turns to how to best ensure this process results in not only safe outcomes for EU’s citizens, but an effective environment for its economy.