Euro finance ministers break talks about aid to Italy
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No agreement after a 16-hour marathon session: EU finance ministers have broken off negotiations on a joint corona bailout package. The biggest point of contention was Italy’s demand for euro bonds.
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The EU Commission has drawn up a roadmap for the exit from the Corona measures. The authority recommends the gradual opening of shops, schools and cinemas. There is a good reason why Berlin will stick to the recommendations.
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I.n the debate about the exit from the Corona measures, the EU Commission calls for a coordinated approach in Germany and the other member states. “The timing and the specific modalities for an exit strategy may differ between individual Member States, but it is essential that there is a common approach and framework for this,” says the EU agency’s draft “European Roadmap for an Exit from the Covid 19 pandemic ”. The previously unpublished paper is available from WELT.
The College of Commissioners was originally supposed to adopt the timetable on Wednesday; Commission President Ursula von der Leyen then wanted to present him to the public. However, at the urging of several Member States, it should only be presented after Easter.
The authors put the dilemma of the national governments in a nutshell: “Any degree of (gradual) relaxation of the restrictions will inevitably lead to a corresponding increase in new cases,” they write. Probably also because of this politically sensitive consideration, the national governments had delegated the task to Brussels to develop a guideline for the easing measures. The Commission’s plan should also become a template for Germany. It was only at the end of March that Chancellor Angela Merkel emphasized that her exit strategy was also waiting for the proposals from Brussels.
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The Commission’s experts recommend that national governments use two criteria to decide whether measures are eased. The spread of the virus must have weakened considerably – over a longer period of time. In addition, the national health systems should have sufficient capacity, in particular free intensive care beds and sufficient medical personnel and equipment.
Germany and other EU countries should first abolish the existing freedom-restricting measures at local level and then gradually expand the opening. This allows the restrictions to be quickly reintroduced locally if necessary, the paper says.
In addition, the measures should be phased out so that there is sufficient time between the individual steps. As a guide, the authors state a month between the individual steps. This is necessary “because the effect can only be measured over a longer period”.
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Exit from the corona lockdown – – – – –
In principle, the current broad measures, which have largely stopped economic and social life, should be converted into targeted restrictions. “The most vulnerable groups, such as the elderly, need longer protection,” the paper said. “People diagnosed with Covid-19 or people with mild symptoms need to be kept in quarantine and treated appropriately.”
Gatherings of groups of people should also only be allowed gradually, the paper says. Shops should reopen with restrictions. For example, the number of customers who are in the store at the same time can be limited. It is recommended for schools that children can keep a sufficient distance from one another, with smaller classes if necessary.
Bars, restaurants and cultural institutions such as cinemas should only gradually reopen, but only with limited opening hours and limits for the number of visitors. “The lifting of bans on mass gatherings such as festivals must take place at a later date,” the paper says. If there is actually a month between the individual steps for evaluation, this could mean that concerts and festivals are not yet possible during the summer.
“Low-risk private transport, such as private cars, should be allowed again as soon as possible, while public transport should only gradually be put back into operation and with the necessary health-oriented measures,” the Commission recommends. “Borders within the EU should remain open for goods and for cross-border commuters and urgently needed workers, for example in logistics.”
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Working people should also leave the home office in stages. “Not the entire population should go back to work at the same time,” the paper says. Instead, it should be prioritized according to how economically important the respective activities are and how suitable they are for telework.
Before the restrictions are lifted, the Commission will develop a plan to rebuild the European economy, including a new draft for the upcoming seven-year EU budget and a revised work program.
It can be assumed that Germany and other EU countries will refer to this timetable. The national governments are said to have already received it – in this case, the recommendations from Brussels should also shape the national debates in the coming days.
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