EU plans three additional Covid-19 medicines authorised by October

Russia approved on Thursday a single-dose Sputnik Light Covid-19 vaccine, which is a version of  the world’s first registered vaccine against coronavirus - Sputnik V, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) announced in a statement. 

Following the requests of Canada, Norway and the US to participate in the PESCO project Military Mobility, the Council adopted on Thursday positive decisions authorising the coordinator of this project – the Netherlands – to invite the three countries. They will be the first third states to be invited to take part in a PESCO project. 

On Thursday, the EU celebrates the 10,000th researcher that has been awarded a grant from the European Research Council (ERC), namely Professor Inga Berre from the University of Bergen, Norway. 

The European Guarantee Fund (EGF), part of the €540bn EU recovery package agreed in 2020, has approved funding amounting to almost half its target for 2021. The fund was founded by the European Investment Bank Group and EU Member States as a protection shield for European companies hard hit by the pandemic.

In its Therapeutics Strategy, adopted on Thursday, the Commission says that vaccination rates are increasing across the EU, but therapeutics are vital to treat those people who are still falling ill and reduce the rate of acute and severe Covid-19. It also includes the treatment of so-called ‘long Covid’.

To prop up Europe's industry in leading the twin transition towards climate neutrality and digital leadership and to take into account all the complexities posed by the coronavirus, the Commission updated the EU Industrial Strategy set out in March 2020, and published prior to the announcement by the WHO of Covid-19 pandemic.

The German chemical conglomerate Bayer lost an appeal in EU court against a ban related to the usage of pesticides amid growing concerns linked to the extinction on bees, Reuters reported. The European Union's top court upheld the EU's partial ban on insecticides linked to harming bees, preventing their use on certain crops. Bayer appealed to overturn a lower EU court's 2018 decision to uphold the EU ban.

England and Wales are due to vote on local elections on Thursday, DPA reported. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's handling of the coronavirus pandemic and recent scandals may be key factors that may be game changers on the election day where votes will be cast for 143 local councils, 39 police and crime commissioners, and 15 mayoral races. A British parliamentary by-election is also being held in the constituency of Hartlepool. Separately, elections for the devolved parliaments in Scotland and Wales are also taking place.

The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken noted that not all doors for Chinese capital and investment flows to the United States and Europe should be left open. US will further seek European backing to reduce the influence of China in key sectors related to hi-tech and defense. Blinked confirmed that the West had to be very careful about the exact nature of Chinese investment in Western economies and think very carefully about investments in strategic assets.

Italy announced it was ready to welcome again foreign tourists as pandemic eased the pressure on the country’s healthcare system. The country desperately needs the key sector operating again to reboot economic growth, ANSA reported. Italy’s Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said: "We are reopening, with the aim of kick-starting tourism and the economy again. We must support the tourism sector, shop owners, restaurateurs.We must do business and create jobs. Italy is ready, we are working to totally supersede the 10 pm curfew, but not lower our guard. I will reiterate that we are working to welcome foreign tourists to Italy in total safety”.