Over 2 500 downloads were registered since the Galileo Green Lane app was kicked off in the beginning of May, proving its popularity among truck drivers. The app uses the positioning services of Europe's Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). For drivers and national authorities, the app visualises relevant border situations providing information on traffic flows and waiting times.

Ireland hopes to be able to recommend the resumption of air travel with a select number of countries in a number of weeks, PM Leo Varadkar said on Thursday, telling prospective holidaymakers “summer is not yet lost,” Reuters reported. While some European countries such as Germany, Spain and Austria plan to lift coronavirus-related border restrictions with neighbouring countries this month, Ireland has been more cautious about it.

The European Central Bank has boosted its pandemic emergency support programme by an unexpectedly large €600 billion to €1.35 trillion ($1.5 trillion) in an effort to keep affordable credit flowing to the economy during the steep downturn caused by the virus outbreak.

Spain will open up land borders with France and Portugal on 22 June and will start welcoming tourists to some islands and areas with the Covid-19 infection under control around the same time, Tourism Minister Reyes Maroto said on Thursday cited by the news wires. Spain's land frontiers have been shut to everyone but Spaniards, cross-border workers and truck drivers since mid-March, but with deaths and infections sharply down, the country is trying to gradually restore freedom of movement.

A €70m EU Malaria Fund, which aims to bridge the gap between molecule and market for feasible and affordable innovative solutions to prevent and treat malaria, was inaugurated on Wednesday at an online ceremony. This marks the start of its operation.

The Commission launched on Wednesday the second-stage consultation of European trade unions and employers' organisations on how to ensure fair minimum wages for all workers in the EU. The move follows a first-stage consultation earlier this year to which the Commission received replies from 23 EU-wide social partners, the EU press service reported.

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s ruling coalition on Wednesday agreed a bumper stimulus package to speed up Germany’s recovery from the coronavirus.

Austria is lifting coronavirus-related border restrictions including quarantines for all neighbouring countries except Italy as of Thursday, Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said. Austria borders eight countries and had agreed with Switzerland, Germany and Liechtenstein that they would reopen their shared borders from 15 June. It is now accelerating that move on its side and lifting checks for Slovakia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic and Hungary as well, Reuters reported.

The Commission proposed on Wednesday modifications to its budget for this year to make €11.5bn for crisis repair and recovery available already in 2020. The funds will be used to prop up the hardly hit by the pandemic regions, support businesses and those in need outside EU borders.

The EP Agriculture and Rural Development Committee members broadly welcomed the Commission's recovery package proposals and said it complies with the requests of the Parliament, but they opposed any cuts to the CAP money. Following the presentation of the EU recovery package by EC President Ursula von der Leyen in the Parliament on 27 May, MEPs from the Committee debated with EU Budget Commissioner Johannes Hahn on Tuesday the future EU farm policy funding and ways to help agrifood sectors recover after the Covid-19 crisis.