This pandemic has increased our determination to transform our economies and societies tenfold, said European Council President Charles Michel in his speech at the UN General Assembly, outlining all the large-scale socio-economic measures and funding efforts that the EU has taken in response to the crisis.

European Council President Charles Michel postponed a summit of European Union leaders on Thursday and Friday until the start of October after going into coronavirus quarantine due to contact with an infected security guard, news wires reported.

The EU-China Leaders’ Meeting held online on Monday followed wide-ranging agenda, covering trade and investment, climate change and biodiversity, the response to the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as international affairs among other topics.

Addressing the impact of the coronavirus crisis and for funding inter alia the vaccine strategy, the Council adopted on Friday draft amending budget No 8 for 2020 by written procedure.

European Union foreign ministers on Thursday sought sanctions against Belarus to pressure President Alexander Lukashenko to hold new elections as the country’s opposition appealed to German Chancellor Angela Merkel for help.

European Union leaders put on a show of support Wednesday for people protesting in Belarus. At an emergency teleconference they underlined their concern about the contested presidential election and ratchet up pressure on officials linked to the security crackdown that followed.

Children 6 and over and all adults will have to wear face masks on all European flights after EU transport ministers agreed new security measures to battle the spread of coronavirus.

At their first physical European summit since the coronavirus outbreak, after four full days and two full nights of challenging talks, the leaders of EU27 succeeded to strike a deal on the bloc’s long term budget for 2021-2027 and coronavirus recovery fund. The overall amount of the package is €1.824 tn. 

After four-day marathon on the budget and the fund to rebuild the economies affected by the pandemic, on Monday evening, Charles Michel, President of the European Council, said cautiously, but with dose of hope, that a deal is possible and handed to EU27 leaders the next portion of changes in his newest negotiating box proposal. In it, the New Generation EU recovery fund offers €390bn in grants and €360bn - loans for a total recovery fund envelope or €750bn.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Monday EU leaders were making progress towards an agreement on a plan to revive economies throttled by the COVID-19 pandemic, but warned discussions could still fall apart.