Finance ministers of the euro area agreed on Friday at a videoconference on all the features and details of the Pandemic crisis support tool, the ESM-based backstop for sovereigns. It is part of the €540bn package of three safety nets for workers, businesses and member states, approved by EU leaders in April. 

EU leaders voiced again their strong solidarity with the partners from the Western Balkans in the context of the coronavirus crisis, reads one of the points, altogether 20, of the Zagreb Declaration. It was issued during the EU-Western Balkans summit, held on Wednesday afternoon. The Croatian capital Zagreb was supposed to host the event, but because of the corona outbreak, it took place through a video conference.

At 4:30pm sharp on Wednesday, was kicked off the EU-Western Balkans' leaders meeting at which EU heads of state and government and their counterparts of the Western Balkans will discuss how effectively to tackle common challenges such as the coronavirus pandemic, but also to reaffirm the European perspective of the region. The summit was initially foreseen to take place in Zagreb, but it was shifted online due to the Covid-19 outbreak. 

The use of tracing apps in tackling the Covid-19 crisis and the role of the digital sector in the post-pandemic recovery were the main topics on the menu of EU Telecommunications ministers during a videoconference on Tuesday, organised by the Croatian Presidency. 

EU Employment and Social Policy Ministers discussed the economic recovery plan and the demographic challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic in the videoconference organised by the Croatian Presidency. Today's videoconference was with the participation of the Commission Vice President for Democracy and Demography Dubravka Šuica, Commissioner for Employment and Social Rights Nicolas Schmit, and EU Social Partners.

The €3bn 3 macro-financial assistance package to ten enlargement and neighbourhood partners, proposed by the Commission was greenlighted by EU ambassadors on Tuesday. The aid is dedicated for helping these countries in coping with the economic fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic.

European Council President Charles Michel and the current President of the G5 Sahel, Mohamed Cheikh El Ghazouani, co-chaired on Tuesday a video conference with all the Heads of State of the G5 Sahel, EC President Ursula Von der Leyen and the High Representative of the EU Josep Borrell, in the presence of the Deputy Secretary-General of the UN and the President of the African Union Commission.

EU ministers responsible for home affairs held a videoconference to discuss the state of play and way forward on the response to Covid-19. The meeting was chaired by Davor Božinović, Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister of Croatia.

European Union energy ministers discussed on Tuesday the security of supplies and the role of the industry in a plan for an economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. Croatian minister of environment and energy Tomislav Ćorić chaired the meeting, with the participation of the European Commissioner responsible for energy Kadri Simson.

Issuing “Covid-19 passports” and organising summer “corridors” for travelers is among the considered ideas so  to prepare for the forthcoming season the holiday industry, hardly hit by the coronavirus crisis. EU tourism ministers discussed these possibilities, among other proposals to boost the sector, at a videoconference on Monday.