In an opinion article in O Jornal Económico, MEP Graça Carvalho writes about the isolation measures to prevent contagion by Covid-19. MEP Carvalho praises all the alternatives found by the companies and people to continue interacting and working. “The ease in information circulation reveals its priceless importance, allowing the contact between political deciders, scientists, and experts in public health involved in the combat to the Covid-19 in their respective countries,” MEP Carvalho says....
The six PSD MEPs sent this Friday a letter to the four presidents of the European Institutions (European Commission, European Council, European Parliament and European Central Bank) and to the Portugal's Prime Minister, António Costa, with information also being addressed to the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. The letter was sent with a document in which MEPs present 17 measures to respond to the Covid-19 crisis and demand a common solution of an urgent nature, capable of ...
Hard-pressed governments lack time and capacity to agree on long-term funding for 2021 - 2027 By Éanna Kelly and Florin Zubașcu As governments across Europe desperately firefight COVID-19, minds in Brussels are turning to contingency plans for the multi annual financial framework (MFF), the next seven-year EU budget that is due to run from the start of next year. Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission president, on Saturday said she would unveil a new proposal for the 2021-2027 budget, ...
The complexity of our global interrelation was evident long before the COVID-19 outbreak, but is now appearing as a Gordian knot that requires urgent reflexion and decisive action. There is a deep interdependence between the different regions of the world, that brought us many gains but also new problems like the ones we are now experiencing. The Von der Leyen Commission has made clear that the Union shall develop a continental strategic autonomy. Until now, digital or technological...
I voted in favour of this report as it contains proposals that must be immediately deployed to create minimum conditions for mobilising cash reserves in the European Structural and Investment Funds to tackle the crisis. The quasi-unanimous support that the report gathered shows how the European Parliament can act united in the interests of the European citizens when it comes to alleviate the effects of this unprecedented crisis. The report contains provisions to modify three legal acts aiming...
I voted in favour of this report as it contains proposals that must be immediately deployed to create minimum conditions for mobilising cash reserves in the European Structural and Investment Funds to tackle the crisis. The quasi-unanimous support that the report gathered shows how the European Parliament can act united in the interests of the European citizens when it comes to alleviate the effects of this unprecedented crisis. The report contains provisions to modify three legal acts aiming...
In an opinion article in Público, MEP Graça Carvalho wrote about the need of a coordinated response to the Covid-19 outbreak at a European level. The MEP wrote about health and economy being the most important sectors to face this crisis, and that investment in health is also an investment in the economy. Ms Carvalho said that the measures presented by the European Commission to allow more budgetary flexibility to the member states was a good action, but it will be for naught if the money is n...
PSD MEPs in the European Parliament questioned today the European Commission about the possibility of launching a specific tender for the purchase of test kits for screening Covid-19, which ensures the necessary supply flows to Member States. This question to the Commission follows the recommendation of the World Health Organization, which urges States to adopt mass screening policies, giving as an example the actions taken by the Chinese and South Korean authorities and pointing to the data...
PSD MEPs in the European Parliament questioned today the European Commission about the EU's willingness to take over the acquisition and reinforcement of medical equipment and resources, to help Member States in combating the pandemic caused by Covid-19. The Portuguese MEPs advocate in their priority question for written answer the use of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (CPM) assistance, activated upon official request by Member States, to help save human lives and respond to one of the...
Maria da Graça Carvalho sent a message to Commissioner Thierry Breton, in charge of the Internal Market, asking the EU not just to taking measures to contain or slow down the progress of COVID-19, but to go further and remove unnecessary bureaucratic barriers to faster production and development of medical equipment that can save lives. In her message, Graça Carvalho introduces as an example the collaborative and voluntary Project “OpenAir”, working on medical devices, such as open sourc...
In an interview with RTP for the National Decision program, MEP Graça Carvalho spoke about the crisis caused by Covid 19 and the urgency to support Science, namely with regard to the development of vaccines and other therapies, as well as supporting measures through which limit economic and social consequences, avoiding as much as possible dismissals and bankruptcies. Graça Carvalho told RTP that additionally to economic forecasts, at a time when growth has been revised downwards in almost a...
A couple of MEPs commented on the need of action to face Covid-19, Antena1 reports. MEP Maria Graça Carvalho stated that the plans presented by the European Commission for the mitigation of the virus have been “negligible”. MEP Sara Cerdas stated that the European Union needs better coordination between sectors in order to be more prepared for similar situations in the future.