Healthcare | Issued on: March 11, 2020

On January 31, 2020, I issued Proclamation 9984 (Suspension of Entry as Immigrants and Nonimmigrants of Persons Who Pose a Risk of Transmitting 2019 Novel Coronavirus and Other Appropriate Measures To Address This Risk).  I found that the potential for widespread transmission of a novel (new) coronavirus (which has since been renamed “SARS-CoV-2” and causes the disease COVID-19) (“SARS-CoV-2” or “the virus”) by infected individuals seeking to enter the United States threatens the security of our transportation system and infrastructure and the national security. 
Because the outbreak of the virus was at the time centered in the People’s Republic of China, I suspended and limited the entry of all aliens who were physically present within the People’s Republic of China, excluding the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau, during the 14-day period preceding their entry or attempted entry into the United States, subject to certain exceptions.  On February 29, 2020, in recognition of the sustained person-to-person transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the Islamic Republic of Iran, I issued Proclamation 9992 (Suspension of Entry as Immigrants and Nonimmigrants of Certain Additional Persons Who Pose a Risk of Transmitting 2019 Novel Coronavirus), suspending and limiting the entry of all aliens who were physically present within the Islamic Republic of Iran during the 14-day period preceding their entry or attempted entry into the United States, subject to certain exceptions.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a component of the Department of Health and Human Services, has determined that the virus presents a serious public health threat, and CDC continues to take steps to prevent its spread.  But CDC, along with State and local health departments, has limited resources, and the public health system could be overwhelmed if sustained human-to-human transmission of the virus occurred in the United States on a large scale.  Sustained human-to-human transmission has the potential to cause cascading public health, economic, national security, and societal consequences.
The World Health Organization has determined that multiple countries within the Schengen Area are experiencing sustained person-to-person transmission of SARS-CoV-2.  For purposes of this proclamation, the Schengen Area comprises 26 European states: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.  The Schengen Area currently has the largest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases outside of the People’s Republic of China.  As of March 11, 2020, the number of cases in the 26 Schengen Area countries is 17,442, with 711 deaths, and shows high continuous growth in infection rates.  In total, as of March 9, 2020, the Schengen Area has exported 201 COVID-19 cases to 53 countries.  Moreover, the free flow of people between the Schengen Area countries makes the task of managing the spread of the virus difficult.
The United States Government is unable to effectively evaluate and monitor all of the travelers continuing to arrive from the Schengen Area.  The potential for undetected transmission of the virus by infected individuals seeking to enter the United States from the Schengen Area threatens the security of our transportation system and infrastructure and the national security.  Given the importance of protecting persons within the United States from the threat of this harmful communicable disease, I have determined that it is in the interests of the United States to take action to restrict and suspend the entry into the United States, as immigrants or nonimmigrants, of all aliens who were physically present within the Schengen Area during the 14-day period preceding their entry or attempted entry into the United States.  The free flow of commerce between the United States and the Schengen Area countries remains an economic priority for the United States, and I remain committed to facilitating trade between our nations.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including sections 212(f) and 215(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. 1182(f) and 1185(a), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code, hereby find that the unrestricted entry into the United States of persons described in section 1 of this proclamation would, except as provided for in section 2 of this proclamation, be detrimental to the interests of the United States, and that their entry should be subject to certain restrictions, limitations, and exceptions.  I therefore hereby proclaim the following:
Section 1.  Suspension and Limitation on Entry.  The entry into the United States, as immigrants or nonimmigrants, of all aliens who were physically present within the Schengen Area during the 14-day period preceding their entry or attempted entry into the United States is hereby suspended and limited subject to section 2 of this proclamation.
Sec. 2.  Scope of Suspension and Limitation on Entry.
(a)  Section 1 of this proclamation shall not apply to:
(i)     any lawful permanent resident of the United States;
(ii)    any alien who is the spouse of a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident;
(iii)   any alien who is the parent or legal guardian of a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, provided that the U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident is unmarried and under the age of 21;
(iv)    any alien who is the sibling of a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, provided that both are unmarried and under the age of 21;
(v)     any alien who is the child, foster child, or ward of a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, or who is a prospective adoptee seeking to enter the United States pursuant to the IR-4 or IH-4 visa classifications;
(vi)    any alien traveling at the invitation of the United States Government for a purpose related to containment or mitigation of the virus;
(vii)   any alien traveling as a nonimmigrant pursuant to a C-1, D, or C-1/D nonimmigrant visa as a crewmember or any alien otherwise traveling to the United States as air or sea crew;
(viii)  any alien
(A)  seeking entry into or transiting the United States pursuant to one of the following visas:  A-1, A-2, C-2, C-3 (as a foreign government official or immediate family member of an official), E-1 (as an employee of TECRO or TECO or the employee’s immediate family members), G-1, G-2, G-3, G-4, NATO-1 through NATO-4, or NATO-6 (or seeking to enter as a nonimmigrant in one of those NATO categories); or
(B)  whose travel falls within the scope of section 11 of the United Nations Headquarters Agreement;
(ix)    any alien whose entry would not pose a significant risk of introducing, transmitting, or spreading the virus, as determined by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, through the CDC Director or his designee;
(x)     any alien whose entry would further important United States law enforcement objectives, as determined by the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Homeland Security, or their respective designees, based on a recommendation of the Attorney General or his designee;
(xi)    any alien whose entry would be in the national interest, as determined by the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Homeland Security, or their designees; or
(xii)   members of the U.S. Armed Forces and spouses and children of members of the U.S. Armed Forces.
(b)  Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to affect any individual’s eligibility for asylum, withholding of removal, or protection under the regulations issued pursuant to the legislation implementing the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, consistent with the laws and regulations of the United States.
Sec. 3.  Implementation and Enforcement.  (a)  The Secretary of State shall implement this proclamation as it applies to visas pursuant to such procedures as the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security, may establish.  The Secretary of Homeland Security shall implement this proclamation as it applies to the entry of aliens pursuant to such procedures as the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of State, may establish.
(b)  Consistent with applicable law, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Transportation, and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall ensure that any alien subject to this proclamation does not board an aircraft traveling to the United States.
(c)  The Secretary of Homeland Security may establish standards and procedures to ensure the application of this proclamation at and between all United States ports of entry.
(d)  An alien who circumvents the application of this proclamation through fraud, willful misrepresentation of a material fact, or illegal entry shall be a priority for removal by the Department of Homeland Security.
Sec. 4.  Termination.  This proclamation shall remain in effect until terminated by the President.  The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall recommend that the President continue, modify, or terminate this proclamation as described in section 5 of Proclamation 9984, as amended.
Sec. 5.  Effective Date.  This proclamation is effective at 11:59 p.m. eastern daylight time on March 13, 2020.  This proclamation does not apply to persons aboard a flight scheduled to arrive in the United States that departed prior to 11:59 p.m. eastern daylight time on March 13, 2020.
Sec. 6.  Severability.  It is the policy of the United States to enforce this proclamation to the maximum extent possible to advance the national security, public safety, and foreign policy interests of the United States.  Accordingly:
(a)  if any provision of this proclamation, or the application of any provision to any person or circumstance, is held to be invalid, the remainder of this proclamation and the application of its provisions to any other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby; and
(b)  if any provision of this proclamation, or the application of any provision to any person or circumstance, is held to be invalid because of the lack of certain procedural requirements, the relevant executive branch officials shall implement those procedural requirements to conform with existing law and with any applicable court orders.
Sec. 7.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b)  This proclamation shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c)  This proclamation is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eleventh day of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-fourth.
DONALD J. TRUMP
Compliments of The Whitehouse
Note for information about non EU Nationals Travel restrictions see the US State Departments information

European Green Deal
The Council had an exchange of views on the European Green Deal.  Environment and climate ministers worked on the concrete steps needed to be taken so that the EU reaches its climate neutrality objective by 2050. Ministers discussed priority areas, encouraged a more resource efficient economy, and voiced out support for a just transition to climate neutrality.
EU’s climate long-term strategy submission to the UN
The Council adopted the EU’s submission to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on the long-term low greenhouse gas emission development strategy of the EU and its member states. The EU and its member states are fully committed to the Paris Agreement and its long-term goals.
By agreeing and delivering on ambitious social and economic transformation, the EU and its member states are aiming to inspire global climate action and demonstrate that moving towards climate neutrality is not only imperative but also feasible and desirable.
Air quality
The Council adopted conclusions on air quality. Air pollution remains the most important environmental cause of health problems in the EU, and it is estimated to cause more than 400,000 premature deaths each year. 
The Council considered that established air quality standards, in particular limit values, have been effective and remain essential to protect the health of citizens. However, the Council stressed that there is room for improvements to the legislative framework to ensure good air quality across the EU.
Evaluation of water legislation
Ministers exchanged views on a fitness check of EU water legislation. This policy evaluation covered several pieces of legislation: the water framework directive, the environmental quality standards directive, the groundwater directive and the floods directive.
European Semester
EU ministers discussed how to better incorporate environmental sustainability into the European Semester.
Fridays for Future
The Croatian presidency invited climate activist Greta Thunberg to address the Council on behalf of the Fridays for Future movement.
Other issues
The Commission presented its proposal on a European Climate Law and on a Just Transition Mechanism under the European Green Deal. The Commission also presented its communication on the European Green Deal Investment Plan.
Over lunch, ministers discussed climate diplomacy in the presence of Marc Vanheukelen, EEAS Ambassador at Large for Climate Diplomacy.
The Polish delegation informed ministers on the implementation of full auctioning for the aviation sector under the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS). The Portuguese delegation informed ministers on the High Level Symposium on Water (Lisbon, 2 June 2020). Finally, the European Commission informed delegations about the by-catch of common dolphins, harbour porpoises and other protected species in fishing gear.
Compliments of the European Commission

Following the publication of a €10 million call in January, the Commission has secured an additional €37.5 million for urgently needed research on COVID-19 vaccine development, treatment and diagnostics. This action is part of the coordinated EU response to the public health threat of COVID-19.
With the additional amount from the Horizon 2020 programme, the Commission is scaling up the emergency call launched in January to fight the COVID-19 outbreak to €47.5 million. This allowed to select 17 projects involving 136 research teams from across the EU and beyond, which will start working on developing vaccines, new treatments, diagnostic tests and medical systems aimed at preventing the spread of the Coronavirus.
Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, said: “The emergency funding from Horizon 2020 enables researchers to work immediately to tackle the outbreak of the Coronavirus on several fronts. Seeing the research community getting in action so rapidly gives us new hope that we will soon be one step closer to our goal of stopping the spread of the virus.”
The Commission is currently negotiating grant agreements with the selected beneficiaries. The 17 projects will work on:
Development of new vaccines. The research will focus on developing a prophylactic vaccine and a therapeutic vaccine, which will be used for prevention and treatment respectively.
Rapid point-of-care diagnostic tests. Increased efforts will concentrate on enabling front-line health workers to make the diagnosis more quickly and more accurately, which will in turn reduce the risk of further spread of the virus.
New treatments, in which a dual approach will be adopted. Firstly, accelerating the development of new treatments currently in the pipeline (including therapeutic peptides, monoclonal antibodies and broad-spectrum antivirals), and secondly, screening and identifying molecules that could work against the virus, using advanced modelling and computing techniques.
Improving epidemiology and public health, including our preparedness and response to outbreaks. These projects will help develop better monitoring systems in order to effectively prevent and control the spread of the virus, as well as contribute to the assessment of social dynamics.
Background
On 30 January 2020, the Commission launched a special call for expressions of interest to support research on COVID-19 with an initial budget of €10 million mobilised from the special fund for emergency research of the Horizon 2020 programme for research and innovation. The Commission received 91 proposals within the very short two-week deadline. Independent experts completed the evaluation of the proposals in record time. In parallel, thanks to the excellent quality of proposals received, the Commission mobilised additional funds in order to support a higher number of projects. Applicants were notified on 4 March. 
Furthermore, up to €45 million in Horizon 2020 funding will support additional research through the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI), a public-private partnership between the Commission and the pharmaceutical industry. A commitment of a similar scale is expected from the pharmaceutical industry so that the total investment in the fast-track call launched on 3 March could reach up to €90 million. This means that the total amount in funding for coronavirus research, mobilised from Horizon 2020 and the industry through IMI, could reach almost €140 million.
Several EU-funded projects are already contributing to preparedness and response to the COVID-19 outbreak, such as the European Virus Archive – GLOBAL (EVAg), the PREPARE project and the Commission involvement in the Global research collaboration for infectious disease preparedness (GloPID-R) network.
Compliments of the European Commission

One of the best and most detailed analysis on the subject we’ve seen so far. Worth the entire 1.5 hours of it. A must watch, for anyone across the country and overseas.

Statement by David McAllister, Chair of Parliament’s UK Coordination Group, following the start of EU-UK negotiations on a future partnership on Monday 2 March.

“With negotiations kicking off today, we are entering into a crucial phase that will set the tone for the future EU-UK relationship. The European Union is united; mutual trust and respect should prevail to ensure the best possible outcome for both parties. EU negotiator Michel Barnier and his team can count on the European Parliament’s full support”.
“As stated in our latest resolution, the EU must do its utmost when negotiating with the UK to guarantee the European Union’s interests. We take note of the UK’s mandate published on 27 February. Members reiterated in their resolution their determination to establish a future relationship with the UK that is as close as possible, noting nonetheless that this will have to be different from that enjoyed by the UK as a member state of the EU. To this end, trust is essential. It is also crucial that the UK government, in the upcoming negotiations, quickly clarifies its approach to the implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement, particularly with regard to the protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland.”
Background
 
The European Parliament adopted its latest resolution on EU-UK future relations on 12 February. In the text, MEPs called for future fair competition and a “level playing field” to be guaranteed through robust commitments, and “dynamic alignment” of EU-UK rules.
EU government representatives in the Council gave the go-ahead for talks to start and adopted the EU’s negotiating directives on 25 February, effectively allowing the European Commission to begin negotiating with the British government on behalf of the EU.
Parliament’s “UK Coordination Group”, led by Foreign Affairs Committee Chair David McAllister (EPP, DE), will liaise with the EU Task Force for Relations with the United Kingdom. The EP will follow closely the work of the EU negotiator Michel Barnier and continue to influence the negotiations through resolutions. The final agreement will need the approval of the Parliament as a whole.
Compliments of the EU Parliament

Keynote speech by President Charles Michel at the Centre for European Policy Studies

Thank you for the warm welcome. It’s a special pleasure to be here with you this afternoon and I am delighted that it has been possible for this event to go ahead. I have full confidence in the Belgian authorities in this kind of situation.
CEPS is doing great work, work which is above all very helpful in the efforts to regularly let fresh air into the world of ideas and the future of the European project. I am happy to have this opportunity to share with you some thoughts on this wonderful European project which brings us together.
The first point I would like to share with you is the conviction that Europe must assert itself more on the world stage. And for that a stronger Europe is needed. We must be strong internally in order to have greater clout externally.
Following the European elections and the taking up of office by the new European leadership in the European Commission and in the European Council, we have put into motion a new democratic cycle. This is therefore a good moment to attempt to define the path to be followed and light up the road ahead. It is important, and to my mind essential, that Europe endeavour to be clear in its ideas.
What do we want today? We want a Europe that plays its part in the world, today and tomorrow. A Europe that asserts itself as a geopolitical actor. A Europe on the front line against climate change. And a Europe at the cutting edge of the digital transition.
And on all these fronts, we should never lose sight of our common base of strong, extremely robust values. We must build on them and always be guided by them. This, we might say, is the European hallmark: freedom and respect for human dignity, and responsibility towards the generations to come.
It is not, therefore, a question of picking off the challenges on automatic pilot, one by one. It’s about shaping a desirable future for all. It’s this common ambition that must inspire our choices, at the service of all European citizens.
Today, with you, I would like to take the opportunity afforded by this platform to share three messages. First, we have and we must have a clear goal in sight: for geopolitical, climate and digital matters. Next, a euro that is attractive internationally is a key element in making progress towards that objective. Finally, for an attractive euro, we need a strong Economic and Monetary Union.
Our Union must carve out its place in the world of tomorrow. To do so, we have to address three critical challenges.
First, our Union must be a leader in the world to promote its values and interests. This will take time and hard work. I believe the world needs a strong European voice. And decisive European action. When I talk to European citizens, I hear always the same thing. They say, “We want a strong, confident Europe. In words and also in action.” Because whatever happens in the world has an impact on our Union.
Today, we face strong headwinds. Global competition is back. That’s not great news for the rules-based, multilateral order. Our Union runs the risk of being squeezed between great powers that use their economic tools to promote their foreign policy interests.
And we must also prepare the ecological and the digital transitions. These two transitions are revolutionising our societies and economies. The green transition is probably the great challenge of the twenty first century. The challenge driving millions of young people onto the streets. A challenge all European countries have to support because we have no choice. It affects all our citizens equally.
The digital transition is happening now. Europe must be at the forefront to drive our economy and build a digital world in line with our European values. We know the magnitude of these transitions. We must capitalise on their potential. That’s why European leaders have committed a few weeks ago to very ambitious goals like making Europe the first carbon neutral continent in the world.
We want our European priorities to inspire all our policies. This applies to the euro, to our next European budget, and to our single market. Acting on our ambitions is how we defend our values. And because of these values, we are proud to be European.
The euro is a concrete symbol of success that our citizens carry in their pocket every day. 19 out of 27 member states, for exactly 343 million citizens. My children do not question payments in euro when we travel across the continent. To them it comes naturally. But we forget that only a few years ago we still had to exchange French to Belgian francs or Spanish pesetas to drachma.
Even if the euro faced huge criticism at the start I hear very few people are nostalgic about their national currencies. I believe the euro can definitely boost our strategic autonomy and help us achieve our political objectives.
We live in an interconnected world. But sometimes this can limit our room for manoeuvre. Just one example: the global dominance of the dollar allows US sanctions to reach beyond US borders. This affects European companies, even when they trade legally with third countries. Sometimes we can disagree, even with our closest ally.
But a stronger international euro would certainly give us more latitude in our geopolitical decision-making. An attractive currency offers also a broader access to international financial markets. And this facilitates the funding of the massive investments needed for our digital and ecological transitions. These investments are the key to unlocking the full potential of the two transitions: sustainable development, quality jobs and innovation.
The main question is: how do we get the euro to play a more prominent role on an international stage? This cannot simply be decreed. The decisive step is our collective European action to strengthen our Economic and Monetary Union.
I am convinced that everything we do to strengthen the Economic and Monetary Union will make the euro more attractive. We need to complete the initiatives we have already started. And we need to build new instruments that will prepare our EMU for tomorrow’s challenges.
Let’s start with the initiatives already on the table. Our response to the economic and financial crisis has been: more Europe and more competences for our Union. But to finalise our Banking Union, two reforms must still be completed.
First, the authority that deals with failing banks must have all the financial means to carry out its duties. Second, we still need a European system to guarantee and protect our bank deposits.
But that’s not enough in my opinion, the essential initiatives for tomorrow – a capital markets union, and a better management of the euro area are necessary. With a true Capital Markets Union, our innovative SMEs could better fund their projects. Our abundant savings could be better channelled into concrete green or digital investments. We all see the advantages of capital flowing freely across borders. So we really need to breathe new life into this project.
Steering our economy is a responsibility that cannot rest exclusively with the European Central Bank. European political leaders must strengthen the EMU so that monetary policy is not “the only game in town.”
Economists have long called for a budget for the euro area. The new BICC (budgetary instrument for convergence and competitiveness) currently taking shape is a small step but it is a step in the right direction. The euro is the monetary expression of our shared destiny. And strengthening the EMU is a collective responsibility.
One last word. We need to finance our common projects together. And we can do that by starting with pragmatic steps. For instance, the European Investment Bank could issue a larger number of safe green bonds, if it had additional capital to support the green and digital transitions. This would also expand the pool of risk-free assets denominated in euro, which is currently too small.
Today, the world is more unsettled than ever. But the European Union has a clear compass to guide us through the storm. We are focused on climate change, succeeding in the digital age, and leading on the global stage.
Yes, these goals are ambitious, very ambitious. But Europe has the talent, skills and passion to make it happen. So, we need the resources to back up these ambitions and make them a reality.
If we want to promote our European values, if we want to lead on the big issues of the 21st century, we need a global currency that matches our global ambitions. Thank you.

Compliments of the European Parliament Press Center

On 25-27 February 2020, EU Ambassador to the U.S. Stavros Lambrinidis visited northern California.
Upon his arrival to San Francisco, Ambassador Lambrinidis was greeted by European Consuls General at the German Residence — German Consul General Hans-Ulrich Südbeck currently serves as EU Local Chair. There are now twelve European Consulates in San Francisco since the opening of an Estonian Consulate a few weeks ago. 
Ambassador Lambrinidis was then received by Governor Gavin Newsom in Sacramento. During their meeting, they discussed the close partnership between California and the European Union on a wide range of common priorities, from climate action and the digital economy to science and the future of mobility. The European Union recently welcomed Governor Newsom’s decision to order a moratorium on the death penalty.
He also met with San Francisco Mayor London Breed and praised the city for its leading role in technology and sustainability. San Francisco is home to many Europeans who contribute to the city’s prosperity and unique way of life.
In Silicon Valley, Ambassador Lambrinidis met with European and American tech entrepreneurs. EU trade and investment in California create 750 thousand jobs (see infographic here).
Ambassador Lambrinidis finally joined Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis on stage at UC Berkeley to discuss “California, the EU and the Future of the Transatlantic Relationship” (see here).
EU officials will be back in California on April 6 for the California-EU Energy Efficiency Forum (register for the webcast here). And Executive Vice President – A Europe Fit for the Digital Age Margrethe Vestager will speak at CODE CONFERENCE 2020 in Los Angeles (May 26-28). 
Compliments of the Delegation of the European Union to the United States

On the occasion of the World Wildlife Day, the European Commission launched today in Monaco a new global coalition for biodiversity. With this communication campaign, the Commission is calling for stronger mobilisation in raising awareness about the need to protect biodiversity.
Ahead of the crucial CoP 15 meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity in October 2020, the Commission is turning to all national parks, aquariums, botanic gardens, zoos, science and natural history museums to join forces and boost public awareness about the nature crisis.
European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius said: “Biodiversity crisis is an important part in climate change. Protection and restoration of biodiversity would not only save the nature for future generations, but also help to tackle climate change, and avoid negative consequences on our food, health and economy. We urgently need to take global action, otherwise, our only chance of seeing nature is in the zoos and botanical gardens. That would be a failure of the humankind.”
With their collections, education and conservation programmes, national parks, aquariums, botanic gardens, zoos, science and natural history museums are the best ambassadors to raise public awareness about the dramatic effects of the biodiversity crisis. The Commission also encourages national, regional and local authorities, non-governmental organisations, businesses, scientists and individual citizens to play their part in raising awareness ahead of the United Nations Biodiversity Summit (CoP 15).
During CoP 15, the 196 Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity are expected to adopt a new global framework to protect and restore nature, as much-needed as the Paris Agreement focusing on the climate urgency. Following the Summit, the focus of the coalition for biodiversity will be on coordinated actions with tangible impact aimed at bending the curve of biodiversity loss. This initiative is consistent and fully in line with other initiatives and coalitions, such as the High Ambition Coalition led by Costa Rica.
Background
The Global coalition for biodiversity will complement the highly successful coalition of “World aquariums #ReadyToChange to #BeatPlasticPollution” launched in 2017 which gathered more than 200 aquariums in 41 countries to raise global awareness about marine litter.
The Oceanographic Museum of Monaco today hosted a ceremony to mark both this launch and the handover of direction of the Aquariums coalition from the European Commission to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) under the Clean Seas campaign.
Later this month, the European Commission will announce the new EU Biodiversity Strategy to protect and restore nature in Europe, detailing the EU’s ambition for the Biodiversity CoP15. A major public engagement event, EU Green Week, will also aim to mobilise society for nature and biodiversity from 1-5 June 2020, with dozens of events across Europe, and a conference in Lisbon and Brussels.
A 2019 Report from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services IPBES shows that nature is declining globally at rates unprecedented in human history. The rate of species extinctions is accelerating, with up to a million species facing extinction, and with likely serious impacts on people around the world. This means ecosystems would no longer be able to support humanity by providing water, food, clean air and timber, and their services of pollination, climate regulation, soil formation and regulation of floods would be seriously affected.
Compliments of the European Commission

The European Commission welcomes the Council’s decision today, as expected, to authorise the opening of the future partnership negotiations with the UK.  
The negotiating directives adopted today are based on the draft recommendation put forward by the Commission on 3 February 2020. They fully respect existing European Council guidelines and conclusions, as well as the Political Declaration agreed between the EU and the United Kingdom in October 2019.
The comprehensive negotiating directives define the scope and terms of the future partnership that the European Union envisages with the United Kingdom. These directives cover all areas of interest for the negotiations, including trade and economic cooperation, law enforcement and judicial cooperation in criminal matters, foreign policy, security and defence, participation in Union programmes and other thematic areas of cooperation. A dedicated chapter on governance provides an outline for an overall governance framework covering all areas of economic and security cooperation.
President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen said:“We are now ready to start negotiations with the United Kingdom. We want to build a close, ambitious future partnership, as this is in the best interest of people on both sides of the Channel. I would like to thank the European Parliament and all Member States for their continued trust in our negotiating team. We will work as hard as we can to achieve the best possible result.”
Michel Barnier, the European Commission’s Chief Negotiator, said: “We are determined to reach a deal that protects EU interests. We will work hand-in-hand with the European Parliament and all Member States and will continue to be fully transparent throughout this process.”
As Union negotiator, the Commission intends to continue work in close coordination with the Council and its preparatory bodies, as well as with the European Parliament, as was the case during the negotiations for the Withdrawal Agreement.
 

The Council today adopted a decision authorising the opening of negotiations for a new partnership with the UK, and formally nominating the Commission as EU negotiator. The Council also adopted negotiating directives which constitute a mandate to the Commission for the negotiations.

The Council has adopted a clear and strong mandate for our negotiator, Michel Barnier. This confirms our readiness to offer an ambitious, wide-ranging and balanced partnership to the UK for the benefit of both sides. The EU is now ready to start negotiations.
Andreja Metelko-Zgombić, Croatian State Secretary for European Affairs

Infographic – EU-UK negotiations
See full infographic
The EU wishes to establish an ambitious, wide-ranging and balanced economic partnership with the UK. The mandate stresses that the future partnership should be underpinned by robust commitments to ensure a level playing field for open and fair competition, given the EU and the UK’s geographic proximity and economic interdependence.
The EU intends to establish a free trade agreement with the UK which ensures that zero tariffs and quotas apply to trade in goods. This agreement should provide for cooperation on customs and regulatory aspects. It should also include effective management and supervision, dispute settlement and enforcement arrangements.
On fisheries, the mandate outlines that the future partnership should uphold the existing reciprocal access to waters as well as stable quota shares. The agreement on fisheries should be established by 1 July 2020, to give time for determining fishing opportunities after the end of the transition period.
The mandate also contains provisions for future cooperation in areas such as digital trade, intellectual property, public procurement, mobility, transport, and energy.
The EU will seek to establish a comprehensive security partnership with the UK. The partnership should comprise law enforcement and judicial cooperation in criminal matters, as well as foreign policy, security and defence. The mandate foresees that the future partnership should be embedded in an overall governance framework covering all areas of cooperation.
Council decision authorising the opening of negotiations, 25 February 2020
Negotiating directives
Next steps
The Commission will agree with the UK the dates for the first negotiating sessions. The first formal meeting between the EU and the UK negotiators is expected to take place in early March.
Background
The Council decision and the negotiating directives are based on a recommendation presented by the Commission on 3 February 2020. They build on the political declaration agreed by the EU and the UK in October 2019, as well as on the European Council (Art. 50) guidelines on the future EU-UK relationship of March 2018 and April 2017.
On 13 December 2019, EU27 leaders reconfirmed their aim of establishing as close as possible a future relationship with the UK. They invited the Commission to submit to the Council a draft negotiating mandate for a future relationship with the UK immediately after its departure. 
The entry into force of the withdrawal agreement marked the end of the period under Article 50 TEU and the start of a transition period until 31 December 2020. During the transition period, the UK will continue to apply Union law but it will no longer be represented in the EU institutions.
Compliments of the European Commission