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BRUSSELS — The European Union’s decision-making process is being sorely tested by video conferencing during the coronavirus pandemic, EU officials say, with one calling it a “catastrophe.”

A virtual meeting of EU foreign ministers on Monday was punctuated by technical problems, speakers who were unsure if they could be heard and a lack of translators.

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“These video conferences don’t work very well, there are tech problems and the ‘Hello, can you hear me?’ interruptions,” said a senior diplomat present at Monday’s video link. “So people read out their prepared notes mostly. There is little scope for actual negotiations.”

Strong coordination among the EU’s 27 member states is vital. But lockdowns and travel bans have made it harder than usual for the EU, and many organizations are unable to bring representatives together in person for meetings.

“In the video conferences, it’s a catastrophe, the images are lost, the voices are lost,” the EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, who has participated in virtual talks with Asian and European ministers, told reporters on Friday.