Snapshots of European solidarity

Romanian medical staff, selected on a voluntary basis, operated in Lecco (Italy) for 14 days, under the aegis of the Civil Protection Mechanism of the European Union, in support of the Italian medical system.

The European Solidarity Tracker

The European Solidarity Tracker is an interactive data visualisation tool that visualises solidarity among EU member states and EU institutions. Drawing on publicly available sources collected by ECFR’s associate researchers and the Rethink: Europe team, the European Solidarity Tracker documents a dense network of mutual aid and cooperation across Europe and illustrates the critical role the EU has played throughout the coronavirus crisis.

EU Industry steps in to protect European citizens

European companies have quickly responded to the coronavirus crisis and have shown extraordinary solidarity to face the pandemic together to protect the health of the European citizens. Many companies across Europe retooled and revamped their production to meet the demand for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), disinfectants and medical devices. From distilleries to textile companies, the industry has put its knowhow at the service of the citizens to produce, for instance, masks, protective gowns, hand sanitizers and ventilators.

Over the last months, the Commission has taken actions in order to create the right conditions for industry to ramp up or retool production, including asking the European Standards Organisations to make standards for facemasks and other protective equipment freely available to all interested parties. In addition, in order to accelerate the approval of essential products and to help companies adapt their production lines, the Commission published guidance in the following areas: PPE, leave-on hand cleaners and hand disinfectants as well as 3D printing.

EU industry joins forces to help European citizens English Download Available languages (23) български (Промишлеността в EC обединява сили, за да помогне на европейските граждани) Download

español (El sector industrial de la UE aúna fuerzas para ayudar a los ciudadanos europeos) Download

čeština (Průmyslové podniky EU společnými silami pomáhají evropským občanům) Download

dansk (EU's erhvervsliv går sammen om at hjælpe de europæiske borgere) Download

Deutsch (EU-industrie hilft mit vereinten kräften den europäischen bürgerinnen und bürgern) Download

eesti (Eli tööstus ühendab jõud, et aidata Euroopa elanikke) Download

ελληνικά (Η βιομηχανία της ΕΕ ενώνει τις δυνάμεις της για να βοηθήσει τους Ευρωπαίους πολίτες) Download

français (L'industrie de l'UE unit ses forces pour aider les citoyens européens) Download

Gaeilge (Lucht tionsclaíochta an aontais ag teacht le chéile chun cuidiú le saoránaigh an aontais) Download

hrvatski (Industrija EU-a zajedničkim snagama pomaže europskim građanima) Download

italiano (L'industria dell'UE unisce le forze per aiutare i cittadini europei) Download

latviešu (Es pramonės įmonės sutelkia jėgas, kad padėtų europos piliečiams) Download

lietuvių (Es pramonės įmonės sutelkia jėgas, kad padėtų Europos piliečiams) Download

magyar (Egyesült erővel támogatja az uniós ipar az Európai polgárokat) Download

Malti (L-industrija tal-UE qed tingħaqad flimkien biex tgħin liċ-ċittadini ewropej) Download

Nederlands (Europese bedrijven samen aan de slag voor iedereen) Download

polski (Przemysł UE zwiera szeregi, aby pomóc obywatelom europy) Download

português (A indústria da UE une forças para ajudar os cidadãos europeus) Download

română (Întreprinderile din UE își unesc forțele pentru a-i ajuta pe cetățenii europeni) Download

slovenčina (Priemyselné podniky EÚ spoločne pomáhajú európskym občanom) Download

slovenščina (Industrija EU združila moči, da bi pomagala evropskim državljankam in državljanom) Download

suomi (EU:n teollisuus yhdistää voimansa auttaakseen kansalaisia) Download

svenska (Företagen i eu samarbetar för att hjälpa EU-medborgarna) Download

The information included in this interactive tool is based on publicly available sources. It presents a non-exhaustive list portraying a series of examples to showcase how EU industry has quickly responded to the coronavirus outbreak. If a company wishes to inform us of their story, please contact us at comm-spp-grow-defi@ec.europa.eu

European solidarity in treating patients

Austria 11 intensive care patients from Italy and 3 intensive care patients from France are being taken care of in Austrian hospitals. “Given the great drama of the situation, this is only a small contribution, but it is symbolically important that we support Europe,” a statement released by the Austrian authorities said. Germany Cities and states across Germany are treating critically ill patients from Italy, France and the Netherlands, making their own intensive care capacities available for these patients.

For Italy, 85 intensive care beds have been reserved in 10 German federal states with 44 Italian patients already transferred to Germany.

For France, 98 intensive care beds have been reserved in 10 federal states with 130 French patients already transferred to Germany.

46 patients from the Netherlands have been transferred to Germany for the treatment.

Planes and helicopters operated by the German Airforce picked up intensive care patients for treatment in Germany. Medical staff from the University clinic Jena are supporting a clinic near Naples, Campania. Greece EU will allow to test citizens at their homes. Italy Luxembourg Seven French intensive care patients from Mulhouse, France, were airlifted on 25 March and are being treated in Luxembourg. Another 4 have arrived from Thionville. Luxembourg Air Rescue repatriated six more patients who come from the Grand-Est region in France and were treated in intensive care in the Grand Duchy and in Germany. 5 French patients remain in intensive care in Luxembourg. Ambulance jets and two helicopters of the Luxembourg Air Rescue were integrated into the French Urgent Medical Aid Service. They have flown French intensive care patients to Hamburg and Dresden, Germany. Poland The Polish Centre for International Aid is sending a dedicated team of 15 Polish doctors and paramedics, certified by the WHO, to a field hospital in Brescia, Lombardy, one of the most affected areas in Italy Romania Doctors and nurses from Romania and Norway, the latter part of the EU Medical Corps, dispatched to Bergamo and Milan. Their deployment has been co-financed under the Union Civil Protection Mechanism and coordinated by the EU Emergency Response Coordination Centre.

European solidarity in protecting health workers and citizens

EU

As of 7 May, the European Commission started delivering1.5 million masks to 17 Member States and the UK to protect EU healthcare workers. This is the first batch of 10 million masks purchased by the Commission via the Emergency Support Instrument. They will be delivered over next six weeks in weekly instalments of 1.5 million masks to the Member States and regions in need. Following previous deliveries of some 330,000 protective masks to Italy, Spain and Croatia, more batches of protective masks were delivered to Lithuania, (20,000), North Macedonia (10,000) and Montenegro (10,000) under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. The masks came from the strategic rescEU reserve, hosted in distribution centres in Romania and Germany. The rescEU reserve of medical equipment is completely financed by the EU budget. On 18 June, a pilot operation has successfully delivered over seven tonnes of personal protective equipment to Bulgaria. The cargo includes over 500,000 protective masks, purchased by Bulgaria with transport costs covered by the EU. On the 7 July, the EU delivered 65,000 additional masks to Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia already delivered via the strategic rescEU reserve. In the first week of August, more batches of protective masks were distributed to Croatia, Montenegro and North Macedonia from the common rescEU reserve. The EU Civil Protection Mechanism then also coordinated the deployment of an Italian Emergency Medical Team of six medical experts to Azerbaijan to support local health authorities in the fight against the coronavirus. So far, the EU Civil Protection Mechanism has responded to 25 requests throughout the pandemic and provided personal protective equipment, medicines and health experts. Latvia Latvia provided 478,500 masks to Estonia under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. It offered 60,000 face masks to Lithuania, also under the Mechanism. Austria Austria transported 1.5 million masks to Italy. Austria has delivered over 3,360 liters of medical disinfectant to Italy via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. Austria is sending gloves and disinfectant to Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Moldova and Albania via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. North Macedonia has received shelter and sanitary items, and Serbia received blankets, mattresses and tents for migrants in the country via the Mechanism. Austria also sent 181 living containers which can be used as shelters or mobile healthcare facilities at the disposal of Greek authorities for migrant camps in Greece Czechia Italy and another 10,000 to Spain.

Czechia has also sent shelter, sanitary and non-food items to Greece for refugees and migrants at risk of coronavirus through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. Denmark Denmark is sending customised containers for shelter and medical care to Greece for refugees and migrants at risk of coronavirus through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. It also offered medical ventilators to Italy and protective equipment to Georgia. Estonia North Macedonia, Montenegro and Georgia through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. France France has donated 1 million masks to Italy and 20,000 protective suits. France is also sending customised containers for shelter and medical care to Greece for refugees and migrants at risk of coronavirus through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. Germany Italy, including ventilators and anaesthetic masks. It has also delivered 50 ventilators to Spain and 25 to France. Hungary Hungary has delivered more than 1,700,000 masks, 200,000 gloves and several other equipment to amongst others Croatia, Slovenia, Romania, Slovakia, Italy, Serbia, North-Macedonia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro. Luxembourg Luxembourg delivered 1.440 kg of material to Spain to make individual protection suits for its medical staff; it also facilitated the delivery of 100t of medical equipment from China to Lithuania. Netherlands The Netherlands is sending customised containers for shelter and medical care to Greece for refugees and migrants at risk of coronavirus through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. Poland Slovakia

European solidarity in bringing people home*

EU

77,000 stranded EU citizens have been brought home so far. One in three passengers repatriated were European citizens from a different nationality than the country organising the repatriation flight.

Many more intra-European flights, also outside the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, but chartered directly by Member States, are bringing citizens home daily. Austria Belgium Czechia Denmark Denmark has brought back citizens of other EU countries on a flight from Mali, also carrying humanitarian aid on the outbound flight. Finland France Germany Hungary Ireland Italy Latvia Lithuania Lithuania has brought home citizens of 8 EU countries Luxembourg Portugal

Portugal has brought home hundreds of citizens of 17 EU countries. Spain Spain has brought home more than 600 European citizens of 19 EU countries. Sweden Sweden has brought home citizens of 15 EU countries

Many more EU citizens have been repatriated by European flights also outside the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. For example:

Croatia Denmark

Germany Hungary

Lithuania

Netherlands

Poland Polish LOT airlines has helped repatriating citizens from 18 EU countries. Poland offered citizens of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania ferries and dedicated trains to ensure their safe journey home. Poland also organised 18 convoys of over 800 vehicles, escorted by the Polish Police, to help more than 2.000 citizens of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to return home safely. Portugal

Portugal helped bring home hundreds of citizens of 15 EU countries. Slovakia



*19 EU Member States used the Union Civil Protection Mechanism in their repatriation efforts. Bilateral solidarity efforts in bringing citizens home are included where these have been expressly flagged to the Commission.

Got a solidarity example and visuals? Send them to COMM-EU-SOLIDARITY@ec.europa.eu

Updated 26/06/2020

Disclaimer: The examples in this page are not exhaustive. The figures are based on the most recent available sources from EU Member States via the Common Emergency Communication and Information System (CECIS). While the Commission seeks to keep the information up to date, we take no responsibility of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness and accuracy of the information contained in the page.

Documents

Factsheet: Coronavirus - European Solidarity in action