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Russian medical specialists have been filmed disinfecting a nursing home in one of the worst-hit areas of Italy's coronavirus pandemic crisis. Incredible video footage released by the Russian Ministry of Defence showed the Russian team working alongside Italians to disinfect the home for Italian old-age pensioners. This has exposed the EU's failure to help one of its own member-states which has become the hardest-hit country from the coronavirus outbreak.

Vladimir Putin agreed to send aid to Italy after speaking with Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte.

Soon afterwards, military planeloads of medical equipment including 600 ventilators, military virologists, and epidemiologists landed in Italy.

This contrasts with the silence and infighting from the European Union, which has failed to agree on a joint economic response to the crisis.

Last week, Germany, the Netherlands and Austria all rejected Italy's pleas for so-called "corona-bonds" as a way to cushion the economic blow of the pandemic.

George Galloway has condemned the EU for its inaction to help embattled Italy.

The former Labour MP said:"A non-socialist country is now receiving an influx of health workers from socialist Cuba, whose were supposed to hate. Whom the West has quarantined this past half-century or more.

"Russia, which may well be on the brink of a major coronavirus crisis itself, is sending its doctors and its medicines to Italy.

"Where is the European Union?"

Despite these denials, the EUs foreign policy chief Josep Borrell warned of a struggle for influence through spinning and the politics of generosity.

Senior EU diplomats claim the Russian assistance is a geopolitical move to extend Russian influence.

France and Germany were criticised by Italians after declining their request for medical masks and equipment during the initial outbreak.

Over the weekend, French President Emmanuel Macron warned Italy not to get "intoxicated" with Russian aid.

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Russian experts wipe out COVID-19 in Italian care home as EU stands by and does nothing - Express.co.uk

The number of people infected with the coronavirus is increasing daily across Europe. The top political priority must be to take targeted measures to slow down infections, in order to protect high-risk groups and avoid overburdening health systems, write Anna Cavazzini and Petra de Sutter.

Anna Cavazzini and Petra de Sutter are MEPs for the Greens Group. Petra de Sutter is the chair of the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection.

With solidarity between member states and a functioning internal market, we can guarantee that people are provided with the care they need, where it is most needed.

Europe will decide whether it stands together in solidarity. The European Union can now show its ability to better meet challenges as one, instead of when each acts alone.

The virus is not stopping at member states borders, nor do individual member states have the power to cope with this extraordinary European and global situation.

We must not reflexively relapse into a nation-state way of thinking and acting. We must remember existing common rules and solutions, develop them further, in line with the situation, and make use of the benefit of joint action.

The internal market is a key instrument to implement European solutions efficiently and show solidarity. While some member states have a strong position in the production of medical or pharmaceutical products, others rely on imports from their European neighbours.

The added value of the common market is that it ensures the supply of vital goods to people, and guarantees the independence of the EU, especially in times of crisis. It is precisely when European solidarity is called for that the fundamental freedoms of the internal market must not be undermined, but should be adapted to the situation.

Unfortunately, national measures in some member states do not at present follow the basic idea that the internal market and a common coordinated approach at European level bring added value for all.

When several countries restrict the export of life-saving medical goods such as respirators, protective clothing or gloves, European solidarity ends when it is most needed. If accession candidates such as Serbia are denied solidarity assistance from EU states, confidence in the European enlargement process is weakened.

The partial or total closure of borders in some member states does not contribute to effective control of the coronavirus either. Instead, tens of thousands of citizens from Baltic States have been stranded at the Polish-German border.

Temporary border controls in the Schengen area are legal for public health reasons, but unfortunately, all member states are now affected by the virus. In this respect, attempt to keep the virus out are not likely to succeed.

Green proposals for the European single market

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Strengthening EU cohesion with European responses to corona crisis - EURACTIV

Originally published on the blog by High Representative/Vice President Borrell.

A very difficult week lies behind all of us, with the Coronavirus pandemic and its global consequences dominating the headlines and our thoughts. These developments also overshadowed an important decision that did not receive the attention deserved. In the midst of the Coronavirus crisis, the European Union decided to open accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania. This is good news for the two countries, the Western Balkans and for all of Europe.

By making this important decision in such trying times, the EU moved forward on a truly important policy matter and it sent an important signal and clear message to the Western Balkans: the European Union is not complete without the Western Balkans. The EU proved to be united on one of its priority policies and did so while addressing a global crisis. The decision is indeed a beam of light in this darkness all around, as my esteemed colleague and Foreign Minister of North Macedonia, Nikola Dimitrov said, commenting the decision to open the accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania.

We have asked a lot from both countries, and they fulfilled it. Now, the EU also made the right step on its side. It is an encouraging message that hard work and real leadership on both sides leads to results.

In the same vein, I want to congratulate North Macedonia for becoming the 30th Member of NATO this week. This is an important step, further consolidating European and transatlantic security. I look forward to working closely together now also in the framework of EU-NATO cooperation.

With the start of the accession negotiations, a lot of work now lies ahead of us and the opening of accession talks was just a first step of an intense process. Profound social, political and economic reforms need to happen before the step to full membership. These transformations naturally take time and require efforts, but what is important is that the beam of light for two additional countries should also encourage the rest of the region to do what is needed and follow the path of reforms. For the benefit of the Western Balkans citizens.

In times like these, when we are all fighting an unseen crisis and its consequences, we have to demonstrate what European and global solidarity really means. Solidarity cannot be just a word that we use without any kind of commitment. Solidarity has to be proven by actions. Within the EU, Member States are showing solidarity as some of them are receiving patients from overburdened hospitals in other Member States, as well as sharing personal protective equipment between themselves. Joint work is also ongoing, to ensure repatriation of citizens stranded around the world. And we are not forgetting the people in the Western Balkans.

The EU announced this week a package of bilateral financial assistance to all six partners in the region. We will provide up to 38 million of immediate assistance to deal with the COVID19 related emergency. This money buys respirators, masks and other medical equipment, it pays for flights bringing aid and covers the immediate needs of people. In addition, the EU decided to support the region by reallocating 374 million for the social and economic recovery of the region, once the emergency is over.This means saving jobs, businesses, social benefits, it means allowing people to continue with their lives once we overcome this pandemic.

Let me give you the concrete details of the EUs immediate support to the health sectors of the individual Western Balkan countries and the support for the social and economic recovery:

The Western Balkans can count on the solidarity of the EU. And not only in times of crisis. The EU is the main donor, investor and trade partner of the Western Balkans. Since 2014, the EU granted over 1 billion in support to the people of the Western Balkans. These are important facts that demonstrate the EUs involvement in the region and its efforts to combat the virus inside the EU and abroad, including in the Western Balkans.

This is a time to get serious on solidarity and cooperation. We need to work hand-in-hand, in solidarity, supporting each other, as nobody is able to deal with the current situation alone.

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Accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia and the EU's commitment to the Western Balkans - European Western Balkans

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Case C-125/18, "Marc Gomez del Moral Guasch vs. BankiaSA" concerns a request to the European Court of Justice(the "ECJ") for a preliminary ruling from Juzgado dePrimera Instancia No 38 de Barcelona (Court of First InstanceNo. 38, Barcelona, Spain) in relation to the fairness or otherwiseof a contractual term governing the variable ordinary andremunerative interest rate in a mortgage loan agreement.

Under the agreement in question, the interest rate payable by MrGomez del Moral Guasch was to vary according to the reference indexbased on the mortgage loans granted by the Spanish savings banks,which index is provided for by Spanish law. The indexing of thevariable interest rates calculated on the basis of the referenceindex was less favourable than that calculated on the basis of theaverage Euro Interbank Offered Rate (Euribor) and, thus, Mr Gomezdel Moral Guasch argued that a term in a mortgage loan agreementstating that the interest is to vary according to the referenceindex provided under Spanish law was unfair.

The Spanish Court referred three questions to the ECJ:

The Court noted that article 1(2) of the Directive excludes fromits scope contractual terms that reflect mandatory statutory orregulatory provisions. However, the Court observed that thenational legislation applicable in the present case did notrequire, for variable-interest-rate loans, the mandatory use of anofficial reference index, but merely established the conditions tobe satisfied by 'the reference indices or rates' in orderfor them to be used by credit institutions. Therefore, the Courtconcluded that where national legislation does not provide eitherfor the mandatory application of an interest rate based on areference index or for the supplementary application thereof, inthe absence of any other arrangement between the parties to thecontract, a contractual term in a mortgage loan agreement statingthat the interest payable by the customer shall vary according tothat reference index is considered an unfair contractual term interms of the Directive.

Article 4(2) of the Directive provides that the"assessment of the unfair nature of the terms is not torelate, inter alia, to the definition of the main subject matter ofthe contract, in so far as the terms are in plain, intelligiblelanguage". The Court concluded that although thisprovision of the Directive was not transposed into Spanish law; (i)contractual terms must always satisfy the requirement of plain andintelligible drafting; and (ii) national courts are always requiredto verify that a contractual term relating to the main subjectmatter of a contract is plain and intelligible regardless ofwhether or not the Member State concerned transposed article 4(2)of the Directive into national legislation.

Furthermore, the Court concluded that in order to satisfy therequirement of plain and intelligible drafting, a contractual termsetting a variable interest rate in a mortgage loan agreement mustnot only be formally and grammatically intelligible but must alsoenable an average consumer, who is reasonably well-informed,observant and circumspect, to be in a position to understand thespecific functioning of the method used for calculating that rateso as to enable the consumer to understand the potentiallysignificant economic consequences of such a term on his or herfinancial obligations.

The Court observed that articles 6(1) and 7(1) of the Directivedo not preclude a national court from removing an unfair term froma contract and replacing it with a supplementary provision undernational law. Therefore, the Court concluded that if it is foundthat the term at issue is unfair, the Spanish Court may, in orderto protect the consumer from unfavourable consequences liable toarise from the annulment of the loan agreement, replace that unfairindex with a supplementary index provided for by Spanish law.

The key takeaways from this ruling which is likely tocause a number of lending institutions to review and re-think thedrafting of any credit agreements falling within the scope of theDirective - are the following:

(1) Where a provision in a consumer contract is made in terms ofnational law and does not constitute a mandatory statutoryprovision, it may still be considered to be unfair and will notfall within the exception provided under article 1(2) of theDirective;

(2) Contract terms must always be drafted in plain andintelligible language and national courts will always be in aposition to verify whether this requirement was satisfied,regardless of the manner in which the Directive was transposed intonational law;

(3) National courts may, subject to the principles of contractlaw, prevent the continued use of an unfair contract term andreplace it with a supplementary provision of national law in caseswhere the unfair term leads to nullity of the contract andpotential adverse consequences in respect of the consumer.

The content of this article is intended to provide a generalguide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be soughtabout your specific circumstances.

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On 22 December 2017, the Grand Ducal Regulation of 21 December 2017 relating to the fees to be levied by the CSSF which repeals the Grand Ducal Regulation of 28 October 2013 was published in the Mmorial A.

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The Court Of Justice Of The European Union Gives Preliminary Ruling On Unfair Terms In A Mortgage Loan Agreement - Finance and Banking - European...

The coronavirus pandemic has already claimed thousands of lives and triggered a global recession, but also opened up not-quite healed wounds between members of the European Union.

Italy, the hardest-hit EU country, wants massive help from Brussels to keep its economy afloat. Specifically, Italian Prime Minister Guiseppe Conte is pushing for a joint borrowing system that would allow poorer EU nations to take out cheap loans with the richer members guaranteeing the funds would be returned. Several other countries, including Spain, Portugaland Greece have also signaled their support for the scheme.

Speaking to Il Sole 24 Ore newspaper, Conte called for the EU to take immediate action, otherwise the coming generations could be forced to bear the "immense cost of a destroyed economy," he warned.

"If Europe does not rise to this unprecedented challenge, there is a danger that the European house loses its foundations before the eyes of our citizens," Conte told the daily.

Read more:Coronavirus and the EU: The nation versus the union?

'Hard' clash between Conte and Merkel

However, member states including Germany and the Netherlands have already bluntly refused the so-called "corona bonds" scheme. The issue prompted a row at the Thursday video conference which included Conte and other top EU leaders.

According to the Italian prime minister, he and Germany's Angela Merkel had "not just a disagreement but a hard and frank confrontation" during the talks. Eventually, Conte rejected the pledge proposed by other EU leaders, saying that it did not go far enough, and publicly gave the EU a 10-day deadline to come up with an alternative solution.

The idea of an EU borrowing scheme was already floated and dismissed in the years following the 2008 market crash, and remains an emotionally charged issue. In 2012, the head of Germany's central bank Jens Weidmann summed up how many German leaders and bankers feel about it.

"One does not just trust someone else with their credit card when you don't have the option of controlling their expenses," Weidmann told Le Monde at the time.

Read more:Coronavirus: What are the lockdown measures across Europe?

'Crossing a Rubicon'

Following the Thursday conference,Merkel said she was not in favor of the corona bonds solution. Instead, the German leader recommended using the European Stability Mechanism, the EU agency that was deployed to assist Greece's lengthy economic recovery.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte went a step further, saying that a system to share debt would mean "crossing a Rubicon" for the eurozone.

"We are against it, but it's not just us, and I cannot foresee any circumstances in which we would change that position," he told reporters.

In turn, Portugal's Prime Minister Antonio Costa slammed Rutte's comments.

"This type of response is completely ignorant and this recurring pettiness completely undermines what makes up the spirit of the European Union," he was quoted by the AFP news agency as saying.

Activity on the bustling streets of Paris came to a complete halt after France announced a nationwide lockdown last Tuesday. People are not allowed to leave their homes, unless it is for a sanctioned reason such as buying food, visiting a doctor or going to work. The mayor of Paris, however, has called for stricter confinement measures as the number of infections increases worldwide.

Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday announced tightened restrictions on movement in Germany. The nine-point plan includes no public gatherings of more than two people, keeping 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) distance between people at all times and the closure of restaurants. Later on Sunday, Merkel went into quarantine after being told she'd come into contact with a doctor who tested positive for COVID-19.

In addition to limiting movement domestically, Germany has tightened restrictions on foreigners entering the country. As a result, traffic at the country's busiest airport, in Frankfurt, has seen a significant drop.

The southern state of Bavaria imposed a statewide lockdown late last week to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Under the measures that will be in force for at least two weeks, people are not allowed to gather outside in groups and restaurants have been closed.

The United Kingdom has closed all bars, pubs and restaurants to combat the threat of coronavirus. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has urged all citizens to avoid all nonessential travel and contact with other people indefinitely.

In recent weeks, the epicenter of the global coronavirus pandemic has shifted from China to Italy. The country has seen an exponentional increase in infections and deaths. Italy has been on a nationwide lockdown since March 10.

While an overwhelming number of coronavirus cases have been recorded in Italy's northern Lombardy region, Rome and Vatican City have also been forced to severely curb public gatherings. Popular tourist sites such as St. Peter's Square have been closed.

The Spanish government on Sunday sought to extend the country's state of emergency until April 11, close to a month after it was first imposed on March 14. Spain currently has the second-highest number of coronavirus cases in Europe, with Barcelona and Madrid particularly hard-hit.

Austria reported a 15% rise in confirmed coronavirus cases over the weekend, far lower than its peak rate of 40%. The decrease comes after the government imposed drastic social distancing measures across the country. Authorities in Vienna, however, aim to bring the rate down to single digits over the next three weeks.

Author: Seerat Chabba

Macron, Steinmeier want solidarity

French President Emmanuel Macron also added to the pressure on Berlin and other opposing countries.

"We won't overcome this crisis without strong European solidarity, in terms of health and budgets," Macron said in a joint interview with Italy's Corriere de la Serra, La Stampaand La Repubblica.

"This could involve a capacity to assume common debt whatever it is called or an increase in the EU budget to provide real support for the worst-hit countries."

The pressure on Merkel's government might also be mounting from the inside, after German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier also called for joining forces across the bloc.

Read more:How coronavirus challenges open democracies

"We must look beyond the next border fence," Steinmeier said in a video posted on social media on Thursday. "The virus has no nationality, and suffering does not stop at borders."

He praised German hospitals for treating Italian and French patients and added that he would like to see "more such concrete solidarity in the European spirit."

Healthy Italian firms 'need to be saved'

Separately, Merkel's long-time ally and former defense minister of Germany, Ursula von der Leyen, did not exclude the possibility of "corona bonds" from her current post as the head of the EU Commission.

"The word corona bond is actually just a buzzword," she told Germany's dpa news agency on Saturday, adding that reservations in Germany and other countries were "justified."

At the same time, the EU's goal "has always been to bring us together economically," von der Leyen said.

"Italy stands in this coronavirus crisis through no fault of its own, the crisis that has hit the country right through its industrial heart, the medium-sized businesses in the north," she added. "These healthy companies need to be saved."

When asked directly on her expectations regarding the scheme, von der Leyen noted that EU officials are working on developing a policy proposal that would be presented to EU states' leaders in the next 14 days.

"One should wait this out," she said.

To many, the ongoing squabbles and lackluster pledges of help sound like a recipe to repeat the eurozone crisis which only faded away after years of conflict with the European bloc. It is far from certain, however, that the EU would be able to push through another crisis of this magnitude.

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Originally posted here:
Coronavirus shakes foundations of the European Union - DW (English)