14 May 2020 h 10:00-13:00 and 15 May 2020 h 10:00-13:00
The academic staff of the Jean Monnet Module Solidarity in European Union Law is happy to announce two SoEULaw lectures on “Solidarity in EU Law in Times of COVID-19”.
Solidarity in EU Law in Times of COVID-19 – Prof. Estelle Brosset
The course will consider the variety of reactions generated by the COVID-19 pandemic within the framework of the European Union and from the point of view of European integration: such reactions inevitably raise questions about the existence, substance and extent of European solidarity.
It will be highlighted that, after an initial inaction, the European Union has adopted about 60 texts: some of them allow the Member States to derogate from EU law, and especially from the free movement of persons and goods; others, instead, impose cooperation among the States.
In particular, the lectures will focus on aspects such as the reintroduction of internal border controls, the activation of the general safeguard clause of the Stability and Growth Pact, the activation of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism and the extension of the scope of the EU Solidarity Fund (which had been established in 2002 in reaction to the severe floods in Central Europe).
The course will also deal with directly health-related measures such as the public procurement of medical and protective equipment, the adoption of Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2020/414 of 19 March 2020 concerning medical stockpiling rescEU capacities, the funding of research projects (such as the one carried on by the biopharmaceutical company CureVac, which is close to developing a vaccine against the coronavirus), the establishment of an advisory panel on coronavirus composed of 7 expert epidemiologists and virologists and the adoption of Regulation (EU) 2020/561 of 23 April 2020 concerning medical devices.
It will be concluded that, even if the primary competence for health matters remains with the Member States, the EU was able to undertake important actions which are expression of European solidarity. As hoped by the President of the European Council Charles Michel, the EU was able to work with the existing means in order to save lives and limit the economic and social impact of the crisis.
Estelle Brosset is Full Professor at the Center of International and Community Research (CERIC) and Associate Dean at the Faculty of Law University of Aix Marseille (France). She is Co-Director of the postgraduate Diploma in “Advanced International and European Law” (since 2013). She is member of the Research Group on International, Comparative and European Law. She was the coordinator of a Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence held at the University of Aix Marseille (2016-2019) and she was also the coordinator of the Jean Monnet Chair in ‘European Law and Healthcare’ (2012-2015).
Prof. Estelle Brosset – Solidarity in EU Law in Times of COVID-19
Prof.ssa Estelle Brosset – La solidarietà nel diritto dell’UE ai tempi del COVID-19