In light of the soaring humanitarian needs in Ukraine, Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarcic, visits Ukraine today to meet humanitarian organisations and high level Ukrainian government officials to help coordinate the EU’s crisis response on the ground. On the occasion, the EU today is allocating another €205 million in humanitarian assistance for Ukraine. This brings total EU humanitarian aid funding and the value of in-kind assistance to over €700 million in response to Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, of which €13 million is dedicated to projects in neighbouring Moldova. Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarcic said: “For more than 100 days, we have witnessed unnecessary suffering and countless violations of international humanitarian law. In this moment of crisis, our duty is to stand by the most vulnerable. We have swiftly responded by considerably scaling up our presence in Ukraine. With this funding our humanitarian partners are providing food, water, healthcare, shelter, protection and cash assistance. We are also working closely with the Ukrainian authorities to ensure the assistance provided by the EU Member States is aligned with the constantly evolving needs. Through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism we have delivered millions of life-saving supplies to Ukrainians, and we are committed to support Ukraine as long as it takes.” The press release is available online.
EU sets up €20 million support for Ukrainian start-ups through European Innovation Council
The European Commission has launched an ambitious €20 million action to support the Ukrainian innovation community. Through a targeted amendment of the 2022 European Innovation Council (EIC) work programme, the new initiative will support at least 200 Ukrainian deep tech start-ups with up to €60,000 each. In addition, the EIC will offer non-financial support, such as business advisory services and matchmaking. This will enhance the capacity of Ukrainian innovators to interact with the European innovation ecosystem, enter new markets and benefit from the European financing instruments.Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, said: “While fighting Russian military aggression it is vital for Ukraine to look forward. The country has a vivid start-up scene and great potential for innovative businesses. It is very important to preserve this economic capacity and enable Ukrainian tech innovators to grow and integrate further into the European innovation ecosystem. We want them to expand their operations to the European markets and beyond.” The initiative was presented today at a press point with Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Olha Stefanishyna, and EIC Board Member Taavi Madiberk (see the recording here). Before the Russian aggression, Ukraine had a fast growing tech ecosystem with over 1600 start-ups. The new action aims to safeguard this progress, reinforce links to European ecosystems, and ensure Ukrainian start-ups are well placed to help rebuild the economy after the war. In addition, following Ukraine’s ratification, the agreement associating Ukraine to the Horizon Europe and Euratom Research and Training Programmes entered into force today. The agreement was signed on 12 October 2021 on the occasion of the EU-Ukraine Summit. Now European and Ukrainian researchers and innovators, universities, businesses, including small and medium-sized ones (SMEs), have all the opportunities to work together on equal terms to reach joint goals and address critical challenges. This support is complementary to the ongoing ‘European Research Area for Ukraine’ (ERA4Ukraine), Horizon4Ukraine and ERC for Ukraine initiatives, as well as the dedicated fellowship scheme of €25 million under the Marie Sklodowska Curie Actions (MSCA) for displaced researchers of Ukraine. More information is available in this press release.
Strengthening mental health and psychosocial support for displaced people coming from Ukraine
The European Commission has signed a contribution agreement with a value of €7 million with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to provide mental health and psychosocial support to persons fleeing Ukraine. The agreement aims to support refugees who have experienced major mental health issues and psychological trauma by providing psychological first aid and assessment, as well as longer-term mental health and psychosocial support, in their own languages.The contract, financed by the EU4Health programme, covers action to strengthen the capacities of Red Cross staff and volunteers, first line responders and other professionals in five EU countries (Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, the Czech Republic) and will run for 24 months. Stella Kyriakides, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, said: “For over three months, millions of innocent people in Ukraine have been forced to flee their homes, and live through the scars and trauma of Russia’s barbaric war in Ukraine. People escaping shelling, living with war wounds, or worrying about their loved ones in conflict zones need specific psychological support as they start to rebuild their lives. With the invaluable support and expertise of the Red Cross and partner NGOs, we are committed to providing essential services to refugees arriving in the EU such as psychological first aid and referrals to specialised services where necessary, which will contribute significantly to the prevention and treatment of mental health challenges.”
EU facilitates increased exports for Moldovan agricultural products
More Moldovan plums, grapes and other agricultural products should soon be coming to European markets tariff-free. The European Commission has today proposed a regulation allowing for temporary improved market access for the remaining seven products from Moldova which are still subject to tariff rate quotas when entering the EU. This is a demonstration of EU’s solidarity designed to help Moldova deal with the loss of its main markets and transit hubs for these key agricultural products resulting from Russia’s unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, said: “Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified aggression is not only severely affecting the economy of Ukraine, but also that of its and our neighbours, in this case Moldova. Today’s decision, more than doubling seven quotas for key Moldovan agricultural exports, is a tangible sign of EU solidarity.” European Commission Executive Vice-President and Commissioner for Trade, Valdis Dombrovskis, said: “Moldova’s ability to trade with the world has been dealt a severe blow by Russia’s brutal and illegal war. By facilitating market access for key agricultural products, the EU is helping Moldova to redirect affected trade. This will directly help Moldovan producers, supporting the country’s economic resilience in current difficult circumstances. The EU is once again stepping up to support a European neighbour.” European Commissioner for Agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski, said: “I hope that this unprecedented measure will support Moldovan producers in alleviating some of the market pressures in the short-term. In the longer run, we encourage our Moldovan counterparts to invest in processing capacities and higher added-value production. Raising the quality of their products even further will help strengthen the position of Moldovan producers on the EU market. We stand ready to provide technical assistance in this respect.” The proposal now needs to be considered and agreed by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union. A full press release is available here.
European Commission and United States sign cooperation arrangement on preparedness and response to public health threats
Following the statement by President Ursula von der Leyen and U.S. President Joe Biden marking the second Global COVID-19 Summit, the European Commission and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services have signed an arrangement to strengthen cooperation on preparedness and response to public health threats. This will enable the Commission and the U.S. to work together on a broad range of topics to jointly tackle health emergencies, contributing to establishing a strong global health architecture. The transatlantic arrangement, signed on 19 May in Berlin, will be coordinated by the European Commission Health Emergency and Preparedness Response Authority (HERA) and the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety on the EU side and the Department of Health and Human Services on the U.S. side. As part of the arrangement, the European Commission and the U.S. will work together on epidemic and supply chain information, research and innovation, and production of medical countermeasures, including vaccines and therapeutics. The present administrative arrangement is a deliverable of the U.S.-EU Agenda for Beating the Global Pandemic, Vaccinating the World, Saving Lives Now, and Building Back Better Global Health Security.It is part of the joint actions announced in the 12 May statement reaffirming the Joint Agenda by President von der Leyen and President Biden on the occasion of the second global COVID-19 summit. It also complements the United States–European Commission Joint Statement on the launch of the joint COVID-19 Manufacturing and Supply Chain Taskforce.
Commissioner Kyriakides in Dublin to discuss ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic and implementation of the European Health Union
Tomorrow, Stella Kyriakides, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, will be in Dublin, Ireland, as part of the Commission’s efforts to provide support to Member States on the management of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the implementation of the European Health Union. The Commissioner will meet with Stephen Donnelly, Minister for Health of Ireland, to discuss Ireland’s approach to these key issues. The Commissioner will also visit the St James’ Hospital cancer centre together with Minister Donnelly. She will also deliver a speech to the EPP Women Congress 2022 on ‘The role of women in a strong European Health Union’. Ahead of the visit, Commissioner Kyriakides, said: “Building a strong European Health Union in close cooperation with our Member States will ensure that our health systems in the EU are better prepared to address our most pressing common challenges. This means providing them with the support they need to deliver on our key priorities in the area of health, such as the implementation of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, while also reinforcing our common preparedness for future health crises. The emergence of new threats such as cases of severe hepatitis of unknown origin in children, the spread of monkeypox in regions where it is not endemic, and the unfolding humanitarian tragedy of Russia’s brutal war in Ukraine, show us just how important this work is for our citizens”.
Source: Cyprus News Agency