On 19 March 2020 the European Commission has adopted a Temporary Framework for State Aid measures to support the economy in the current COVID-19 outbreak. The Temporary Framework provides for five types of aid which can be granted by Member States: 

As part of the Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative (CRII), the European Commission proposal to mobilise €37 billion from EU Funds to support Member States in countering the COVID19 crisis as adopted by the European Union Council enters into force on 1 April 2020.  Please find more details here.

The European Commission has made available guidance on how to use all the flexibilities offered by the EU public procurement framework in the emergency situation caused by the coronavirus outbreak. The guidance outlines the options and flexibilities provided by the EU legislation and provides an overview of the choice of tendering procedures available to public buyers and applicable deadlines. 

The coronavirus outbreak has pushed many Member States to reintroduce border controls at internal borders on the grounds of an immediate threat to public policy. Member States must notify the Commission and the other Member States before taking action, specifying the reasons, scope and duration of the measures.

Businesses start counting huge losses due to the restrictions announced in the wake of the COVID-19 epidemic internationally. Large, medium-sized and small Lithuanian enterprises have already been hit by the crisis as well. If companies were hesitating to benefit from clustering so far, the situation caused by the quarantine illustrates the value of the network for the rapid flow of relevant information.

The role of clusters and ecosystems is recognized by France and Europe in the management of the health crisis: the new European policies (industry, SMEs in particular), mention them as essential actors.

Despite their confinement, cluster management teams are more active than ever. In response to the many European, national and regional requests made to them, they are taking action! And particularly on two essential fronts: the health emergency and the economic emergency.

The European Observatory for Clusters and Industrial Change has published the 2020 edition of the European Panorama of Clusters and Industrial Change.

In the context of the coronavirus outbreak, the European Commission has issued guidance for the production of:

1) masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE): 

https://ec.europa.eu/docsroom/documents/40521

2) leave-on hand cleaners and hand disinfectants:

https://ec.europa.eu/docsroom/documents/40523

3) 3D printing: 

We share with you the presentation made today by Ilaria Massari, General Manager REI - Reindustria Innovazione during one of the daily meetings of the group “European Alliance Against Coronavirus” organized by the European Clusters Alliance. Find out more about the Covid19 situation in Lombardy, where are the main bottlenecks, what are the public actions undertaken, examples of practices of other regions as well as about how the economic and R&I systems are helping and reacting in the attached presentation.