Snapshots of European solidarity
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.
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
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Austria
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Germany
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23 patients from the province of Liège in Belgium have been transferred to Germany for treatment. |
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Greece
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Italy
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Luxembourg
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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. |
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Poland
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Romania
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European solidarity in protecting health workers and citizens
EU
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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 rescEU reserve of medical equipment is completely financed by the EU budget. Germany and Romania were the first Member States to host the rescEU reserve, followed by Denmark, Greece, Hungary and Sweden in September. 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. Over 130,000 protective medical-grade masks and gowns were delivered to Montenegro and North Macedonia in October, on top of 520,000 masks already delivered so far from the rescEU reserve, as well as in-kind assistance provided to countries in need via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. Over 130,000 protective medical-grade masks and gowns were delivered to Montenegro and North Macedonia in October, on top of 520,000 masks already delivered so far from the rescEU reserve, as well as in-kind assistance provided to countries in need via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. On 22 October, the EU sent to Czechia a first batch of 30 ventilators from the common European stockpile of medical equipment, rescEU. Together with contributions from the Netherlands and Austria, Czechia’s request for 150 ventilators was fully answered. Following a request by France via EU Civil Protection Mechanism, two batches of 2 million surgical gloves offered by Norway were delivered in October and November. 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. |
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Latvia
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It offered 60,000 face masks to Lithuania, also under the Mechanism. |
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Austria
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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. |
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Czechia
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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. |
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Denmark
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Estonia
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France
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Germany
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Hungary
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Luxembourg
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Netherlands
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The Netherlands sent 105 ventilators to Czechia through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. |
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Poland
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Slovakia
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European solidarity in bringing people home*
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EU
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Many more intra-European flights, also outside the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, but chartered directly by Member States, are bringing citizens home daily. |
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Austria
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Belgium
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Czechia
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Denmark
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Finland
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France
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Germany
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Hungary
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Ireland
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Italy
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Latvia
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Lithuania
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Luxembourg
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Portugal
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Spain
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Sweden
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Croatia
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Croatia helped bring home citizens of 5 Member States. |
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Denmark
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Germany
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Support to 600 Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians to return home by ferry. |
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Hungary
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Lithuania
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Netherlands
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Poland
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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. |
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Portugal
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Slovakia
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*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 08/12/2020
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.
European solidarity in supporting asylum seekers
Since the coronavirus pandemic began, the Commission has supported Greece in protecting vulnerable people from contracting the virus and avoid a public health crisis in the refugee camps. The Commission, including through the staff present in Greece, continues to monitor the developments in the mainland and on the islands, and provides operational and financial support to the Greek authorities. The Commission is also committed to providing emergency support needed to mitigate the consequences of crisis situations, such as the fire in the Moria Reception and Identification Centre on the Island of Lesvos.
In line with the commitment of President von der Leyen during her visit to Greece at the beginning of March, €350 million were immediately made available to support 5 projects for migration management, under Emergency Assistance. These projects covered the continuation of assistance for reception capacity in mainland Greece and on its islands, by providing rental scheme accommodation and support.
Furthermore, immediate response was provided to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in the islands of the Aegean, where the Reception and Identification Centres are located. Assistance was further provided to protect and support activities for unaccompanied children. In particular, the Commission coordinates and finances the relocation of unaccompanied minors from Greece to other Member States.
Additional €350 million of financial assistance were made available in April 2020. The increased funding will support, amongst other things, increased reception capacity on the Greek islands, the provision of services and emergency items (e.g. food but also non-food items) in the camps, the provision of additional medical teams, increased assistance to the Greek Asylum Service, and the deployment of border guards and police officers at Greece’s external borders. The funding support also aims at helping Greece to prevent and slow down the potential spread of the coronavirus in the camps, including through the transfer of vulnerable people from camps to alternative accommodation.
Documents
Factsheet: Coronavirus - European Solidarity in action































