Council of the European Union General Secretariat THINK TANK REVIEW JUNE 2021 Council Library ISSUE 90 This Think Tank Review* covers articles and reports published in May relating to different political and policy topics. Looking ahead to a post-pandemic situation, the think tanks covered in this edition consider the impact of Covid-19 on the EU and beyond, important lessons learned and the role the EU can now play in ensuring economic as well as sustainable and equitable recovery. Several papers examine the costs and benefits of different rates of vaccination, how to safeguard against new variants and the role of the EU as one of the co-founders and first funder of COVAX, the international solidarity mechanism. Reflecting on the consequences of Covid-19 and the lessons learned, specific topics include: - the changing priorities and challenges faced by the EU with the pandemic as a driver for a green and digital Europe; - connecting different parts of the health and social care systems; - asymmetric effects on employment and on lower-skilled workers or EU transport workers; - restrictions on the freedom of movement and the proper functioning of the Schengen area; - education systems and the youth sector; - temporary fiscal measures and sovereign debt and financing; - conflicts in Africa. EU policy areas The articles look at the progress on the Commission's six priorities against the backdrop of the pandemic, the role of the Conference on the Future of Europe, the shift to right-wing majorities in many national governments, the need for clear and responsible European leadership and how foreign money is used to undermine democracy in the EU. Some papers also analyse the impacts of Covid-19 on specific areas of policy, such as agriculture, the news media sector, and social issues such as homelessness. Others look at how to make European industrial policy work, the framework for defining and accessing the Recovery and Resilience Plans, the ECB strategy and other possible ways of returning to sustainable growth in Europe, balancing economic need with societal demand for more inclusive growth. In the area of environmental policy, articles report on the climate governance systems in Europe, identify the challenges and policy recommendations for the implementation of the European Green Deal and consider the external dimensions of the Green Deal, including Emissions Trading Systems. Others look at how the EU's resources could be mobilised to support its climate ambitions, how area-based conservation can be a proactive tool for * This collection of abstracts and links was compiled by the Council Library of the General Secretariat of the EU Council for information purposes only. The content links are the sole responsibility of their authors. Publications linked from this review do not represent the positions, policies or opinions of the Council of the EU or the European Council. delivering Sustainable Development Goals and the dynamics in the EP on major issues relating to climate legislation. On EU funding, one paper evaluates the economic benefits of the European Regional Development Fund and the Cohesion Fund, whilst another outlines the 50 largest beneficiaries of the Cohesion Fund and CAP in each member state. In the area of Justice and Home Affairs, topics include: the situation of cross-border associations and NGOs; recommendations for amending the Europol Regulation; the impact of border geopolitics on Frontex; recommendations for EU policy and law making in criminal justice in the digital age; how migration policy should evolve to address to new realities. Several articles consider Artificial Intelligence, including the challenges for European policy- making; the potential for the EU to become a sovereign digital power; the idea of a US-EU Digital Council; and policy challenges of a digital economy. In the section on Foreign Affairs, topics range from NATO's strategic role and migration from Africa and the Middle East to the impact of Russia and Turkey as strategic partners and rivals, and security and defence policy, including the link between PESCO and the European Defence Fund. On Trade, papers consider EU relations with India, Turkey, China and the Southern Neighbourhood, as well as advancing human rights through trade. The TTR can be downloaded from Council's Library blog. TTR articles are available via Eureka, the resource discovery service of the Council Libraries. The Council Library is open to staff of the EU institutions and Permanent Representations of the member states. The general public may use the Library for research purposes. It is located in the Justus Lipsius building, at JL 02 GH, Rue de la Loi 175, 1048 Brussels. Contact: [email protected] TABLE OF CONTENTS SPECIAL FOCUS 5 COVID -19 5 SECTION 1 - EU POLITICS AND INSTITUTIONS 9 SECTION 2 - EU POLICIES 11 Agriculture / Fisheries 11 Competitiveness (Internal Market, Industry, Research and Space) 11 Economic and Financial Affairs 11 Education / Youth / Culture / Sport 12 Employment / Social Policy / Health and Consumer Affairs 13 Environmental Issues 13 General Affairs 15 Justice / Home Affairs 16 Transport / Telecommunications / Energy 17 SECTION 3 - FOREIGN AFFAIRS 19 Foreign and Security Policy / Defence 19 Trade 24 Africa 25 Asia-Oceania 26 Eastern Partnership 27 Latin America and the Caribbean 27 Middle East / North Africa (MENA) 28 Western Balkans 28 Russia 29 China 30 United Kingdom / Brexit 31 United States of America 32 SECTION 4 - EU MEMBER STATES 33 France 33 Germany 33 Italy 34 Netherlands 34 MISCELLANEOUS 35 4/35 SPECIAL FOCUS BARCELONA CENTRE FOR INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS ¿Cómo será la UE pospandemia? Diez retos para una Europa en busca de la recuperación by Pol Morillas @polmorillas The report maintains that the pandemic has SPECIAL FOCUS changed the geopolitical priorities and challenges for the European Union and that COVID -19 the way out of the health, socioeconomic and political crisis brought about by coronavirus INSTITUT DER DEUTSCHEN WIRTSCHAFT will also represent a step forward in the (IW, KÖLN) GERMAN ECONOMIC direction of a green and digital Europe. INSTITUTE However, according to the author, no Verschwörungsmythen besser verstehen : substantial changes are foreseen in the Hintergründe und Gegenmaßnahmen institutional arrangements or in the Union treaties after this crisis. (ES - 6 p.) by Dominik Enste @DominikEnste et al. PETERSON INSTITUTE FOR This analysis deals with the current INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS developments of conspiracy theories at the time of the Corona pandemic. The social Economic Costs and Benefits of threat of conspiracy narratives lies in the Accelerated COVID-19 Vaccinations social division due to different interpretations of reality, which then make a public by Joseph E. Gagnon et al. productive discourse impossible. Following the analysis of the underlying needs that The policy brief focuses on a quantitative make belief in conspiracy theories attractive, assessment of economic costs and benefits implications are given at the individual, of different rates of COVID-19 vaccination. It societal, and political levels that can function is based on US data but the approach may as countermeasures. (DE - 36 p.) be applied to other countries as well. Two illustrative scenarios support the conclusion that most plausible options to accelerate FRIENDS OF EUROPE vaccinations would have economic benefits that far exceed their costs, in addition to their EU Health Systems Postpandemic: more important accomplishment of saving Delivering Care to Patients at the Right lives. (16 p.) Place and Time by Geert Cami et al. JACQUES DELORS INSTITUTE (NOTRE EUROPE) According to the authors, COVID-19 highlighted the urgency of connecting Covax : L’Europe à l’épreuve de la solidarité different parts of health and social care vaccinale mondiale systems to provide coordinated and seamless care for citizens. This report is part by Isabelle Marchais @IMarchais of Friends of Europe health programme and has been drafted on the basis of a series of This report talks about the EU and Member working group meetings and discussions, States as one of the co-founders and the first which brought together a wide range of funder of COVAX, the international solidarity stakeholders from healthcare institutions, mechanism launched in April 2020 by the international organisations and industry to WHO, in collaboration with the Vaccine healthcare providers and patients. (28 p.) Alliance (Gavi) and the Coalition for Innovations in Epidemic Preparedness (CEPI). (FR - 12 p.) 5/35 SPECIAL FOCUS INSTITUT DE RELATIONS NEDERLANDS INSTITUUT VOOR INTERNATIONALES ET STRATÉGIQUES INTERNATIONALE BETREKKINGEN - (IRIS) CLINGENDAEL Asymmetric Effects of The Covid Pandemic Infectious Disease Outbreak on Cruise on the Employment (1): Collapse in Informal Ships Employment This report discusses the prevention and by Seyfettin Gürsel @SeyfettinGursel et al. responses to the outbreak of infectious diseases on international cruise ships and The report attempts to touch upon how the system of international cooperation asymmetric consequences in a series of and coordination could be improved in the research briefs. In the first one of these wake of the COVID-19 outbreak incidents briefs, the focus is on how the level of affecting cruise ships, such as the Diamond employment among the non-agricultural Princess, the Westerdam and the Costa salaried workers is affected across the Atlantica. (22 p.) formal-informal divide. In the second and third briefs, it investigates the