The coronavirus has taken a heavy toll on our lives, our economies, our societies but also on electoral processes around the world, with many elections being postponed in order to protect citizens’ health. But this involves a delicate balancing act between ensuring the democratic right to vote and a government’s responsibility to protect public health. So, what can we learn from experience?

EPRS policy podcast - Impact of the pandemic on elections around the world: From safety concerns to political crises

Demography matters… it matters for the economy, for the labour market, for healthcare and pensions, even for election results! But future demographic trends in the EU are not encouraging… No, they’re not! A number of demographic challenges, such as a declining birth rate, an ageing population, and depopulation of some of its regions, threaten the future demographic stability of the continent. So, what are the EU and its member states doing about it?

EPRS policy podcast - Demography on the European agenda: Strategies for tackling demographic decline

The coronavirus pandemic forced most of the world’s population into lockdown… But thanks to digital technologies, we were mostly able to keep on working, studying, shopping and chatting with our loved ones without leaving our homes! But the crisis has also highlighted some painful truths about our digital world…

EPRS policy podcast - How digital technology is easing the burden of confinement

The coronavirus crisis has made life even more difficult for the most deprived people in our society… To protect them, as well the workers and volunteers delivering aid to them, and ensure no one falls through the net, the EU has had to take some exceptional measures…

EPRS policy podcast - Impact of coronavirus on EU aid to the most deprived

The shock caused by the coronavirus pandemic affects everyone. However, there are big differences in the extent of the harm caused, and the long-term development of the pandemic and associated crises are highly uncertain.

Inequalities have been on the rise, particularly in case of certain vulnerable groups, those who remained all the time at work, but often had low income: health workers, grocery store workers, delivery workers, Amazon factory workers, or street cleaners, among others. Lower income individuals run greater health risks, and many of them are women.

Not all work is suited to transition to teleworking. This is particularly the case for precarious workers. Other factors have also contributed to the increase of social divides across generations and regions. Beside the closure of businesses, school closures have put enormous pressure on families. Aspects of this situation may cause lifelong harm, such in the case of the youngest children who might never recuperate the benefits for their personal development and social integration, school children who miss the opportunity to learn foundational lifelong skills, and those secondary school students who were about to take their exams.

The pandemic has also deeply affected quality of life, including mental wellbeing, trust and employment prospects. Finally, many households have been facing the prospect of falling into poverty due to a drop in their income linked to the coronavirus crisis and their limited resources to cope with the financial shocks.

Concrete measures the EU took to support the economic recovery are: the EU's recovery plan, Next Generation EU, SURE: temporary support for workers, amendments to the EU budget to address urgent issues,re-direction of EU funds to help member states most in need, support to most affected sectors

Coronavirus outbreak: impact on social life (2020)

The shock caused by the coronavirus pandemic affects everyone. However, there are big differences in the extent of the harm caused, and the long-term development of the pandemic and associated crises are highly uncertain.

Inequalities have been on the rise, particularly in case of certain vulnerable groups, those who remained all the time at work, but often had low income: health workers, grocery store workers, delivery workers, Amazon factory workers, or street cleaners, among others. Lower income individuals run greater health risks, and many of them are women.

Not all work is suited to transition to teleworking. This is particularly the case for precarious workers. Other factors have also contributed to the increase of social divides across generations and regions. Beside the closure of businesses, school closures have put enormous pressure on families. Aspects of this situation may cause lifelong harm, such in the case of the youngest children who might never recuperate the benefits for their personal development and social integration, school children who miss the opportunity to learn foundational lifelong skills, and those secondary school students who were about to take their exams.

The pandemic has also deeply affected quality of life, including mental wellbeing, trust and employment prospects. Finally, many households have been facing the prospect of falling into poverty due to a drop in their income linked to the coronavirus crisis and their limited resources to cope with the financial shocks.

Concrete measures the EU took to support the economic recovery are: the EU's recovery plan, Next Generation EU, SURE: temporary support for workers, amendments to the EU budget to address urgent issues,re-direction of EU funds to help member states most in need, support to most affected sectors.

Coronavirus outbreak: impact on social life

The EU first unified the summer-time arrangements in 1980, in order to ensure a harmonised approach to time switching within the single market, as until then, national summer-time practices and schedules were diverging. The current summer-time arrangements directive requires Member States to switch to summer-time on the last Sunday of March and back to standard time (informally known as winter-time) on the last Sunday of October. MEPs voted to end the practice of adjusting clocks by an hour in spring and autumn from 2021 on 26/03/2019

The system of bi-annual clock changes has been increasingly questioned, by citizens, by the European Parliament, and by a growing number of Member States. The Commission has, therefore, analysed available evidence, which points to the importance of having harmonised rules in this area to ensure a proper functioning of the internal market. This is also supported by the European Parliament as well as other actors. In February 2020, the TRAN Committee designated Johan Danielsson (S&D, Sweden) as rapporteur.

Seasonal time change

Demographic change can pose a major challenge for the EU. Regions with a rapidly shrinking population are affected by a severe gap in the provision of social services (healthcare, cultural), physical (transport) and ICT connectivity, education and labour opportunities.

Depopulated regions are often low-income rural or post-industrial areas, with fewer job opportunities. The exodus of younger, skilled workers has further affected ageing, generation renewal and agricultural development. The economic crisis of 2008 led to young educated professionals from Southern and Eastern Europe moving to North-Western Europe. The Covid-19 crisis is likely to encourage this trend. Reduced economic activity and unemployment are expected to generate a new wave of migration by young people both within and between EU countries.

The European Parliament wants the demographic challenge to be a priority for the EU, alongside climate issues and the digital transition. A coordinated approach - integrating the principles of sustainability, greening and digitalisation across different EU policies - would also contribute to reversing negative demographic trends.

Demography in the EU

EP plenary session.- Decent and affordable housing for all

EP plenary session.- FEAD: specific measures to address the COVID-19 crisis

EP plenary session- FEAD: specific measures to address the COVID-19 crisis

EP plenary session- Social and employment crisis in the COVID-19 pandemic and the EU's response in the Recovery Plan and the MFF

A tourist centre is closed in Lisbon downtown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A person uses the free Czech Covid-10 tracker eRouška app on his mobile phone in Prague. With the help of Bluetooth the application detects in a totally anonymous way the other users of the application with whom you have been in close contact and can warn you if you have met an infected person and should consider a quarantine volunteer or consult a health care professional if symptoms occur.

The shadow of a medical worker wearing a protective equipment testing a social worker for Covid-19 is projected on the wall of a nursing house in Prague.

Lockdown situation in Brussels imposed by Belgian authorities to limit the spread of COVID-19 virus - empty streets

A man is using the Covid Tracker App in Kilmainham Hospital (not a medical hospital) in Dublin, Ireland on November 12, 2020 during a level 5 lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sterilising materials are seen in a Dublin bus during a level 5 second lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which restricts people’s movements to a 5 km radius.

A woman walks in front of closed shops in the centre of Barcelona during the second lockdown period imposed by the authorities to stop the spread of COVID-19 virus.

Placards reading «Maximum capacity 30% of local capacity», on the left and « keep distance 1,5 meters on the right are displayed on the window of a shoe shop in the centre of Barcelona.

Empty Brandeburg Gate in Berlin, during the second lockdown period imposed by the authorities to stop the spread of COVID-19 virus.

Distancing posters pictured on the empty streets of Berlin during the second lockdown period imposed by the authorities to stop the spread of COVID-19 virus.

Empty streets of Rome during the second lockdown period imposed by the authorities to stop the spread of COVID-19 virus.

This Infoclip illustrates the reopening of cafes and restaurants with security distancing in France. Views customers at terraces in Strasbourg and staff cleaning restaurant and delivering take away food

Infoclip: Covid-19 - Out of lockdown: Reopening of cafes and restaurants with security distancing

Thsi Infoclip illustrates: Opening of playgrounds with security restrictions

Infoclip: Covid-19 - Out of lockdown: Opening of playgrounds with security restrictions

This Infoclip illustrates: Reopening of schools with security distancing

Infoclip: Covid-19 - Out of lockdown: Reopening of schools with security distancing

This Infoclip illustrates Reopening of markets with security distancing

Infoclip: Covid-19 - Out of lockdown: Reopening of markets with security distancing

The Sacré-Coeur of Lindthout is a school based in the district of Woluwe-Saint-Lambert in Brussels. As schools of all grades in Belgium, the activities have been shutdown for two months because of Coronavirus outbreak. Since Monday 18/5 the classes started to go back to school in different shifts. The infoclip illustrates the comeback of the pupils of the secondary school.

Infoclip: Covid-19 - Out of lockdown: Reopening of schools

This infoclip shows a client going to the hairdresser to have a haircut after the lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak (Covid-19), in Brussels. The client and the hairdresser wear a face mask. Disinfectants are used before and after each client.

Infoclip: Covid-19 - Out of lockdown - Hair dressers

This Infoclip illustrates shows the reopening shops in Brussel after the lockdown due to the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak. Window cleaners are at work. People are doing shopping but must queue with security distance. Police check the distances.

Infoclip: Covid-19 - Economic recovery: reopening shops after the lockdown

This Infoclip illustrates the Green corridor at the Belgium-Dutch border. Trucks and cars cross the border in Lozen, Belgium. Police control the border under the coronavirus confinement.

Infoclip: Covid-19 - Green corridor at the Dutch-Belgian border

This Infoclip illustrates staff being trained to trace the contacts of individuals with Covid-19 in a call center located in Belgium.

Infoclip: Covid-19 - Prevention measures: Tracing call center

This Infoclip illustrates the restart of sports and leisure activities after lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak (Covid-19) in Brussels. People bicycling, jogging, rollerskiing, walking, going on scooters, rollerblading in leisure parks. People playing tennis and taking tennis classe.

Infoclip: Covid-19 - Restart of sports and leisure activities after lockdown

This stockshots shows illustrative footage from ARKIMART in Northern Spain, a company producing office furniture, which usually works with wood but now they have adapted their machines to make separation screens out of methacrylate and glass in the context of the Coronavirus outbreak (Covid-19). Images of the use of the plexiglass screens in shops and restaurants are also offered. In addition to the screens, the stockshot shows images of other sanitary measures in a restaurant in Spain such as hand gel dispensers, ozone dispenser, QR codes and warnings for waiters, and a body heat detection installation.

Infoclip: Covid-19 - Protective measures in public spaces (shops, restaurants)

This stockshot provides illustration footage from Copenhagen, Denmark, on the gradual re-opening after the Corona virus lockdown. Images of hairdressers, school and kindergarten with new precaution measures, as well as testing tents in a central Copenhagen park here citizens are being tested for Covid-19.

Infoclip: Covid-19 - Reopening after the lockdown in Copenhagen, Denmark

In Luxembourg, the European Parliament kitchens produce meals every day to be distributed to those in need, as well as to health workers to help them do their jobs, in the framework of the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak.

Infoclip: Covid-19 - EP buildings used in the fight against COVID-19 - Preparation of daily meals for people in need in the EP kitchens in Luxembourg

This Infoclip illustrates the first phase of deconfinement in public transports in Belgium in the context of the coronavirus outbreak (Covid-19). Passengers of the metro and bus in Brussels.

Infoclip: Covid-19 - Prevention measures - Deconfinement phase 1A Public transport

This Infoclip illustrates the first phase of deconfinement and the opening of textile shops in Belgium, in the context of the coronavirus outbreak (Covid-19).

Infoclip: Covid-19 - Prevention measures - Deconfinement phase 1A: Textile shops

The SamuSocial now fully at work at the Kohl building of the European Parliament, used as a temporary residence for women in a difficult situation in the context of the COVID-19, in Brussels.

Infoclip: Covid-19 - EP Kohl building used as a temporary residence for women in a difficult situation in the context of the COVID-19: Samu Social now fully at work

In Strasbourg, the European Parliament kitchens produce 500 meals a day for single parent family and young people in need to help them in the framework of the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak.

Infoclip: Covid-19 - EP buildings used in the fight against COVID-19 - Preparation of daily meals for people in need in the EP kitchens in Strasbourg

The Kohl building of the European Parliament in Brussels will be used as a temporary residence for women in a difficult situation in the context of the COVID-19. See also Samu Social / Samusocial

Infoclip: Covid-19 - EP Kohl building used as a temporary residence for women in a difficult situation in the context of the COVID-19 (updated version)

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