EPRS Ideas papers – Coronavirus crisis and the aftermath

While the coronavirus crisis continues to strain Europe’s resilience to the very limit, there are nevertheless some positive outcomes. Many have come to question arrangements that previously seemed immutable – swapping the workplace for working from home, or recognising an opportunity to move towards greater strategic sovereignty for instance. Can the European Union harness such innovations to continue to make life better for Europeans? How can the European Union prepare to face such world-changing shocks in the future? Will we emerge stronger from the crisis?

EPRS analysts have taken advantage of the summer months to prepare a series of forward-looking Ideas Papers that seek to analyse how the coronavirus crisis has impacted various areas of EU policy and identify options for how those policies might be further developed in the future. These cover policy areas from public health to international trade, civil protection to the transport situation. A further set of Ideas Papers explore how the Union could develop greater resilience to withstand unexpected future shocks and strengthen its capacity for collective action.