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The European Commission's response to the coronavirus crisis

Overcoming the pandemic

After more than 3 years, on 5 May 2023, COVID-19 was declared no longer being a global health emergency by the World Health Organization.

The COVID-19 pandemic took a heavy toll on people, our society, and our economy, but we successfully overcame it thanks to our cooperation, determination, endurance, science, and innovation. European solidarity, in sharing medical supplies, treating patients, helping repatriate stranded citizens, and in the recovery of our economies, helped us protect our citizens and businesses, and overcome the pandemic. It helped the EU strengthen its resilience and advance in the green and digital, just transitions.

The EU's decisive action

Decisive action since 2020, under the EU Vaccines Strategy, paid off. Over 80% of the EU population has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The European Commission has secured up to 4.2 billion doses of vaccines against COVID-19 so far, for European citizens and to help non-EU countries.

The European economy has bounced back which has been possible due to fast vaccine rollout and the unprecedented economic stimulus measures put together at the EU and national levels. The Commission's immediate action helped cushion the economic impact of the pandemic. The multiannual EU budget combined with the NextGenerationEU, a more than €800 billion temporary recovery instrument to help repair the immediate economic and social damage brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, have been instrumental in recovery and strengthening EU resilience.

From the outbreak of COVID-19 in early 2020, the EU mobilised €53.7 billion in support of more than 140 partner countries in a Team Europe approach, to address the pandemic-related needs and its consequences. The support combined resources from the EU, its Member States, the European Investment Bank, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

Moreover, since early on, the EU strove to guarantee equitable access to affordable, safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines for all, organising the Coronavirus Global Response and supporting COVAX, a global initiative aimed at equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines. The Commission, Member States and the European Investment Bank became a leading investor in COVAX, with over €5 billion to make available 1.8 billion doses of vaccines for 92 low and middle-income countries.

The EU also supported, in a Team Europe approach, the development of local vaccine manufacturing capacity in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.

Coronavirus response highlights Timeline of EU action 

EU action

Areas of the European Commission’s response

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