COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic and the crisis in human security: battleground at home
The International Day of Persons with Disabilities: a moment to reflect about the impact of COVID-19 on “another” minority group
Vaccine diplomacy—the best first move for the Biden administration to reset relationships
President-elect Joe Biden has plenty of diplomatic issues to tackle in his approaching tenure as the 46th President of the United States. While some tout the importance of immediate steps to signify America’s renewed embrace of “values and democracy”, Nicholas Noe suggests starting with a more pragmatic and inclusive approach: “vaccine diplomacy”.
Pandemics and the future of rights mobilisation
COVID-19 has forced derogations from and limitations to rights at every level. However, there are some populations for which the pandemic has generated rights victories previously considered out of reach. EUI Professor of Public International Law Neha Jain puts the spotlight on one such vulnerable population––prisoners––to explore how COVID-19 has helped change the discourse on the rights of detainees to ignite prospects for prison reform.
The COVID-19 welfare wake-up call
The coronavirus pandemic hit when the world was still reeling from the Great Recession, delivering a serious blow to economies everywhere. Will European welfare states be able to absorb this new shock? Anton Hemerijck and Robin Huguenot-Noel urge welfare states to consider long-term objectives for greater resilience to short-term crises.
Rubicon or Maginot? What’s the line on Dutch resistance to post-pandemic recovery plans?
Surrogacy: Time for a self-sufficiency approach?
Brought into high relief by the COVID-19 pandemic, unregulated commercial surrogacy generates risk and damage to families, children, and mothers. In this article, Law researcher Sylvie Armstrong argues that a self-sufficiency approach in Europe, where commercial surrogacy is widely banned, is the best strategy available for protecting the parties involved.
Dealing with the (legal) risks of decision-making in times of crisis
The French Senate recently walked back a state of emergency provision that shielded decision-makers from criminal responsibility related to their actions during the COVID-19 crisis. Law researcher Sophie Duroy analyses the provision, its rationale, and proposes an approach to high-risk decision-making that ensures legality while safeguarding effectiveness.
Little Man, what now? How COVID-19, the Commission and EU consumer protection interact
The extraordinary circumstances of COVID-19 put severe limits on movement in the EU, setting up a potential conflict between air carriers and ticketed passengers who could no longer depart. Will the Commission’s guidelines on the matter help or hurt consumers? Law researcher Marc Steiert takes a look.