The 2020 edition of the "Schuman Report on Europe, the State of the Union", a reference work for European decision-makers, has now been published in French in hard copy by the Marie B publishing house. It is also available in electronic format in French and English. With contributions from leading personalities and experts, together with original maps and annotated statistics, it offers a comprehensive view of the European Union and analyses the challenges facing Europe.

The Member States of the European Union are continuing the process of end of lockdown with the resumption of social and economic activities. Free movement has been almost fully restored, external borders have been partially reopened since 1 July, and Europeans are starting to travel within the Union again. The Foundation offers you a summary of the measures taken and the timetable planned by each State. An indispensable resource for understanding the way out of the crisis and reviving the European "spirit".

How have the EU Member States managed the health crisis and what are the socio-political consequences? What are the responses to the economic shock caused by the pandemic? What about the dynamics between European States and regional trends? The Foundation has put together in one volume a series of texts published in recent months to contribute to the understanding of this exceptional event.

In France, the government has announced new investments of €6 billion for the health sector, €20 billion for ecology and €40 billion for industry. In Germany, the government announced a plan to support employment through new apprenticeship contracts and presented a plan for the steel industry combining climate protection and competitiveness. In Spain, the Congress validated the €16 billion support fund for the autonomous communities and the government granted €5.6 million in subsidies to 13 R&D projects, extended the ERTE (temporary work regulation) until 30 September and announced exemptions for the self-employed. In Poland, the deadline for submitting applications to the Central Register of Beneficiaries (CRBR) has been extended. The UK government has introduced employment protection measures which will take effect from 1 January 2021.

On 14 July, the Commission recommended to Member States not to grant financial assistance to companies with links to countries and territories on the European list of non-cooperative countries in tax matters. The statement is accompanied by legal recommendations to implement such a restriction without infringing EU law. The Commission also recommends exemptions for companies that can prove that they have paid an appropriate tax or that they have a real economic presence in a territory or country on the list. It asks Member States to be kept informed of their decisions so that they can report back within three years.

The Council has updated the list of countries on which it recommends not to impose travel restrictions. No countries have been added to the list since 1 July, while Serbia and Montenegro have been removed from the list due to an upsurge in the pandemic. The list is based on the epidemiological situation in third countries and the measures they are putting in place to combat the virus. Member States remain individually free to lift the restrictions or not.

On 14 July the Council adopted measures to facilitate and accelerate the development of a vaccine against COVID-19. Temporary derogations for clinical trials concerning in particular environmental risks may be accepted. These measures will remain in place as long as the WHO considers COVID-19 to be a pandemic.

On 15 July, the Commission presented short-term measures to be taken to strengthen the resilience of European health systems in the event of future pandemics and the resurgence of COVID-19. It identifies priority actions such as strengthening screening and contact tracing, ensuring a smooth supply of medicines and protective devices, but also strengthening the capacity of hospitals, which must at the same time continue to receive patients for all types of diseases.

On July 18, G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors discussed the financial and economic consequences of the pandemic. They welcomed the commitments of the IMF and the World Bank under the debt service suspension initiative for emerging and least developed countries, as well as other supranational financial instruments. They committed to take into account the principles of the G20 Action Plan for Global Economic Recovery adopted on 15 April and to strengthening resilience to future pandemics, disasters and environmental risks.

On 14 July the Italian government announced that the measures taken on 11 June to end lockdown would be extended until 31 July. Indoor discotheques remain closed, fairs and indoor public events are banned. The wearing of masks has not been compulsory in Lombardy since 15 July.

Health ministers exchanged views on 16 July on how to improve responses to health crises. They consider that the competences of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) should be strengthened, that drug supply chains should be rethought to guarantee the independence of the Union, and that digitisation in health should be encouraged.

On 14 July environment ministers called for the environment and climate to be at the centre of the recovery plan. They pledged to give priority to pending EU dossiers in these areas and called for reforms to be adopted to develop workers' skills in climate and environment.

The European Council, which started on 17 July, concluded on 21 July with an agreement on the €750 billion recovery plan, ultimately comprising €390 billion in grants and €360 billion in loans, and on the multiannual financial framework 2021-2027 amounting to €1 074 billion over 7 years. This agreement represents a new and important step in European integration in that, for the first time, it gives the European Commission the possibility to contract a joint loan.

The Special Committee for the implementation of the Protocol between Ireland and Northern Ireland held its second meeting on 17 July. It recalled that its main objective is to preserve the open border between Ireland and Northern Ireland. It expressed its concern at the lack of progress on key aspects which are taking a long time to establish, despite the fact that the Protocol is due to enter into force on 1 January 2021.

Parliament's Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) Committee adopted a report on the rule of law in Poland on 16 July, which will be put to the vote at the September plenary session. The report warns about the functioning of the legislative and electoral system, the independence of the judiciary, the rights of judges and the protection of fundamental rights. It also calls for a resumption of the procedure under Article 7 of the TEU, which has been pending since 2018.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovar Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti met in Brussels under the aegis of the European Union on 16 July, following two video conferences on 10 and 12 July. They discussed internally displaced persons and missing persons from the 1998-1999 conflict that led to Kosovo's declaration of independence in 2008, which was not acknowledged by Serbia. The European Envoy for Dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, Miroslav Lajcak, announced a further meeting in Brussels in September.

At the 15th (virtual) EU-India Summit on 15 July, the President of the European Council Charles Michel and the President of the Commission Ursula von der Leyen held talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They decided to strengthen their strategic partnership, in particular on trade and the fight against climate change. They underlined the prospects for collaboration in the fight against the pandemic and in the search for a vaccine. They adopted a roadmap for EU-India cooperation over the next 5 years.

In a joint statement on 18 July, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte called on the Libyan parties and their foreign supporters to stop fighting and threatened sanctions against countries that do not comply with the UN arms embargo. The three leaders underline their support for UN initiatives to find a peace agreement and for negotiations in the framework of the 5+5 group. Finally, they call for the lifting of the oil embargo on the country and for a transparent and fair distribution of oil revenues.

On 16 July the Court of Justice invalidated the agreement between the European Union and the United States on the transfer of personal data, known as the "privacy shield". The Court ruled that the agreement, which replaces the 2000 "Safe harbour" agreement, which was invalidated by the Court in 2015, is illegal under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Charter of Fundamental Rights. It does not contain sufficient guarantees on data processing by the US State, nor does it provide any means of redress for European citizens. The Commission will therefore have to negotiate a new agreement with the US.

The annual inflation was 0.8% in the European Union and 0.3% in the euro area in June, Eurostat announced on 17 July.

On 15 July, the Joint Research Centre (JRC) published a study on the link between mobility and spread of the coronavirus. By analysing anonymous telephone location data from 14 operators in 19 Member States, the JRC found that mobility alone could explain the spread of the virus in Italy, France and Spain. The data thus demonstrated the effectiveness of confinement measures. However, with the imposition of physical distancing measures, mobility has become a less important factor in the spread of the virus.

On 18 July, the OECD presented a report on the ongoing negotiations to address the fiscal challenges posed by digitisation and the latest developments in international taxation.

The National Museum in Cracow is organizing until July 27th "To whom does the cosmos belong?" Based on the digitised archive of photographer Zygmunt Rytka, the exhibition shows the evolution of the topics he explored between 1978 and 1983, mainly the regime's propaganda during the Cold War.

The Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool has been showing its collection of Pre-Raphaelite paintings since its reopening on 15 July. It is one of the most important collections devoted to this 19th century movement inspired by the Renaissance.

The Centre Pompidou in Paris is showing the exhibition "Christo and Jeanne-Claude. Paris", devoted to the work of the artist couple known for their gigantic, ephemeral works. The exhibition focuses on their Parisian period, recalling the various projects they designed for the capital, such as the "Pont-Neuf emballé".

From 6 August, the Albertina Museum in Vienna will present "Nature and Symbol", an exhibition focusing on the confrontation of works by the artists Franz Gertsch, Christiane Baumgartner, Ofer Lellouche, and Kiki Smith and their relationship to the themes of nature and human existence.