EU Guide: Database on Measures of All Member States Launched

In light of the rarely seen abundance of measures and policies adopted in recent months to mitigate the damage from the COVID-19 epidemic, the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound) has launched the COVID-19 EU Policy Watch service to consolidate data on all measures being implemented in the EU member states, the United Kingdom, and Norway in one place.

According to the Foundation’s statement, within just a few weeks, the coronavirus pandemic radically changed working conditions worldwide, creating immense pressure on businesses and workers. Many companies turned to some form of reduced work, changes in working conditions, or work suspension to comply with mandated social distancing measures. The consequence of this is an increase in the number of businesses whose survival is threatened, and consequently, the jobs associated with them.

Information on Impact

Aware of the dangers, states reacted quickly to minimize damage to businesses and workers, both economically and socially. The database offered by Eurofound provides an overview of measures and policies introduced since the beginning of the pandemic, creating a large fund of information with details of specific practices in each country.

The database also includes measures taken by governments, broader collective agreements, as well as regional and local initiatives and support measures for smaller groups of workers. Given that the situation is constantly changing, the measures are also evolving and adapting rapidly to the new circumstances. The plan is to update the data in July and October of this year with information on the impact of significant measures.

Very Detailed Overview

It is thus possible to search for measures by country and obtain a detailed view for each of them, from the original name, duration, and purpose, to background description, content, and the number of users of that measure. An exceptionally detailed search filter allows for the selection of countries whose measures one wishes to review, defining the territorial scope or economic sectors, and a range of other options, including an overview of the actors involved in the measure or the level of involvement of social partners. For example, when looking at Croatia, the list includes government measures, as well as the decision of banks to suspend foreclosures on individuals and companies, and the Croatian Chamber of Economy’s decision to suspend membership fee collection.

Useful Pages

Database – HERE

Eurofound – HERE

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