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August 28, 2020
Europe, COVID-19, and U.S. Relations
COVID-19 in Europe
Source: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Coronavirus
Like most of the rest of the world, European governments
Resource Center, August 28, 2020, updated daily at
and the European Union (EU) have struggled to manage the
https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/.
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
European leaders have characterized the pandemic as
European Responses
Europe’s biggest challenge since the Second World War,
In March 2020, nearly all European governments imposed
with potentially far-reaching political, social, and economic
“lockdown” restrictions and social-distancing measures—
consequences beyond the public health impact. COVID-19
including banning large gatherings, closing schools and
also has added new tensions to an already strained U.S.-
nonessential businesses, and restricting movement—
European partnership. Members of Congress may be
although these measures varied in strictness and other
interested in COVID-19’s implications for U.S. relations
aspects by country. France, Italy, and Spain instituted some
with Europe, including in NATO and with the EU, and in
of the most severe restrictions, especially related to
how the pandemic might alter certain U.S.-European
nonessential movement and outdoor activity. Most
dynamics, especially vis-à-vis China.
European governments enacted national border controls;
some, such as Germany, Denmark, Hungary, and Spain,
Statistics
largely restricted entry to citizens or permanent residents.
As of late August 2020, about 2 million confirmed COVID-
Sweden took a notably different approach that trusted
19 infections and over 183,000 deaths had been reported
citizens to practice social distancing and imposed few
across the 27-member EU, the United Kingdom (UK),
mandatory restrictions, but many public health experts are
Norway, and Switzerland (out of a combined population of
skeptical about this policy’s success in building immunity
roughly 527 million). As seen in Table 1, Spain, the UK,
among the general public and contend that it failed to
France, and Italy have experienced the largest number of
protect the most vulnerable, such as the elderly.
infections, and several European countries have case
fatality rates of over 10%. Although the first wave of the
In mid-April 2020, attention across Europe began turning to
pandemic in Europe occurred in spring 2020, many
implementing phased reopening plans while guarding
policymakers are wary about the potential for a second
against a resurgence of the virus. Most European leaders
wave amid upticks in new cases in some European
stress the need for continued social distancing. Numerous
countries and regions.
countries are requiring facemasks on public transport and/or
in shops and other indoor spaces. Many governments,
Table 1. COVID-19 Cases and Deaths in Europe:
including those of Denmark, France, Germany, Italy,
Top 10 Affected Countries
Poland, Spain, and the UK, have sought to establish
(by number of cases, as of August 2020)
extensive testing and contact-tracing capacities, and some
have developed contact-tracing mobile apps to supplement
Deaths
Case
traditional approaches. The use of such apps has raised
Country
Cases
Deaths
per
Fatality
questions about balancing public health concerns and
100,000
Rates
privacy rights.
Spain
429,507
28,996
62.06
6.8%
Most European countries are expected to suffer major
UK
332,509
41,564
62.51
12.5%
economic shocks due to the pandemic. For 2020, the EU
forecasts its total economy will contract by 8.3% and
France
297,485
30,581
45.65
10.3%
average unemployment across the bloc will rise to 9%. The
Italy
263,949
35,463
58.68
13.4%
UK’s economy entered into recession in August 2020.
Measures enacted by European governments to mitigate the
Germany
240,571
9,290
11.20
3.9%
economic downturn include loan programs and credit
Sweden
83,898
5,820
57.15
6.9%
guarantees for companies, income subsidies for affected
workers, tax deferrals, and debt repayment deferments.
Belgium
83,500
9,884
86.53
11.8%
Romania
83,150
3,459
17.76
4.2%
EU Actions
Although national governments retain control over most
Netherlands
70,984
6,244
36.24
8.8%
aspects of health policy, the EU has sought to play a leading
Poland
64,689
2,010
5.29
3.1%
role in managing the European response to the pandemic.
Critics contend the EU lacked a coherent plan in the early
stages of the crisis and member states initially pursued
disparate strategies, but many analysts assess that the EU
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Europe, COVID-19, and U.S. Relations
has made progress in overcoming internal discord. The EU
U.S. and EU scientific and regulatory experts also have
coordinated the imposition of bloc-wide travel restrictions
established technical dialogues on pandemic-related issues.
on most foreign visitors (as well as the gradual lifting of
such restrictions); worked to ensure the provision of
Relations with China
sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE) and other
Despite current U.S.-European tensions, some experts
medical supplies across Europe; and is supporting research
contend that COVID-19 could prompt a closer alignment of
and development (R&D) of treatments, diagnostics, and
U.S. and European policy interests with respect to China.
vaccines, in part through leading international donor efforts.
The Trump Administration and some in Congress have
voiced apprehension about China’s efforts to enhance its
Promoting economic recovery has been another area of EU
influence in Europe. Notwithstanding initial concerns that
focus. The EU approved a €540 billion (about $640 billion)
China’s so-called facemask diplomacy would build
financial aid package for workers, businesses, and member
goodwill, many analysts now assess that the pandemic and
states. It is planning longer-term support through a €750
its aftermath—including China’s waging of a pandemic-
billion (around $890 billion) recovery fund—which would
related disinformation campaign in Europe—may harden
include issuing EU bonds backed jointly by member
European attitudes toward China. For some Europeans, the
states—attached to a €1.1 trillion (roughly $1.3 trillion)
pandemic has highlighted Europe’s overreliance on China
seven-year budget. The European Central Bank, which
in global supply chains and the vulnerability of its critical
manages the EU’s common currency (the euro) used by 19
infrastructure and companies to foreign takeover.
members, launched an emergency bond-buying program
totaling €1.35 trillion (about $1.6 trillion) as of June 2020.
China’s COVID-19-related actions also appear to be
contributing to making some European governments—such
NATO’s Role
as those in the UK and France—more hesitant about
NATO and allied military personnel, including from the
involving Chinese telecommunications company Huawei in
United States, have taken an active role in assisting civilian
building out their fifth generation (5G) wireless networks.
responses to COVID-19 in Europe and beyond. Although
The Trump Administration has urged European allies to
NATO traditionally focuses on military threats, the alliance
exclude Huawei for security reasons. The United States and
possesses command and control and logistics capabilities to
the EU announced a new dialogue on China in June 2020,
coordinate multilateral responses to a range of security
but some observers doubt how much policy convergence is
challenges, including natural disasters and the COVID-19
possible. European officials may be concerned about being
pandemic. Among other measures, NATO officials report
put in a difficult position amid U.S.-China tensions.
that allied military forces have flown over 350 flights to
transport equipment and thousands of medical personnel
Congressional Interests
and have helped to build over 1,000 field hospitals across
Many Members of Congress retain a long-standing interest
the alliance. In an effort to bolster its pandemic response
in European affairs and the transatlantic partnership, despite
capacities, in June 2020, NATO agreed to establish a
periodic foreign policy, security, or trade differences. Some
stockpile of medical equipment and a new fund to enable
analysts argue that the pandemic requires more robust U.S.-
rapid distribution of medical supplies and services.
European cooperation. Potential areas for congressional
consideration may include the following:
Impact on U.S.-European Relations
Under the Trump Administration, significant U.S.-
The extent of U.S.-European collaboration on COVID-
European divisions exist on trade and tariffs, defense
19 in existing forums, such as NATO or the G-7, and
spending, the role and value of multilateral institutions, and
possible new initiatives, such as a U.S.-EU dialogue
key foreign policy concerns (including with respect to
and/or an early warning system on global health threats.
Russia, China, and the Middle East). Pandemic-related
competition for PPE and medical equipment and for R&D
Possibilities for enhancing U.S.-European economic
of vaccines and treatments, as well as the U.S. decision to
cooperation to help promote financial recovery on both
withdraw from the World Health Organization, has
sides of the Atlantic, including through potential new
generated further transatlantic friction. EU leaders also
U.S.-EU and U.S-UK free trade agreements.
expressed dismay with what they regarded as a lack of U.S.
consultation ahead of the Administration’s March 2020
Ways in which the United States and Europe might
decision to ban visitors from most EU countries.
work together to reduce supply chain vulnerabilities for
PPE and other medical equipment, for example by
Many analysts consider U.S. and European leadership as
deepening existing U.S.-EU regulatory cooperation on
instrumental in managing past global public health crises,
pharmaceuticals and medical devices.
such as the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak, but view diplomatic
cooperation on the COVID-19 pandemic as largely lacking.
Options for countering COVID-19 disinformation
The Trump Administration maintains that it is working
campaigns that have targeted the United States and its
closely with European partners to address various aspects of
European allies and are believed to be backed by China,
the pandemic, including in NATO and other forums , such
Russia, and other foreign powers.
as the Group of 7 (G-7) leading industrialized democracies.
The United States and the EU reportedly are consulting on
Prospects for and challenges to greater U.S.-European
easing their respective restrictions on transatlantic travel.
coordination in addressing common concerns about
China’s geopolitical and economic rise.
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Europe, COVID-19, and U.S. Relations
Sarah E. Garding, Analyst in Balkan and Southeast
Europe Affairs
Kristin Archick, Specialist in European Affairs
Derek E. Mix, Specialist in European Affairs
Paul Belkin, Analyst in European Affairs
IF11635
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