Belgium

BRUSSELS, March 9 (Xinhua) -- After assuming the office for 100 days, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday that the European Union (EU) is in a deep dilemma.

"Today we are in the middle of a deep dilemma," von der Leyen addressed the audience in Brussels in her speech marking the 100 days.

"When I started 100 days ago, there were many many different questions and many difficult issues on the agenda, but the EU-Turkey statement was not under question," she recalled.

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union and Turkey agreed to review a 4-year-old deal on managing migrants and refugees in an effort to settle a dispute that sent thousands of people to the Turkey-Greece border in hopes of reaching Europe, top EU officials said Monday.

Under the 2016 agreement, the EU offered Turkey up to 6 billion euros ($6.7 billion) in aid for the Syrian refugees it hosts, fast-tracked EU membership and other incentives to stop Europe-bound migrants. The number arriving in Greece from Turkey dropped dramatically after the deal took effect.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said ahead of talks with President Tayyip Erdogan that Turkey must move refugees and migrants away from the Greek border.

“Finding a solution to this situation will require relieving the pressure that is put on the border,” von der Leyen told a news conference on Monday.

She said ensuring the right to asylum, support for both Turkey and Greece, as well as moving people - especially minors - stranded on the Greek islands to mainland Europe were immediately needed too.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Parliament will hold an emergency meeting on Monday to consider calling off this week’s plenary session of the EU assembly due to the coronavirus outbreak, two officials said.

The parliament had been due to sit in Strasbourg, France, for the plenary but last week it was decided that the members of the assembly should meet in Brussels to avoid unnecessary travel.

The EU officials said the meeting at 2:30 p.m. (1330 GMT) would consider whether the assembly should have a stripped-down agenda or postpone the entire plenary session.

BRUSSELS, March 7 (Xinhua) -- European countries saw the number of coronavirus cases climb on Saturday as the World Heath Organization (WHO) announced that the figure outside China already hit 20,000.

A total of 21,114 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported by 93 countries and regions outside China as of 10:00 CET Saturday, an increase of 3,633 infections from the previous day, according to the WHO daily situation report released Saturday evening.

COUNTRIES HARDEST HIT

BRUSSELS, March 7 (NNN-Xinhua) — Health ministers of the European Union (EU) member states called for strengthened solidarity, cooperation and exchange of information in tackling the spread of the disease.

The ministers agreed on further raising public awareness about the threat posed by COVID-19, developing a coordinated approach to prevention and protection of people at risk, and establishing coherent containment measures, including evidence-based advice concerning travel to and from risk areas.

BRUSSELS, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Health ministers of the European Union (EU) member states met here on Friday, calling for strengthened solidarity, cooperation and exchange of information in tackling the spread of the disease.

The ministers agreed on further raising public awareness about the threat posed by COVID-19, developing a coordinated approach to prevention and protection of people at risk, and establishing coherent containment measures, including evidence-based advice concerning travel to and from risk areas.

BRUSSELS/ANKARA (Reuters) - The European Union is scrambling for a new agreement with Turkey to prevent migrants from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and beyond flooding into the EU. But there is little sign so far that Ankara is ready to accept the terms Brussels is offering.

Since Turkey announced on Feb. 28 that it would no longer abide by a 2016 deal to keep refugees on its territory, accusing the EU of falling short on commitments of financial support, some 35,000 migrants have massed on the border with Greece where they have been thrust back by Greek forces.

BRUSSELS, March 4. /TASS/: Permanent representatives of 27 member states of the European Union agreed to renew individual sanctions against Russians expiring on March 15 for six more months, a source in the EU Council told TASS on Wednesday.

"Individual sanctions against Russian individual and legal entities were renewed for six months at the morning meeting of Permanent Representatives without a discussion. The decision should be formally approved by the EU Council now," the source said.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European airlines warned on Tuesday the worst is still to come in economic damage to the industry from the rapid spread of coronavirus Covid-19.

They also called for a relaxation of airport regulations under which airlines can lose lucrative landing and take-off slots if they cancel flights for a prolonged period.

“We request that a temporary waiver be granted by all (EU) member states,” Air France-KLM (AIRF.PA) CEO Ben Smith said ahead of an annual conference of the Brussels-based lobbying group.