State Secretary Nikolina Brnjac, the Croatian delegated official for representing the Council of the EU, on 9 and 10 March 2020 participated in a shortened plenary session of the European Parliament extraordinarily held due to the coronavirus epidemic.
The Parliament discussed the current situation regarding the coronavirus, the situation at the Greek-Turkish border and a meeting of the European Council on the Multiannual Financial Framework. A short discussion was also held on the occasion of the International Women’s Day.
Brnjac informed the MEPs about the occurrence of the coronavirus in all EU member states, and outlined the steps the Croatian Presidency is taking to ensure a coordinated and coherent response to the epidemic. In that context, she highlighted two extraordinary Council meetings in health minister configuration and relevant discussions in other configurations, as well as the activation of the full mode of the EU’s crisis response mechanism (IPCR).
Addressing the situation at the Greek-Turkish border, the state secretary said that comprehensive measures to reduce the migratory pressure were already being implemented, stressing the importance of adhering to the EU-Turkey Statement of 2016. Moreover, she underscored the readiness of most member states, including Croatia, to accommodate unaccompanied children and minors that are housed in camps across Greek islands.
In addition, Brnjac delivered an address on the topic of the International Women’s Day, underlining the courage and determination of ordinary women who contribute daily to social progress in all areas of life.