EU executive to propose work scheme, money for farmers, fishermen amid pandemic - document

The European Commission will propose on Thursday to borrow 100 billion euros against EU governments' guarantees to finance a short-term work scheme to protect jobs as the coronavirus epidemic hits the economy, an internal document showed. The Commission, the EU's executive arm, will also propose to increase cash advances to farmers under the EU's Common Agriculture Policy and give them more time to apply for support as well as more time for the claims to be processed.

The Commision will also propose to remove any national co-financing normally needed when countries get EU money to build infrastructure projects like motorways, sewage plants or bridges, making the projects fully paid for by the bloc. To help the maritime industry and fisheries, the EU executive will propose exceptional flexibility in the use of the bloc's maritime and fisheries fund to provide support to fishermen for temporary cessation of fishing.

The Commission is due to announce the measures later on Thursday as the bloc struggles to agree on measures to support their economies ravaged by the pandemic.