Documents Vandenberghe, Ann-Sophie 2 results

"The European continent faces an apocalyptic pandemic that poses mortal danger to millions of citizens. This paper seeks to address the role played by European public policy in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, each Member State across Europe is applying its own measures to deal with the coronavirus; namely, decentralised decision-making that could trigger political tensions among the states. The paper argues that European public policy must change rapidly and fundamentally if these tensions are to be successfully managed; otherwise, such policy might simply cease to exist. Moreover, the known and notorious problem of collective action, information asymmetries, irrationality, negative externalities and the related free-riding phenomenon persistently are distorting the Member States' combined efforts, resulting in deficient attempts to contain the spread of COVID-19. The paper also argues that the current unprecedented outbreak of this superspreading virus calls for a bigger EU-wide coordinated response. We argue that the COVID-19 pandemic is a good example of an area in which the central EU level holds a comparative advantage over lower levels of government. In addition, the paper offers several substantive insights into ways to improve the public policy response in the “war” against COVID-19."

"The European Union and the United States of America have experienced some of the most concerning outbreaks of COVID-19. This paper investigates the division of power in the EU and the USA, suggesting the radical uncertainty created by the COVID-19 pandemic means that states' procurement and distribution of the materials they need for testing and the obtaining of medical supplies to treat the seriously ill might best be centrally administered. The centralised procurement and distribution of essential medical goods can resolve the problems arising from harmful competition between states to procure them and allow states to exercise their buying power. Moreover, it might solve the moral hazard problem, which leads to the hoarding of necessary medical goods, thereby creating a cross-border externality when other states within the federal system do not have enough of the medical items needed. However, the paper argues that the importance of local information suggests that organising the provision of testing programmes is optimally done as part of a decentralised process. Finally, to enable the most effective health responses for future pandemics and achieve the most effective integration of EU Member States, the current regulatory and legal adaptations and allocation of competences should also become permanent features in the EU's constitutional landscape."