All activities, in all of the European Parliament's buildings, that are not strictly legislative or scheduled are being cancelled over the next three weeks as a precautionary measure against the spread of the coronavirus, the President of the Assembly, David Sassoli, announced on Monday.
The plenary session that begins next Monday in Strasbourg is therefore still being held, he confirmed.
Cancelled activities include visits, events organised by political or parliamentary groups, seminars with participants from outside the EU, cultural events, committee hearings and electoral observation missions.
"The European Parliament has certain particularities not possessed by other EU institutions, such as the receiving within its walls of some 700,000 visitors a year," Sassoli revealed.
Parliament has already taken several preventative measures over the last few days, such as telling its members of staff who live or have recently spent time in areas at risk to work from home.
The Brussels Times
