Get an overview of pandemic related restrictions impacting Shopping Places in European markets
Last update: 9 April 2021
Last updated on 09/04/2021
Shop owners & tenants
Restaurants
Culture
On 28 January 2021, the Commission announced to extend the Temporary Framework for State Aid until 31 December 2021. Given the persisting economic uncertainty, the Commission also decided to increase the aid ceilings.
This Temporary Framework provides for different types of state aid:
For companies especially hit by the coronavirus crisis (recording turnover losses of at least 30% during the eligible period compared to the same period of 2019), the State can contribute to the part of the fixed costs of companies that are not covered by their revenues, in an amount up to €10 million per company (previously €3 million).
More information here: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_21_26
On 17 March, the European Commission revealed its plans for a COVID-19 certification scheme, proposing a ‘Digital Green Certificate’. In hopes to stimulate travel and return to free movement within the EU, the framework looks to include information on the vaccination status of an individual against COVID-19. As a next step, the proposal is now going to the European Parliament and the Council. The Commission aims for the Certificate to be in place by mid-June, in time for the European summer holiday season.
Last updated on 09/04/2021
Shop owners & tenants
Restaurants
Culture
Comprehensive help package for companies:
Last updated on 09/04/2021
From May: If all goes well, the hospitality sector will be able to open from 1 May. Details will be worked out in the coming period. More relaxations for sports, youth, markets, culture, fitness, worship, and social contacts also expected.
Shop owners & tenants
Restaurants
Culture
Last updated on 09/04/2021
Shop owners & tenants
Restaurants
Culture
Last updated on 09/04/2021
Shop owners & tenants
Restaurants
Culture
Last updated on 09/04/2021
Shop owners & tenants
A COVID – Rent program has been put in place and applies to all entities that have been banned from operating. Tenants whose shops have been closed will get 50% of Q3 rent as State Aid. Landlords need to sign an affidavit in which they confirm the existence of the lease during Q3, the amount of rent and that at least 50 % of the Q3 rent has been paid.
More details available here: https://www.mpo.cz/cz/rozcestnik/pro-media/tiskove-zpravy/opatreni-na-pomoc-podnikatelum-a-zivnostnikum–253690/
On the 24.02.2021, Commission approved the €115 million Czech rent compensation scheme to support retail businesses and service companies. The public support, which will take the form of direct grants, will cover 50% of the original rent due for the months of October, November and December 2020. The purpose of the scheme is to mitigate the sudden liquidity shortages that companies are facing due to the measures introduced by the Czech government to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
Restaurants
Culture
Businessmen who have had to close their premises since October as a result of the government decree will receive additional financial assistance from the state to the value of CZK 400 per employee. This was approved by the government on the 04.01.2021.
Support for closed premises will be provided in the form of a subsidy for operating costs, applied retrospectively to the period from 14.10.2020 to 10.01.2021, with the option that this final deadline may be extended if the epidemic situation continues to require the closure of these establishments; it will be paid out only for those days when business operations were directly restricted on the basis of the crisis measures, primarily through a ban on the presence of the public in premises, but also in other ways.
The first call of the subsidy programme named COVID – Gastro – Closed premises will have 2.5 billion crowns made available. Employees will include both those directly employed and any self-employed persons.
The Antivirus Program was introduced for the protection of employment. This program mainly consists of subsidies for wage payments, which are paid to the employees by the employers affected by COVID-19 and related government measures. The subsidies will be provided up to 100% of the wage compensation, up to the maximum amount of CZK 50,000 / month / employee, until the 29-02-2021.
Last updated on 09/04/2021
Shop owners & tenants
Companies affected by restrictions in the period from November 1 to February 28, 2021 can apply for compensation. Here, the compensation period will depend on which restriction (s) the company is affected by. To seek compensation, the company must be able to document that one or more restrictions are the cause of a revenue loss.
Restaurants
Culture
Companies across the country can seek compensation for the period from December 9, 2020 to January 17, 2021. Companies affected by restrictions in the period from November 1 to February 28, 2021 can apply for compensation. Here, the compensation period will depend on which restriction (s) the company is affected by. To seek compensation, the company must be able to document that one or more restrictions are the cause of a revenue loss.
Last updated on 09/04/2021
Non-essential shops: Indefinitely: Leisure facilities closed. Shops (except for large non-food malls) and services, including public libraries, are open but must close at 18:00 From 23 February the Alpes Maritimes region announced 15-day closure of businesses more than 5,000 m2, excluding pharmacies and food shops
Restaurants: Restaurants and bars closed
Cultural institutions: N/A
Shop owners & tenants
Announced on the 31.01.2021:
On 09.03.2021, th European Commission approved the €2 billion French scheme to further support all companies that will suffer a monthly turnover decline between January 2021 and November 2021 of at least 30% compared to the same period prior to the coronavirus outbreak. The aid will help the beneficiaries pay 70% (90% in case of micro and small companies) of their fixed costs that are not covered by revenues, up to a maximum of €10 million per undertaking. The purpose of the scheme is to mitigate the economic difficulties and the liquidity shortages that the beneficiaries are facing due to the restrictive measures that the French government had to impose by the French government to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
Restaurants
Culture
Last updated on 09/04/2021
Services: Several personal care services, such as hairdressers, can open under strict conditions. For some services a negative test result for COVID-19 is required.
Non-essential shops: Retail stores, with the exception of grocery stores and shops to meet daily needs, are closed. Book shops, garden centres and flowers shops can open. In areas where the infection rate is between 50 and 100 infections per 100 000 inhabitants in seven days, more shops are allowed to open, although under strict conditions (reserved time slot).
Restaurants: Restaurants, bars and cafés are closed (except for take-away).
Cultural institutions: Museums, zoos, galleries are closed. Possibility to open after 18 April using an appointment system if a 7-day incidence of less than 100 is reached. If 7-day incidence increases to above 100 per 100.000 inhabitants, rules will be re-tightened. If a 7-day incidence of below 50 is proven, museums, zoos, galleries can open without the appointment system.
On 31 December 2020 new legislation on commercial rent entered into effect, which makes clear that shutdowns and other governmental restrictions constitute contract frustration. However, the legislation does not answer the question whether and for what amount and for the benefit of which party – landlord or tenant – the lease can be amended, which is likely to lead to further debates in front of courts.
Shop owners & tenants
Restaurants
Culture
Between January and June 2021, the German government will deploy €130 billion under its “Überbrückungshilfe III” package to stabilise the economy:
More information available here: https://www.bundesfinanzministerium.de/Web/EN/Issues/Priority-Issues/stimulus-package-for-everyone/stimulus-package-for-everyone.html#t-companies
Last updated on 09/04/2021
Services: Supermarkets, grocery stores, pharmacies and gas stations open.
Non-essential shops: From 5 April, all retail stores (except of department stores and shopping malls) are open.
Restaurants: Closed
Cultural institutions: Closed
Shop owners & tenants
Rental reduction: All leased premises are entitled to 40% discount on November’s.
All residential premises leased by employees whose business was forced to shut down are entitled to 40% rental discount for the month of November.
The government will give directly to all employees of businesses that are forced to close, €800 net for the month of November. The businesses forced to be closed need to declare their employees and in return the government will cover their social security costs but they will not be able to let them go until 31 December 2020.
Restaurants
Culture
Last updated on 09/04/2021
Shop owners & tenants
Restaurants
Culture
Last updated on 09/04/2021
Services: Hair salons and barbershops closed in ‘red’ zones. Laundry shops open. Gyms, swimming pools and ski resorts closed. Indoor and outdoor sport centres closed, and competitions prohibited in ‘red’ zones.
Shop owners & tenants
Restaurants
Culture
Stimulus package in place:
For 2021, Italy is currently considering a new stimulus package worth €24 billion.
On the 23.02.2021, Commission approved a €61.4 million Italian scheme to support private employers in the context of the coronavirus outbreak. The public support will take the form of an exemption from the payment of employers’ compulsory social security contributions (except for contributions to insurance for accidents at work), for a period of four weeks, until 31 January 2021. The scheme will be open to employers registered in Italy and active in all sectors, with the exclusion of the financial and agriculture sectors.
Last updated on 09/04/2021
Shop owners & tenants
Restaurants
Culture
Governments partially covered tenant payments, sharing the burden between landlords, tenants and government, based on fixed allocation percentages. Currently only applicable for the first wave of lock-downs. Second wave of lcokdowns on-going.
Last updated on 09/04/2021
Shop owners & tenants
No legislation or regulation been passed to suspend payment obligations. The government prefers to provide financial help to debtors rather than imposing payment suspensions.
A bill of law tabled by several deputies aims to suspend the obligation to pay rent that is due or will become due under commercial or professional leases for the duration of the state of crisis. This bill of law aims to deprive the lessor of the right of termination with respect to non-payment of rent due or set to fall due during the period of the state of crisis, to establish the possibility for both parties to the lease contract to revise downwards the rent due during the state of crisis or the possibility for the lessor to waive the rent in question. To date, this bill of law is still under discussion by the Chamber of Deputies; however it is likely that it will not be adopted.
Restaurants & Culture
Last updated on 09/04/2021
Shop owners & tenants
Restaurants
Culture
Last updated on 09/04/2021
Shop owners & tenants
Restaurants
Culture
The anti-crisis shield 4.0 was signed by the President on 23 June. The main purpose of the act is to protect Polish enterprises, jobs and consumers against the negative effects of COVID-19. The new act includes the following updates:
From Nov 6th, fiscal stimulus aimed at supporting covid-impacted businesses proposes to co-finance 70% of fixed costs not covered by revenue, and subsidies to leasing costs and business.
More information can be accessed here:
https://polen.um.dk/da/eksportraadet/coronavirus-and-the-economy/
Poland announced its Financial Shield 2.0 stimulus package in late 2020, estimated to be between 35 billion and 40 billion Polish Zloty (between 9 billion and 10.5 billion U.S. dollars), aimed to help 40 sectors particularly impacted by the second wave of the COVID-19. Businesses active in, among others, transport, retail, tourism and gastronomy, can apply for funds needed to pay employees and avoid bankruptcy.
On the 11/03/2021, European Commission approved a €1.1 billion Polish scheme to support companies in various sectors affected by the coronavirus outbreak. The scheme will apply to the whole territory of the Poland and consists of four measures. In particular:
– The second measure, with an estimated budget of €215 million (PLN 964 million), will be open to SMEs and large companies active in several sectors, such as retail sale, restaurants and entertainment. The aid will take the form of direct grants of up to €928 (PLN 4,160) per beneficiary that experienced a decrease in operating income of at least 40% compared to a reference period set out in the scheme.
– The third measure, with an estimated budget of €300 million (PLN 1.4 billion), will be open to micro and small entrepreneurs active in several sectors, such as retail sale, restaurants and entertainment. The aid will take the form of direct grants of up to €1,116 (PLN 5,000) per beneficiary;
– The fourth measure, with an estimated budget of €400 million (PLN 1.9 billion), will be open to SMEs and large companies active in several sectors, such as retail sale, restaurants and entertainment. The aid will take the form of exemptions from social security contributions between 1 December 2020 or 1 January 2021 and 31 January 2021 for beneficiaries that experienced a decrease in operating income of at least 40% compared to a reference period set out in the scheme.
Last updated on 09/04/2021
Shop owners & tenants
Restaurants
Culture
On the 31.03.21, Commission approved the €500 million Portuguese top-up insurance scheme to support domestic trade credit. Trade credit insurance protects companies supplying goods and services against the risk of non-payment by their clients. In Portugal, given the uncertainties caused by the prolonged economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak, private insurers became more reluctant to offer sufficient insurance coverage to sellers. By supplementing the private insurance cover, the Portuguese scheme ensures that trade credit insurance continues to be available to all companies, avoiding the need for buyers of goods or services to pay in advance, therefore reducing their immediate liquidity needs.
On the 06.04.21, Commission approved the €35 million Portuguese scheme to support companies in Azores region. Under the scheme, the public support will take the form of direct grants. The scheme will be open to companies of all sizes active in the Azores, at the condition that they have maintained jobs in the region and that they have paid back the loans they previously received under the schemes that the Commission approved in April 2020 and December 2020. More specifically, the aid will only be granted if the applicant can prove that it has maintained, each month until 30 June 2021, a certain proportion of the level of employment compared to the one recorded in September 2020. The maximum amount of the aid shall not exceed the lower of the following two limits: (i) €750,000 per individual company or €1 million per group of companies belonging to the same group; and (ii) the amount of the loans received from the existing credit lines.
Last updated on 09/04/2021
Shop owners & tenants
Restaurants
Culture
A state aid scheme aimed to support retailers was submitted to the European Commission for approval, proposing a grant for 50% of the rent due between mid-March and mid-June 2020 (the first wave lockdown)
Last updated on 26/02/2021
Following the recommendation of the Government of Serbia’s Crisis Response Team, the following additional measures to counter the coronavirus pandemic will be in effect from 6:00 a.m. on Monday, March 22:
Shop owners & tenants
Restaurants
Culture
Last updated on 09/04/2021
Shop owners & tenants
Restaurants
Culture
Last updated on 09/04/2021
Shop owners & tenants
At local level in Catalonia :
Restaurants
Culture
Actions at national level
Tax on Digital Services
The General State Budget project announces the “Selective control and investigation actions” in relation to electronic commerce
Actions at the local level (specific for Barcelona city)
“Amazon” rate in Barcelona (pending on processing and approval)
Last updated on 09/04/2021
Shop owners & tenants
Restaurants
Business subsidy-schemes such as short-term layoffs and revenue support have been put in place.
Short-term layoff schemes will continue to at least June 2021.
Culture
Last updated on 09/04/2021
Shop owners & tenants
Restaurants
Culture
Last updated on 09/04/2021
Shop owners & tenants
Restaurants
Culture
Last updated on 12/03/2021
Starting from the 24th of February, 2021 until 30th of April, 2021, adaptive quarantine is introduced in Ukraine which means introduction of levels of epidemig danger of Covid-19 spread (green, yellow, orange and red levels).
As a general rule a “yellow” level is set all over the territory of Ukraine within which it is restricted:
Higher lever of danger can be introduced in case of worsening of the epidemiological situation in the region. For now the “red” level of danger is introduced only in four regions in Ukraine.
Starting from the 24th of February, 2021 until 30th of April, 2021, it is restricted:
Shop owners & tenants
Restaurants
Culture
Minor financial help for the entrepreneurs, which were mostly affected by the COVID-19 circumstances
ECSP strives to ensure all information on its website is accurate and up to date. However, the content of this website is naturally subject to change from time to time. Therefore, we cannot always guarantee the accuracy of all information on this page. Users are responsible for checking the accuracy of facts and opinions given on ECSP’s website before entering into any commitment based upon them.
If you notice inaccuracies on the measures indicated, or if you would like to share further information with ECSP, please contact info@ecsp.eu