SPAIN AND ITS RELATIONS WITH THE UNITED STATES: IN BRIEF *

The United States and Spain have extensive cultural ties and a mutually beneficial economic relationship, and the two countries cooperate closely on numerous diplomatic and security issues. Spain has been a member of NATO since 1982 and a member of the European Union (EU) since 1986. Given its role as a close U.S. ally and partner, Spain's internal situation and relations with the United States are of continuing interest to the U.S. Congress.

EUROPE, COVID-19, AND U.S. RELATIONS*

The EU coordinated the imposition of bloc-wide travel restrictions on most foreign visitors;worked to ensure the provision of sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE) and other medical supplies across Europe;and is supporting research and development (R&D) of treatments, diagnostics, and vaccines, in part through leading international donor efforts. Many analysts consider U.S. and European leadership as instrumental in managing past global public health crises, such as the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak, but view diplomatic cooperation on the COVID-19 pandemic as largely lacking to date. Potential areas for congressional consideration may include the following: * The extent of U.S.-European collaboration on COVID-19 in existing forums, such as NATO or the G-7, and possible new initiatives, such as a U.S.-EU dialogue and/or an early warning system on global health threats. * Possibilities for enhancing U.S.-European economic cooperation to help promote financial recovery on both sides of the Atlantic, including through potential new U.S.-EU and U.S-UK free trade agreements. * Potential ways to reduce supply chain vulnerabilities for PPE and other medical equipment, for example by deepening existing U.S.EU regulatory cooperation on pharmaceuticals and medical devices. * Options for countering COVID-19 disinformation campaigns that have targeted the United States and its European allies and are believed to be backed by China, Russia, and other foreign powers. * Prospects for and challenges to greater U.S.-European coordination in addressing China's geopolitical and economic rise. * This is an edited, reformatted and augmented version of Congressional Research Service Publication No.

Global Democracy and Human Rights Impacts of COVID-19: In Brief [June 26, 2020]

From the Introduction: As governments worldwide administer lockdowns, travel limitations, and other restrictions to respond to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, some experts have warned of a 'parallel epidemic' of government repression. Proponents of this view maintain that some governments are using the COVID-19 pandemic as a pretext to consolidate political power undemocratically or impose undue restrictions on the exercise of civil and political rights. Meanwhile, even when restrictions may be justified on the basis of public health, the manner of application and enforcement of these measures may raise human rights concerns in some cases. Some Members of Congress have expressed alarm over the implications of COVID-19 for democracy and human rights trends, as evidenced by statements and legislation introduced to date. At the same time, COVID-19's ramifications in this area are diverse and evolving. This In Brief report discusses key democracy and human rights concerns raised by experts and advocates, includes brief country case studies, and discusses potential congressional policy responses. Although some issues discussed herein may be relevant to domestic debates in the United States, this report focuses on democracy and human rights issues internationally and in relation to U.S. foreign policy.COVID-19 (Disease);Democracy;Human rights