Montenegro has come very close to completing its negotiations on joining the European Union. According to the annual enlargement package published by the European Commission on 4 November 2026, the country could close all remaining negotiating chapters by the end of 2026, and sign the accession treaty as early as...
European Commission rejects US proposal to resume Russian gas purchases
The European Commission has officially refused to support the US administration’s initiative for Europe to return to large-scale purchases of Russian natural gas as part of a possible peaceful settlement of the conflict in Ukraine. At the same time, Brussels confirmed that it has no intention of lifting sanctions against...
European Commission President proposes creating strategic gas reserves in the EU
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has put forward an initiative to establish common strategic gas reserves in the European Union. The proposal is viewed as a long-term tool for energy security that would allow member states to respond more quickly to supply disruptions and sharp price fluctuations. According...
European Commission allocates €168.2 million to first eight projects to strengthen defence industry under EDIP
The European Commission has announced funding for the first eight projects under the Industrial Reinforcement Action (IRA) pillar of the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP). A total of €168.2 million has been allocated for their implementation. The EU expects that these public funds will help mobilise larger-scale private industrial investments...
European Commission confirms Cyprus’s technical readiness to join the Schengen Area
The European Commission has confirmed Cyprus’s technical readiness to join the Schengen area. At the same time, the country’s final accession requires a unanimous decision by the Council of the EU after consultations with the European Parliament. The positive assessment of technical readiness was recorded in the European Commission’s Schengen...
European Commission has proposed dropping unanimity on sanctions and on some EU enlargement decisions
The Commission published a package of documents on preparing the Union for future enlargement and is proposing a shift from unanimous voting to qualified majority voting on sanctions, the opening of negotiating clusters and intermediate decisions in accession talks. The package, “Preparing for a wider Union,” was adopted on Tuesday....
Germany and five other EU countries issue ultimatum over 2028–2034 EU budget
Germany, Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands, Finland and Sweden have said they will not support the European Union’s seven-year budget for 2028–2034 without substantial changes. The position was set out by the so-called “frugal” countries — net contributors to the EU budget. The six states are demanding that the European Commission’s...
European Commission allocates €325 million to five pan-European defence projects
The European Commission has allocated €325 million to launch and implement five European Defence Projects of Common Interest (EDPCI). The funding comes from the €1.5 billion European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP). On 28 September 2026, EU member states approved the initiatives, making them eligible for EU budget support. The projects...
Baltic states request €500 million from European Commission for drone defence
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have asked the European Commission to urgently allocate €500 million to strengthen counter-drone systems. The defence ministers of the three countries — Martin Herem (Estonia), Raivis Melnis (Latvia) and Robertas Kaunas (Lithuania) — sent a confidential letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on...