News about EU

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced in Yerevan that the European Union will provide Armenia with 18 million euros to strengthen and diversify its trade. According to her, the EU intends to help its partners in the face of external pressure and is ready to take practical steps to support them.

As of July 1, new customs rules for low-cost goods ordered from overseas online stores have taken effect in the European Union. Now, for commercial shipments valued at up to 150 euros, a flat customs fee of 3 euros is imposed for each category of goods listed on the declaration.

In Moldova, arbitration institutions will be established on a permanent basis within chambers of commerce, stock exchanges, unions, associations, or other organizations. They will operate in accordance with the regulations approved by them. However, arbitration institutions may not be established within government agencies.

The Moldovan government has approved a draft law on the regulation and supervision of the road vehicle market, which harmonizes the national regulatory framework with EU legislation in this area.

The Moldovan government has approved the signing of an agreement between Moldova and Romania on the development of strategically important transportation infrastructure.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen plans to announce in September plans to introduce EU-wide age restrictions on the use of social media. The discussion is expected to focus on developing rules that would require digital platforms to prevent children under a certain age from creating accounts. However, the final form of the initiative has not yet been determined.

Foreign direct investment in Moldova’s economy totaled 5.1 billion euros at the end of the first quarter of 2026, down 5%—or 268 million euros—from 2025.

Nearly one in three Europeans expects their standard of living to decline, and 17% of citizens continue to view the EU in a generally negative light. A survey of more than 26,000 residents of EU countries revealed a significant gap in levels of pessimism across generations, countries, and regions.

On July 1, Moldovan Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu met with Sanna Marin, a strategic advisor at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change and former Prime Minister of Finland.

Ukraine can leverage its strengths in the agricultural sector in its relations with third countries and opt out of the subsidy system in place in the European Union. This view was expressed by Katarina Maternová, the EU Ambassador to Ukraine.

The European Union is once again attempting to create a single capital market. The idea is simple: to make it easier for European companies to raise funds for growth at home rather than in the U.S. But despite Brussels’s bold statements, EU countries have been unable to agree on the rules of the game for many years.

Europe is resisting the widespread installation of air conditioners. This is due to environmental concerns, high energy costs, and strict municipal laws.

“The European Union cannot ‘kill its own industry because of climate change,'” said Manfred Weber, chairman of the European People’s Party, amid a grueling heat wave that has swept across Europe, claimed about 1,300 lives, and reignited the debate over the bloc’s climate policy.

The alarming human rights situation in the Transnistrian region was the central topic of discussions between Valeriu Chiveri, Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration, and the EU Special Representative for the Transnistrian Settlement, Audronė Perkauskienė, Deputy Director-General for Eastern Europe and Central Asia at the European External Action Service.

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) conducted searches in France, Italy, Spain, and Belgium as part of an investigation into the possible embezzlement of European Parliament funds.

President Maia Sandu presented a detailed response to the corruption scandal and abuse of power at the state-owned enterprise Moldatsa. The head of state openly acknowledged that public trust in the government had been deeply undermined by preferential treatment, undeserved benefits, and the misappropriation of public funds.

The Moldovan Armed Forces will receive more than 100 Senator armored vehicles, manufactured by the Canadian company Roshel, as part of the European Union’s defense assistance program.

The Polish railway company Polskie Linie Kolejowe (PKP PLK) announced the cancellation of train services scheduled for late June due to extreme heat.

The French Senate has passed a long-debated bill to combat “ultra-fast fashion,” targeting e-commerce platforms, including Shein, Temu, and AliExpress, which are based in China.

Moldova ranks among the world’s leaders in terms of women’s political representation, placing 7th in the global gender equality ranking. This was reported by UN Women Moldova. The data was released to mark International Parliamentary Day.