News about EU
The export of live sheep from Romania has been completely banned. The European Commission’s decision on this matter will be published in the next issue of the *Official Journal of the European Union*.
The proportion of workers who are members of trade unions in European Union countries has roughly halved since 1985, falling from 30% to 15% by 2023–2024.
The wealth gap among European retirees has reached record levels: in Luxembourg, the median wealth of households aged 65–74 exceeds €1.2 million, while in Latvia it is just €36,300. Thus, elderly residents of the richest country in the ranking hold more than 34 times as many assets as their peers in the country at the bottom of the list.
The swift collection of electronic evidence related to cybercrimes, including from abroad, will become possible following the ratification of the Second Additional Protocol to the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime, signed in Strasbourg on May 12, 2022.
In the first quarter of 2026, Portugal (234), Italy (190), Spain (108), and France (105) recorded the highest number of strikes in the EU. The strikes were caused by issues in transportation, education, healthcare, and government agencies.
The Center for Strategic Communications and Countering Disinformation identified nearly a thousand pieces of questionable content and submitted them to META and Google for review in just six months. Approximately eight out of ten of these posts were removed.
On Tuesday, Members of the European Parliament will vote on legislation formalizing the trade agreement between the European Union and the United States. The agreement was reached last July by U.S. President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
More than 30 museums from various European countries have been shortlisted for the 2026 European Museum of the Year Award (EMYA)—one of the most prestigious European awards in the museum sector.
Europe has decided to restrict foreign investment. The Council of the European Union has officially approved an updated regulation on the screening of foreign direct investment (FDI) with the aim of significantly tightening controls over transactions in strategically important sectors of the economy. The new rules are designed to protect the EU’s economic security from growing geopolitical risks and prevent the undesirable transfer of critical infrastructure to foreign control.
Moldova will adopt a new Classification of Economic Activities (CAEM) that closely aligns with the European Union’s statistical classification of economic activities. Its full implementation is scheduled for January 1, 2027.
The head of European diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, has faced mounting political pressure following the release of a French document proposing a radical overhaul of her powers.
The popular website Numbeo has ranked Moldova eighth from the bottom in its list of the safest countries in Europe. One spot below is Sweden (presumably experiencing problems with crime due to an influx of not-so-peaceful migrants). One spot above is Greece. Above it is “more peaceful” Turkey.
The European Union has unanimously adopted a common negotiating position for the opening of the first round of negotiations with Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova.
The fourth meeting of the Monitoring Committee for the Interreg NEXT “Black Sea Basin” Program 2021–2027 was held in Moldova. The event brought together representatives from the participating countries, the European Commission, the Managing Authority, and the Joint Secretariat.
On June 12, 2026, the European Union began implementing the provisions of the new Pact on Migration and Asylum, which significantly tightens the rules governing entry, residence, and deportation. It will now be more difficult to obtain asylum in EU countries, and those whose applications are denied will have to leave more quickly. These measures are aimed at combating illegal migration and reducing the burden on European countries’ social systems.
The world’s first farm to produce meat without slaughtering animals has opened in the Netherlands. Instead of barns, the farm uses bioreactors—special systems in which a small sample of cells is grown into a whole piece of muscle tissue.
On June 11, 2026, the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova passed, in its final reading, a law on geographical indications, guaranteed traditional specialties, and voluntary quality labels.
At its meeting on June 11, 2026, the European Central Bank (ECB) raised its three key interest rates by 25 basis points. This decision marked the first rate hike since September 2023 and was a response to inflationary pressures caused by the geopolitical crisis and the war in the Middle East. The ECB downgraded its forecast, expecting average inflation in 2026 to reach 3.0%. The baseline forecast for eurozone GDP growth in 2026 has been lowered to 0.8%.
Starting in January 2027, Brussels will completely phase out electric scooter rentals, continuing the Europe-wide trend toward stricter regulations on micromobility. The decision was made amid a growing number of accidents, complaints about haphazard parking, and concerns about the criminal use of these services.
Moldova and Belgium have initiated negotiations on a draft protocol amending the Convention for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Income and Capital.
