News about EU

Italian visa centers VMS and Almaviva have stopped accepting documents from Russian citizens through intermediaries since May 12. The reason for this is the scandal involving the former Italian ambassador to Uzbekistan, who is suspected of illegally issuing Schengen visas to Russians.

Moldova will host the 135th ministerial session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. About 50 delegations of member states, including more than 20 foreign ministers, are expected to participate. The official event will take place on May 15, but delegations will start arriving as early as Thursday, May 14. In this regard, from May 14 to 17, 2026, a special regime of access and movement will be introduced in a number of central zones of the capital, as well as on the routes leading to the airport.

Data from a fresh report by the International Organization of Viticulture and Wine shows a global decline in production. There are not many exceptions, most of them in Europe.

Russian travelers are actively reconsidering their preferences when planning foreign trips in the coming summer.

Data published on May 13 by Romania’s National Institute of Statistics (INS) showed that the country’s GDP fell by 1.7% in gross terms and 1.5% in seasonally adjusted terms compared to the same quarter of 2025.

US President Donald Trump has arrived in Beijing for a three-day visit – the first for an American leader in nine years.

The eurozone economy has slowed sharply, growing at an annualized rate of only 0.8% in the first quarter of 2026. However, the three countries are growing many times faster than the bloc.

At a meeting on May 13, the Moldovan cabinet approved the appointment of Ambassador Corina Călugăru to the post of state secretary at the Foreign Ministry. Prior to this appointment, she served as ambassador for special missions within the Foreign Ministry.

An EU committee made up of experts from member states voted Tuesday to ban imports of Brazilian meat starting Sept. 3 because of the use of antimicrobial drugs to stimulate animal growth.

Moldova will receive 60 million euros to modernize irrigation infrastructure and improve farmers’ access to water for irrigation. For these purposes, the government on May 13 approved the signing of two agreements with the French Development Agency.

On the sidelines of a working visit to Bucharest, Moldovan Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu was received at the Elizabeta Palace by Her Majesty Margareta. He thanked the Royal House of Romania for its constant support for Moldova and for its active participation in the development of economic, cultural and European ties between the two countries.

Moldova is in the process of active implementation and adaptation of the European System of Integrated Social Protection Statistics (ESSPROS – European System of Integrated Social Protection Statistics). This process is part of the EU accession commitments, aimed at modernizing the social sector and implementing European standards. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has launched a pilot study.

The director of the National Anti-Corruption Center will be able to serve two terms of five years each, but not consecutively. The relevant draft law was considered on Wednesday, May 13, by the parliamentary commission for national security, defense and public order.

Country representative Satoshi managed to make it to the grand finals of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest 2026, which is being held in Vienna this year.

Moldova’s chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe ends this week. The “farewell” ceremony will take place in a solemn atmosphere in the presence of numerous delegations, after which Moldova’s mandate will pass to the Principality of Monaco.

Spain, Ireland, Iceland, Iceland, the Netherlands and Slovenia have decided not to send their performers to Eurovision-2026 because of Israel’s participation amid the war in the Gaza Strip. This was the largest boycott in the history of the music contest, the BBC notes.

Sweden, long considered a symbol of the European socio-economic model, is gradually changing its approach to the economy by lowering taxes, reducing regulation and strengthening the role of private capital.

Prospects for expanding cooperation in strategic areas were discussed on 12 May by the leadership of the Moldovan Customs Service and representatives of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), who are on a working visit to Chisinau.

The standards governing noise from outdoor equipment will be harmonized with those in Europe.

The European Commission has confirmed that rising jet fuel prices cannot be a reason to deny passengers compensation for canceled flights.