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Europe Daily Bulletin No. 13283

1 November 2023
Contents Publication in full By article 14 / 25
EXTERNAL ACTION / Western balkans
Ursula von der Leyen calls on Belgrade and Podgorica to press ahead with their reforms in order to benefit from EU’s future growth plan for Balkans
Brussels, 31/10/2023 (Agence Europe)

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, visited Montenegro and Serbia on Tuesday 31 October. On this occasion, she focused on the reforms needed for the two countries to join the EU and - as she had done the day before in Skopje (see EUROPE B13282A2) - on the EU’s future growth plan for the Western Balkan states.

“We need to strengthen the unity and security of our continent, and enlargement is the way to do that. (...) We want you to take the necessary steps to...

Contents

TIME OFF: All Saints' Day
INSTITUTIONAL
EP2024: with 7 months to go before elections, Europe’s political families are gradually getting their act together
ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS
ECB: work continues in EU Council on fees for digital euro payment services
ECONOMY: inflation estimated at 2.9% in October and GDP growth down by 0.1% in third quarter in euro area
STATE AID: European Commission gives go-ahead for €2.4 billion Czech measure to support production of biomethane
COMPETITION: Commission authorises, subject to conditions, acquisition of railway signalling activities of French company Thales by Japanese company Hitachi Rail
MONEY LAUNDERING: FATF adds Bulgaria to its list of high-risk countries under increased monitoring
SECTORAL POLICIES
TOURISM: EU ministers commit to working towards social sustainability of sector
REGIONS: smart cities, EU aid deemed too fragmented by EU Court of Auditors
AGRICULTURE: EU regions and cities call for prosperous rural areas
AGRICULTURE: EU trade balance stable in July despite slowdown in agri-food trade
CLIMATE: despite geopolitical tensions, EU must step up its efforts and embark on a systemic transformation to meet its objectives
ENERGY: regulators ask ACER for more time to agree modified method for calculating “day-ahead” electricity generation capacity
EXTERNAL ACTION
WESTERN BALKANS: Ursula von der Leyen calls on Belgrade and Podgorica to press ahead with their reforms in order to benefit from EU’s future growth plan for Balkans
TRADE/COMPETITIVENESS: 60 major industrial companies warn of declining competitiveness of European industry
NEWS BRIEFS
HOME AFFAIRS: European cooperation against terrorism is intensifying thanks to increased information sharing with Eurojust
AGRICULTURE: European Commission approves two new French geographical indications
AGRICULTURE: catalogue of CAP measures now online, announces European Commission
STATE AID: European Commission authorises €61.5 million Italian measure to support private employers hiring disadvantaged workers
CAUCASUS: EU increases humanitarian aid to displaced Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh by almost €1.7 million
ENERGY: Renewable Energy Directive published in Official Journal of EU
DIGITAL: AI Act, European Parliament and Council negotiators hold more technical meetings before next round of interinstitutional negotiations
CSDP: Nataliya Apostolova, new head of EUBAM Rafah mission
RESEARCH: forty-seven companies to benefit from almost €350 million in funding from European Innovation Council
CORRIGENDUM
TAXATION: five EU Member States postpone implementation of certain measures under Pillar II of OECD agreement