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Image header Agence Europe
Europe Daily Bulletin No. 13772
Contents Publication in full By article 28 / 29
NEWS BRIEFS / Emu

Bulgaria meets all criteria to join euro area at beginning of 2026, maintains European Commission

12/12/2025 (Agence Europe) – On Friday 12 December, Balazs Ujvari, the European Commission’s spokesperson responsible for issues relating to economic and monetary union, pointed out that Bulgaria meets “the main criteria” for joining the euro area and that “all the relevant decisions have been taken” for this Member State to join the euro area on1 January 2026 (see EUROPE 13745/11). The day before, Rossen Jeliaskov’s government resigned in response to popular anger over fears that prices would rise as a result of Bulgaria’s switch to the euro at the beginning of next year. (MB)

Contents

ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS
CUSTOMS/CONSUMERS: European Ministers decide to introduce a fixed customs duty of €3 on small parcels worth less than €150
FINANCE: contrasting reactions from EU countries to plan for enhanced market supervision at European level
ECB: Copenhagen announces agreement of EU countries on single currency package in technical finalisation phase
FINLAND: European Commission recommends that Helsinki reduce excessive public deficit by 2028
BANKS: European Commission postpones presentation of proposals for simplifying banking prudential rules until second half of 2026
Russian invasion of Ukraine
ECONOMY: European Commission expects Moscow to test robustness of EU sanctions against Bank of Russia in court
ECONOMY: EU Council gives green light to payment to Kyiv of €2.3 billion tranche under ‘Ukraine Facility’
SECTORAL POLICIES
ENVIRONMENT: European Parliament/EU Council provisional agreement on ‘end-of-life vehicles’ regulation
FISHERIES: European ministers protest planned reduction in 2028-2034 fisheries funding
FISHERIES: Spain, Italy and France attempt to ease restrictions on fishing in Mediterranean by 2026
ANIMAL HEALTH: European ministers divided over plans to modernise animal transport rules
CLIMATE: revised 2026 EU Emissions Trading System auction calendars published
ENERGY: EU energy ministers to react to publication of new ‘grids’ package
MIGRATION: European Parliament political groups table 2409 amendments to draft report on ‘return’ of illegally staying third-country nationals in EU
MIGRATION: most EU countries have advanced aid pledges under first solidarity pool of ‘Asylum and Migration Pact’
INTERNAL MARKET: MEPs set out their vision for 28th business regime
EXTERNAL ACTION
TRADE: EU Member States adopt their position on steel safeguards
TRADE/CLIMATE: CBAM - European Commission wants to give more support to European industry which will be affected by end of free carbon quotas
FOREIGN AFFAIRS: Ukraine, Middle East and China at heart of Monday’s Foreign Affairs Council
EDUCATION - YOUTH - CULTURE - SPORT
EYCS: European Commission supports increase in resources allocated to future programme (2028–2034) on Erasmus+ Sport
NEWS BRIEFS
CULTURE: Larnaka named 2030 European Capital of Culture alongside Leuven and Nikšić
DEMOCRACY: European Commission opens call for projects on media literacy in Bulgaria, Romania, Greece and Cyprus
ECONOMY: EU Council gives green light to revision of ten post-Covid-19 national recovery plans
ENERGY: 38% of Europeans want better protection for people in energy poverty, according to a new Eurobarometer survey
FINANCE: ‘EMIR 3’ - European Securities and Markets Authority clarifies new reporting obligations
MIGRATION: ‘safe third countries’ and ‘safe countries of origin’ - Danish Presidency of EU Council plans to launch trilogue negotiations on 17 December
TRANSPORT: Europe’s cities and regions call for more investments to combat transport poverty
EMU: Bulgaria meets all criteria to join euro area at beginning of 2026, maintains European Commission
CORRIGENDUM
MIGRATION: Frontex to have 10,000 permanent staff by 2027