A collection of 34 posts
Albania’s bid to join the EU gained momentum at the latest intergovernmental conference that marked the opening of formal EU accession talks in Luxembourg on Tuesday, October 15. The talks focused on the first cluster of chapters known as the “fundamentals,” which include human rights, rule of law, and
Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) is catching up with Western Europe for e-commerce, but unique regional challenges and opportunities are shaping its growth trajectory, according to the European e-Commerce Report 2024. Central Europe Many CEE countries still experience uneven digital development, as compared to Western Europe where higher internet penetration
Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is receiving crucial assistance from across Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) as well as the EU, as rescue teams help tackle the aftermath of severe floods and landslides that hit large parts of the country on Friday, 4 October. Torrential rain has caused rivers to overflow
Financed with a EUR 5mn EU grant and a EUR 100mn loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB), the nearly 1km-long Hercegovina Bridge on Corridor Vc (a.k.a. E73) opened on Wednesday, 4 September. The new bridge represents Bosnia and Herzegovina’s (BiH) largest infrastructure project and forms part
European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen announced further EU flood recovery funding and reiterated the EU’s commitment to addressing climate change, in Slovenia on Monday, 2 September. On a tour of the Balkans, von der Leyen visited northern Slovenia, which was hit by flooding in November 2023.
In total 6 of 17 countries from Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) made the top 50 for fastest internet speeds, with an average download speed of 76.58 Mbps, placing it the 4th global region. CEE’s top performers were Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania, with average speeds of 145.19
The EU elections, which will be held from on 6-9 June, involve nearly 400mn voters across 27 countries deciding on 720 seats in the European Parliament (EP). The vote will decide who will lead the European Commission (EC), with EC President Ursula von der Leyen vying for a second term,
Per capita income in Slovenia will surpass that of Italy by 2029 when adjusted for purchasing power (PPP), according to the latest International Monetary Fund (IMF) projections, while Lithuania will draw level and Poland will not be far behind. The shift makes good on promises that the Central and Eastern
The EU approved the opening of accession negotiations of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), a candidate since 2022, on Thursday, 21 March 2024. BiH now faces a lengthy reform process to join the EU. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola wrote: “Today’s decision to start accession negotiations is an important step
The EU will recommend that member states open accession negotiations with Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH), a candidate for membership since 2022, European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen said Tuesday, 12 March. Wary of Russian influence, von der Leyen said “We have realised that it is not enough to just wait
Serbia will head up the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) in 2024 and boost regional connectivity and trade relations to benefit economies and people’s quality of life, Serbian Trade Minister Tomislav Momirovic said at the CEFTA Week 2023 conference in the Montenegrin capital of Podgorica on Thursday. With
Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) intends to fulfil the conditions set by the European Commission (EC) to open accession negotiations before the end of the year, BiH leader Borjana Kristo said in an interview with Euractiv. She was speaking after a EC candidates’ progress report gave BiH a conditional green light
The EU will finance Western Balkans (WB) integration reforms to the tune of EUR 6bn, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in Skopje, north Macedonia, on Monday. “These reforms will come with investment,” von der Leyen said during a press conference with North Macedonia Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski.
The foreign ministers of Austria, Croatia, and Slovenia have published a joint article calling for “several concrete steps to be taken without further delay” regarding the expansion of the EU, including the commencement of accession talks with Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) by the end of the year. In the joint
Hungary will send money to Republika Srpska (RS) to cover funds that Germany withdrew earlier this year due to the separatist policies of President Milorad Dodik, according to the leader of the majority-Serb entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). After visiting Budapest last weekend, Dodik held a press conference and