Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico has said that the decision to open accession negotiations with Ukraine was being overrated. The Dutch government has decided to lift its veto on Bulgaria joining the Schengen area. The EU is supporting an Albanian awareness campaign aimed at informing travellers about the rules for transporting money in and out of the country.
In July, the European Commission proposed revising the existing legislation on end-of-life vehicles — vehicles that are no longer usable due to age or accident. Some social media posts claimed that this “new law” would allow the European Union to “seize and scrap your car if it doesn’t meet their criteria”. But that is false, according to AFP’s interviews with the European Commission and an expert in environmental law. In terms of obligations on vehicle owners, the proposed regulation only recalls the existing requirement that they deliver their end-of-life vehicles to registered scrapyards, known as authorised treatment facilities. All of the other obligations concern manufacturers and the member states. The goal there is to improve the quality of the collection, treatment and recycling of the vehicles.
The EU has again reaffirmed its full commitment to the accession prospects of the Western Balkans. The geostrategic environment with Russia’s war in Ukraine and the crisis in the Middle East threatens global security, emphasising the importance of the Western Balkans for the EU.
France and Germany congratulate Donald Tusk on being elected as the new Polish Prime Minister. Slovenian Environment Minister Bojan Kumer reacts to the outcome of this year’s COP28 conference in Dubai. The European Parliament calls for EU-wide access to prescriptions.
The European Commission asked the member states for an additional 66 billion Euro for the coming years, partly to finance additional aid for Ukraine, due to a lack of money in the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). The increase in the long-term budget is to be discussed by the European heads of government at the EU summit at the end of this week. A protracted debate is looming.