According to consultancy McKinsey, the European car industry has lost around 5 percentage points of market share in the Chinese car market since 2019. In other news: The European Court of Human Rights found that the current political system in Bosnia and Herzegovina prioritizes ethnic representation. As a result, elections are undemocratic. Bulgaria stressed its ambitions concerning its Schengen membership during the Strategic Forum.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is worried about the level of migrant landings in Italy. EU and US envoys want Kosovo and Serbia to find a political solution to their conflict. Albania, France and Germany have signed a cooperation agreement to reform the Albanian energy sector. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is lukewarm about the idea of a European Union army.
European Council President Charles Michel wants to intensify the bloc’s relationship with Central Asia. The new Bulgarian government is about to start work. Albania and Hungary strengthen their cooperation. Germany escapes a fine as the European Commission ends water pollution proceedings.
European rules oblige member states to keep their budget deficit below 3 percent of GDP. However, there was an exemption in place during the pandemic, which expires at the end of 2023. The EU states want to provide Ukraine with urgently needed artillery ammunition for the fight against Russia as quickly as possible. Austria will participate in an EU mission in Niger.
International support is gradually arriving in Turkey and Syria, but many earthquake victims are still waiting for the help they need; an EU donor conference is planned for March. Bosnia and Herzegovina’s new foreign minister, Elmedin Konaković, paid an official visit to Brussels. Migration into the EU: The Slovak Republic and others stressed the necessity of strict protection of the external borders. Bulgaria and Romania insist they have fulfilled the conditions to be accepted into Schengen.