On 1 January 2026, Bulgaria have adopted the euro as its currency, marking an important milestone for the country, for the history of the euro, and for the EU as a whole. This follows a period of intensive preparation and effort by Bulgaria to meet all the necessary requirements. The euro will deliver practical benefits […]
Fourth State of Schengen report
The Commission published on 23 April its fourth report on the state of Schengen, reviewing developments over the past year and setting priorities for the year ahead. 40 years since its creation show that the Schengen area has brought profound benefits to the EU and its citizens. It is the backbone of the EU’s internal […]
The Commission decides to take SPAIN and other countries to the Court of Justice of the EU.
The European Commission decided to refer Bulgaria, Spain, Hungary, Netherlands, Austria, Portugal and Finland to the Court of Justice of the European Union for failing to transpose the Directive on Non-Performing Loans (Directive(EU) 2021/2167). The Directive aims to foster the development of a well-functioning secondary market for non-performing loans by establishing rules for the authorisation and supervision of credit purchasers and servicers. […]
Schengen: Council decides to lift land border controls with Bulgaria and Romania
EU member states have decided to remove checks on persons at the internal land borders with and between Bulgaria and Romania from 1 January 2025. It is a historic moment to finally welcome Bulgaria and Romania as full Schengen members. Lifting checks on persons at the internal land borders with and between those member states […]
Eurostat: do you know in which EU country people work the longest hours?
In 2023, the actual weekly working hours for people aged 20-64 in their main job, in the EU, averaged 36.1 hours. A closer look at EU countries reveals notable differences. The longest working weeks were recorded in Greece (39.8 hours), Romania (39.5), Poland (39.3) and Bulgaria (39.0). By contrast, the Netherlands had the shortest working […]
Decline in EU livestock population in 2023
In 2023, the EU‘s livestock populations were lower than a year earlier. Compared with 2022, the pig and bovine populations decreased by 1%, while sheep declined by 3%, and goats by 5%. In 2023, the EU had 133 million pigs, 74 million bovine animals, 58 million sheep, and 11 million goats. This information comes from provisional data […]
European Commission publishes analysis on social convergence in Spain in the context of the European Semester
The Commission has published a detailed country analysis on employment, skills and social inclusion for Spain and six other Member States (Bulgaria, Estonia, Italy, Lithuania, Hungary and Romania), detailing the results of the social convergence framework. This more detailed analysis is based on the findings of the Joint Employment Report 2024, which includes the first […]
Eurostat: Spain recorded the highest life expectancy in the EU in 2023
According to preliminary 2023 data, life expectancy at birth in the EU was 81.5 years, up by 0.9 years from 2022, and 0.2 years compared with the pre-pandemic level in 2019. This information comes from the provisional data on life expectancy published by Eurostat. In 15 countries, life expectancy exceeded the EU average, with the highest life expectancy recorded for […]
Council agrees to lift air and maritime internal border controls with Bulgaria and Romania
EU member states have reached an agreement on removing air and maritime internal border controls with Bulgaria and Romania. The decision has been taken by unanimity, following a written procedure. From 31 March 2024, there will no longer be checks on persons at EU internal air and maritime borders between Bulgaria and Romania and the […]