Luxembourg

BELGRADE - The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) will provide a EUR 200 million stand-by loan to Serbia's Deposit Insurance Agency in order to reinforce the stability of the country's banking sector.

EP approves new European Commission

BRUSSELS -- The European parliament (EP) has elected with 423 votes in favor and 209 against the new European Commission, headed by Jean-Claude Juncker.

Juncker, a former Luxembourg prime minister, will replace Jose Manuel Barroso. The EU's executive body will take office on November 1.

Luxembourg said on Tuesday it will drop its bank secrecy rules from 2017 in a move that marks a breakthrough in global efforts to reduce tax evasion.

Eurozone industrial production fell more than expected in August, mainly because of a slump in the output of capital goods that are used for investment, data from the European Union's statistics office Eurostat showed on Tuesday.

Greece might secure a further safety net of credit from its eurozone partners if it manages to meet the strict terms required to exit its bailout at the end of this year, a source close to discussions told Reuters yesterday.

As discussions get under way between Greece and the International Monetary Fund about a potential early exit from the country’s bailout program, Eurogroup Chairman Jeroen Dijssebloem did not rule out the prospect on Monday but suggested that such a debate was premature.

Having secured a fresh confidence vote, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras now faces the challenge of further bolstering the fragile coalition amid growing political tensions, with government officials expected to press creditors to approve a plan for Greece’s gradual disengagement from the memorandum.

Abid Podbicanin, Sead Plojovic, Tefik Mujovic and Izudin Crnovršanin, all from Novi Pazar, and Ferat Kasumovic, from Belgrade, are accused of recruiting men to fight for the Sunni terrorist organisation Islamic State, or Isis.

Eurostat has published statistics on the share of non-nationals of the total population of EU cities.

According to Eurostat data, the share of non-national population in Sofia stands at 1% of the total population.

Incoming European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker is to meet with Prime Minister Antonis Samaras on Friday for talks and a working lunch in the former Luxembourg premier's second visit to the Greek capital in two months.