Luxembourg

EU enlargement in Balkans "strategically important"

BRUSSELS -- Three current and future EU presiding countries say they will "work on the further progress of negotiations on the membership of the Western Balkan countries."

Former Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker has received support from a majority of EU leaders to become the next EU Commission President.

Apart from the UK, Hungary was the only other country out of the 28 EU members to vote against Juncker, EUObserver reports.

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras on Friday seized the opportunity to emphasize the importance of growth before a European audience after the overwhelming majority of the bloc’s 28 leaders backed Jean-Claude Juncker, a former prime minister of Luxembourg who has warned of the risks of excessive austerity, to be the European Commission’s next president.

Albania has been granted an EU candidate status on Tuesday, during the meeting of EU ministers in Luxembourg.

"Albania congratulations on candidate status just agreed by ministers: acknowledgement of reform efforts, encouragement for more”, EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele wrote on Twitter.

Bulgaria had the biggest grey economy in Europe in 2012, at 31.9% of the GDP, according to a survey of France's Economic and Social Council.

 Hardouvelis tells Eurogroup peers that reform effort is ongoing

Greece has committed itself to the immediate fulfillment of some prior actions required for the disbursement of the next bailout sub-tranches, the head of the Eurogroup stated on Thursday following a meeting of the council of eurozone finance ministers in Luxembourg.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said Thursday he would sign an association agreement with the European Union on June 27, reports Reuters.

He said he would also send his new foreign minister to Luxembourg next week to lay out a peace plan for the east to EU ministers.

BELGRADE - Consumption expenditure per capita in Serbia totalled 43 percent of the EU average in 2013, the assessments of the European Statistical Office of the EU Eurostat show.

The lowest price levels in the European Union for 2013 for consumer goods and services were found in Bulgaria - 48% of the EU average, according to Eurostat latest data.

Luxembourg has passed a same-sex marriage and adoption rights bill in a landslide poll of its MPs on Wednesday.

The Chamber of Deputies voted by an overwhelming majority of 56-4 for the law which will be put into force by early next year.