Luxembourg

In 2023, Bulgarian households remained among the lowest in the EU for consumption of goods and services. According to Eurostat's latest data, Bulgaria's "actual individual consumption" (AIC) was 27% below the EU average, placing it at 73% of the European level. In contrast, Luxembourg's AIC was 38% above the EU average, reaching 138%.

Lufthansa City Airlines, a new low-cost airline, will make its first flight on June 26, focusing on connecting flights for its parent company from hubs in Frankfurt and Munich. According to Euronews, Bulgaria is among its destinations. The airline will start flights this month to Berlin, Bremen, Cologne Bonn, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, and Hanover.

Shipping and Island Policy Minister Christos Stylianides reiterated Greece's steadfast support for the EU's efforts to modernize the EU legislative framework for maritime safety, during an EU transport ministers meeting held on Tuesday in Luxembourg.

Deputy Minister of National Economy and Finance Nikos Papathanasis emphasized at the EU General Affairs Council of cohesion policy ministers that reforms must accompany investments to improve regional competitiveness.

From right, Luxembourg's Prime Minister Luc Frieden, Portugal's Prime Minister Luis Montenegro, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Finland's Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, Croatia's Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban attend a round table meeting at an EU summit in Brussels, Monday, June 17, 2024.

Ylva Johansson, the European Commissioner for Internal Affairs, expressed optimism about the potential removal of internal land borders in Bulgaria and Romania within the Schengen Area by the end of 2024. Johansson made these remarks during discussions with journalists in Luxembourg, coinciding with the start of a two-day EU Council meeting on Justice and Home Affairs, as reported by BTA.

A challenge persists in admitting Bulgaria and Romania to the Schengen area via land routes, with sources from the Belgian presidency of the Council of the EU indicating resistance from a small group of countries, as reported by BNR. The topic is slated for discussion on June 13 during a meeting of interior ministers in Luxembourg.

A recent comparison by the Bulgarian daily "Telegraph" reveals that indulging in a coffee and a beer in Sofia's city center can leave a considerable dent in your wallet, surpassing the prices found in many European capitals.

Cyprus Attorney-General George Savvides said on Thursday that a decision by the World Bank's International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes on the case Theodoros Adamakopoulos and others v. Republic of Cyprus, "vindicates" Cyprus, as regards the measures it took in 2013, with the haircut on bank deposits.

During Wednesday's European Commission presidential debate in Brussels, outgoing President Ursula von der Leyen endorsed Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis's proposal for a common European air defense system.