omania took over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. During its Presidency, Romania will be representing the Council of the European Union throughout its dialogue with the other European institutions, especially with the European Commission and the European Parliament, while also working in close contact with the

On January 1, 2018, a decade after its accession to the EU, Bulgaria took over the rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU for the first time. Presidency represents a great honor, but a great responsibility too. For six months Bulgaria will be the main driving force for the tasks

ities have a crucial role to play in addressing the climate change challenge and delivering on the ambitions of the Paris Agreement. In the European Union, where nearly three quarters of the population live in urban areas, many cities are leading the way in this regard, taking action in three

he ninth meeting of the Accession Conference with Montenegro at ministerial level was held in Luxembourg to open negotiations on chapter 1 - Free movement of goods and chapter 22 - Regional policy and coordination of structural instruments. Furthermore, the accession conference provisionally closed negotiations on chapter 30 - External

he Commission has proposed the 2017 draft EU Budget of €134.9 billion in payments focusing on the two main policy priorities for Europe: supporting the ongoing recovery of the European economy and addressing the security and humanitarian challenges in our neighbourhood. Increased funding will go to investments in growth, jobs

n agreement was reached on the 2016 EU budget under extraordinary circumstances as the world witnessed the attacks in Paris. The EU institutions have taken their responsibility by concluding a deal well ahead of the deadline. Before finalising the agreement, negotiators observed a minute of silence for the victims of

What is the purpose of the Annual Report on the Protection of the EU's Financial Interests? Member States have to adopt all necessary measures to protect the EU budget, and to counter fraud and any other illegal activities affecting the financial interests of the EU. They are obliged to report all