The United States’ decision to lift sanctions on Belarus’s state airline Belavia will be a major test of the backbone of the European Union’s sanctions policy, Lithuania’s foreign minister-designate Kestutis Budrys has said. “This does not mean that the EU will immediately follow suit once the US has made such a decision. It will be…
The Competition Council (KP) has imposed a total of 513,508 euros in fines on the companies Adapteris, Alpex, Infrakom, Siltumtehserviss and Apkure IM for participating in a cartel of engineering-utilities construction firms. Acting KP Chair Ieva Smite told a press conference that the uncovered cartel consisted of two groups: a Riga group (Adapteris, Alpex, Infrakom)…
The leadership of the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine, the National Bank of Ukraine and staff from the International Monetary Fund completed discussions on the implementation of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF). The meetings took place from September 3 to 10. The parties discussed the implementation of the 2025 state budget, the indicators of the…
Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine Oleksii Sobolev met with a delegation from the Swiss Confederation led by Ambassador and Federal Council Delegate for Ukraine Jacques Gerber. The negotiations also included Deputy Ministers Taras Vysotskyi, Andrii Teliupa and Pavlo Kartashov. The parties discussed the implementation of an intergovernmental agreement, the launch of new…
A 2023 reform let long-tenured workers quit early on favourable terms, straining public finances and draining key sectors of experienced staff. Slovakia’s decision to relax early retirement rules in 2023 triggered a mass exit from the workforce and saddled public finances with lasting costs. Former labour minister Milan Krajniak introduced a reform allowing anyone with…
Estonia’s self-sufficiency in pork production is expected to fall from 72% to just 39% next year as a result of the recent African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak. The gaps in store shelves will need to filled by imported meat for at least a couple of years. Ten years ago, during the first outbreak of ASF,…
On September 9, a meeting took place between representatives of the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine and the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine (ACC). A similar event had previously been held with the European Business Association (EBA). During these meetings, the ministry’s team presented key opportunities within the investment component of…