European Parliament Assesses Progress of Five Western Balkan Countries
On 17 June 2026, the European Parliament adopted reports assessing the EU accession progress of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, and North Macedonia. Montenegro aims to join by 2028, while Albania targets concluding negotiations by 2027. The Parliament expressed concerns over stalled reforms in North Macedonia and Kosovo, and urged Bosnia's leaders to end political obstruction.
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Eurostat's first estimate shows seasonally adjusted production in construction fell by 1.3% in the euro area and 1.0% in the EU in June 2026, compared with May 2026. On an annual basis, euro area construction output declined by 0.7%, while EU output rose by 0.2%. Among Member States, Romania (+4.9%) and Sweden (+2.0%) recorded the strongest monthly gains, while Slovakia (-4.6%) and Hungary (-3.9%) saw the largest declines.
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Euro Area Annual Inflation Rises to 2.9% in July 2026
Eurostat reported that annual inflation in the euro area rose to 2.9% in July 2026, up from 2.8% in June, remaining above the ECB's 2% target. The increase was driven mainly by energy and services prices. For compliance officers, the data signal sustained inflationary pressures that may influence prudential provisioning and stress-testing assumptions.
19 Aug 2026

