As reported by the Serbian Economist, the Government of Montenegro at a meeting of the Council of National Security approved a package of measures to tighten migration policy, including a proposal to fix in the Law on Foreigners the minimum value of real estate € 200 thousand as a basis for granting temporary residence. This is stated in the official message of the Cabinet of Ministers.
Among other decisions of the Council is the instruction to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to prepare amendments to the decree on visa regime, which will reduce the period of visa-free stay for citizens of countries not aligned with the EU visa policy from 90 to 30 days. The Council also ordered that data on dormant and inactive foreign-owned companies be handed over to the police for verification and possible revocation of previously issued residence permits.
The government notes that the “company for the sake of a residence permit” ground is planned to be replaced by the requirement of full employment with a registered employer or an established company. At the same time, local media specify that the Parliament has introduced amendments, according to which the extension of residence permit for the founder of the company will be possible if there are at least three full-time employees, of which at least one Montenegrin citizen, and the extension of residence permit for real estate will depend on its value and size. These norms are to be detailed in bylaws.
Podgorica emphasizes that the measures are aimed at aligning the rules with EU approaches and strengthening control over migration flows. The final changes will require the adoption of amendments to the law and bylaws.
https://t.me/relocationrs/1698
EU countries could save EUR250 billion annually by 2040 by accelerating the transition to electricity, according to a press release from France’s Schneider Electric.
“The so-called ‘energy trinity’ – the balance between affordability, security, and sustainability – remains a challenge, as high dependence on fossil fuel imports keeps prices high and delays the achievement of climate goals,” the company said.
According to a press release based on Schneider Electric’s report “Europe’s Energy Security and Competitiveness – Accelerating Electrification,” the current level of electrification in Europe is only 21% — a figure that has remained unchanged over the past decade and is 10% lower than in China, where rapid electrification is taking place. At the same time, the cost of energy for domestic consumers in the EU is EUR0.27 per kWh, in the US — EUR0.15/kWh, and in China — EUR0.08/kWh.
“This means that daily energy consumption for each EU citizen is three times more expensive than for Chinese residents,” the report’s authors concluded.
According to the document, the pace and level of electrification in different European countries vary significantly due to differences in infrastructure, policy, market maturity, and consumer behavior. In particular, some countries, such as the Scandinavian countries, have made significant progress in the electrification of transport and buildings, while others are only beginning to scale up their efforts. At the same time, Southern Europe shows higher rates of building electrification, while Western and Central Europe focus on industrial electrification and the development of prosumer initiatives.
“To remain competitive on the world stage, Europe needs to accelerate the transition to a more electrified economy,” according to Schneider Electric analysts.
The report identifies several key policy areas that need to be implemented to achieve this goal.
First and foremost, according to the authors of the document, governments need to reduce the price difference between electricity and natural gas by gradually phasing out fossil fuel subsidies and reforming the tax system to encourage the use of clean energy.
Equally important is accelerating financing — simplifying access to investment, introducing targeted incentives, especially for small and medium-sized businesses, and directing revenues from emissions trading and innovation funds to electrification projects.
The report also highlights the need to develop local markets, which involves mandatory electrification of new buildings and industrial processes, support for the rapid introduction of heat pumps and electric vehicles, and encouragement of prosumer initiatives.
In addition, an important direction is to promote local development through sustainable public procurement, accelerate standardization, and support European innovation and manufacturing—this will allow the economic and social benefits of electrification to be fully realized across the continent.
“This study is one of the most thorough analyses of Europe’s electrification potential and the policy actions needed to realise it. It emphasizes that electrification is vital — not only for achieving climate goals, but also for stimulating economic growth, energy independence, and industrial competitiveness,” said Laurent Bataille, Executive Vice President of Schneider Electric in Europe.
In his opinion, Europe must urgently overcome the stagnation of electrification, for which the relevant technologies already exist and are ready for implementation. At the same time, appropriate policy incentives and decisive business action are also needed to unlock the economic and environmental potential that EU countries need.
Ukrainians generally prefer personal freedom over social welfare, although most are in favor of balancing these priorities. This is evidenced by the results of a sociological study by the International Institute for Liberty, presented at the Interfax-Ukraine agency.
The survey was conducted on behalf of the Institute by New Image Marketing Group using the Lemur app in the first half of September 2025. CAWI methodology, sample of 1,000 respondents, representative of the adult population of Internet users aged 18+ throughout Ukraine, except for the temporarily occupied territories. The statistical error does not exceed 3.16%.
According to the study, most respondents choose a balance between personal freedom and public interests. Among those who make an unambiguous choice, 29% give priority to personal freedom, while 13% support the primacy of public welfare. Against the backdrop of wartime, a significant proportion of respondents are willing to agree to certain temporary restrictions, but a noticeable portion emphasize that personal freedom should not suffer even for the common good.
In the ranking of agreement with the statements, mutual support in difficult times, even at the cost of personal resources, takes first place. This is followed by attitudes about the right of a person to live as they see fit and the decisive role of personal effort in achieving success. The priority of public interests over individual interests came in last place.
In terms of self-identification of views, nationalist views prevail. 17% identified themselves as liberal conservatives, 5% identified themselves as libertarians, and about 30% were unable to define their ideology. The main sources of information in terms of frequency of mention are Telegram, YouTube, websites, and Facebook.
Yaroslav Romanchuk, president of the International Institute of Liberty: “Ukrainians are ready for the market and capitalism. It is part of our value code. Charity, solidarity, and mutual support have become a powerful force that can become the foundation for development after victory.” He stressed that the key challenge remains a lack of understanding of basic economic concepts: “We need educational work on economic freedom, private property, and the role of the state. The state must guarantee security and rights, but not replace private initiative.” Romanchuk also highlighted the link between support for market principles and long-term growth results: “Where support for market principles is higher, investment, productivity, and prosperity are higher. Ukraine can move faster if there is competition between programs and ideas, not just personalities.”
A comparison with Central European countries showed that state regulation of prices and wages is more often supported in Ukraine than in Poland, while agreement with the statement that private businesses have the right to independently determine their product range and prices is lower, at around 20%. Support for the market economy has grown compared to 2019, but lags behind Poland and the Czech Republic.
In demographic terms, support for elements of the market economy is more common among higher-income groups, young people aged 18-29, and respondents aged 55+. By gender, support for capitalism is higher among men than among women.
Mykhailo Kamchatnyi, Director of the International Institute for Liberty, emphasized that Ukrainians consistently place individual interests above those of the state and society, while at the same time demonstrating a high level of solidarity.
The full report and an abridged presentation are available on the website of the International Institute for Liberty.
The war hit the Ukrainian agricultural sector hard not only with missiles but also with a shortage of people. Thousands of specialists have gone abroad, while others have been mobilized or changed their profession. Elevators and grain processing plants are increasingly staffed by people without sufficient training. And while in the field you can still rely on the experience of senior agronomists, post-harvest handling and storage of grain requires precise knowledge, technological discipline and responsibility. A mistake at this stage can cost the farmer the entire harvest, SEEDS writes.
That is why the free online courses of the educational platform for agribusiness AgriAcademy.org are now becoming an effective tool for Ukrainian farmers. Established at the initiative of the EBRD, this educational platform of certified free courses for agribusiness has proven its effectiveness in wartime, when access to education is limited and the need for advanced training is greater than ever. AgriAcademy does not just teach – it preserves the professional potential of the agricultural sector, helping businesses operate steadily and professionals develop.
A new course has been added to the platform: “Post-harvest handling and storage of grain”. It is aimed specifically at those who want to deepen their knowledge in grain processing, improve the quality and safety of crop storage, avoid losses and ensure stable operation of the enterprise.
The curriculum covers all key stages of post-harvest grain preparation: from the organization of acceptance to storage, ventilation, pest control, and quality control.
Take the course at AgriAcademy.org
The students will gain a systematic understanding of the technological process at elevators and grain receiving facilities, learn about the physical and physiological properties of grain masses, self-heating and post-harvest ripening processes, and methods of preventing storage losses.
The course consists of 11 thematic modules, including:
The program also includes a module on visiting a working enterprise, a practical component that allows you to see the technologies in action.
Who teaches the course
The course was prepared by leading experts from Ukrainian universities:
Who is this course for?
For technologists, elevator operators, farmers, students of agricultural specialties – anyone who wants to understand how to preserve grain without loss and make the post-harvest processing process as efficient as possible.
Terms of participation
The course is free, available online at a convenient time, and you will receive a certificate upon completion.
Today, when the agricultural sector holds the economic frontline of the country, knowledge is becoming no less a strategic resource than fuel or seeds. AgriAcademy provides this knowledge openly, free of charge, and most importantly, practically.
So if you work with grain, this course is an opportunity to strengthen not only your business but also the food security of Ukraine.
You can register and take the course on the website: AgriAcademy.org.
Today, the platform offers 30+ online courses – more than 300 hours of practical training in agronomy, management, technology, processing, storage, etc. Each course includes a knowledge test.
The creation and management of the platform (including course development, study tours, etc.) is supported and funded by the EBRD, as well as the
The National Bank of Ukraine for violation of legal requirements in the sphere of prevention and counteraction to legalization of proceeds of crime and currency legislation in October 2025 applied to seven banks measures of influence, including fines for the total amount of UAH 205.8 million. According to the publication on the regulator’s website, the largest fines received banks Alliance – UAH 83.5 million, MTB – UAH 78.2 million, Universal, on the basis of which operates mono, – UAH 27.3 million and Ukrsibbank – UAH 11.5 million.
As noted by the National Bank, Alliance Bank was fined UAH 67.6 million for improper organization and conduct of primary financial monitoring (internal documents and procedures, risk management, application of risk-oriented approach, verification of clients, provision of reliable information to NBU requests). Separately, a fine of UAH 15.9 million was imposed for violations of customer due diligence, enhanced measures against high-risk customers, documentation of AML/CFT activities and work with customers related to politically exposed persons.
In addition, the bank received a written warning for failing to include in customer questionnaires data confirmed by available documents.
MTB Bank was fined UAH 75.0 million for failure to comply with the risk-oriented approach, risk management (including remote technologies and new products) and customer due diligence. A separate fine of UAH 3.2 mln was imposed for violation of currency supervision requirements, in particular, untimely identification of currency transactions indicator and shortcomings in analyzing and verifying documents on currency transactions. At the same time, the bank received a written warning for shortcomings in the development and updating of internal documents on AML/CFT issues.
According to the release, Universal Bank was fined UAH 27.3 million for improper customer due diligence, deficiencies in risk management procedures and violation of the procedure for informing the specially authorized body about transactions of customers with frozen assets. In addition, the bank received a written warning for shortcomings in fixing events in the automation system.
As reported by the National Bank, Ukrsibbank must pay UAH 11.0 million for improper customer due diligence and shortcomings in risk-oriented approach, as well as UAH 0.5 million for violation of requirements for notification of the specially authorized body on threshold financial transactions. At the same time, the bank received a written warning for shortcomings in the development of internal documents on AML/CFT issues.
RVS Bank, which the National Bank this week recognized as insolvent, was fined UAH 3.8 mln for violation of risk-oriented approach requirements.
Cominbank was fined UAH 1.1 mln for untimely notification of threshold financial transactions and improper establishment of high risk level in relation to clients.
Idea Bank has to pay UAH 0.5 million fine for untimely execution of the decision on suspension of operations and untimely notification of the specially authorized body about the balance of funds on the client’s account.
In addition to banks, the penalties were also applied to four non-banking financial institutions.
NovaPay Credit LLC from NovaPay Group was fined UAH 255 thousand for improper customer verification and deficiencies in risk-oriented approach. At the same time, the company received a written warning for shortcomings in the development of internal documents on AML/CFT issues.
LLC “FC ”Mustang Finance”, which the National Bank in early November revoked the license, was fined for UAH 731 thousand for shortcomings in internal documents on AML/CFT issues, failure to provide reliable information on the requests of the NBU and violation of the procedure for the formation of statistical reporting.
LLC FC Abecor should pay UAH 595 thousand for improper risk management, violation of requirements for identification and verification of clients, monitoring of financial transactions and submission of reliable information to the regulator.
Alliance Capital Group FC LLC must pay a UAH 17 thousand fine for making material errors in statistical reporting on currency transactions.
On November 19, Deloitte Ukraine will hold its 10th anniversary Conductors of Change Forum in Kyiv, an event that has been bringing together leaders from business, government, the public sector, and culture for ten years to jointly seek solutions that will shape the country’s future.
The theme of the Forum is “10 Years: Retrospective/Perspective.”
The discussions will focus on
Retrospective shaping the future
What has changed in Ukrainian society, the economy, and state institutions over the last decade? How can the experience of past years become the foundation for development in the next decade?
Moderator: Serhiy Kulyk, Managing Partner, Deloitte Ukraine
The power of culture: a nation that has redefined itself
Can our time be called a true cultural renaissance? How is a new Ukrainian identity being formed and what role can business play in this process?
Moderator: Andriy Bulakh, Deputy Chairman of the Board, MHP
The future through our own eyes
What challenges do Ukraine and Europe face—security, energy independence, demographics, technology—and what innovative solutions can form the basis of a sustainable economy?
Moderator: Yegor Grygorenko, Partner, Deloitte Ukraine
The architecture of new leadership—a thousand-step journey
What kind of leadership is needed to take responsibility for the reconstruction, modernization, and integration of Ukraine into the global world?
Moderator – Roman Bondar, CEO of Korn Ferry Ukraine
Speakers at the event include: Serhiy Chernenko, Chairman of the Board of PUMB; Oleksandr Bogutsky, CEO of Starlight Media; Natalka Vorozhbit, playwright, screenwriter, and director; Aivaras Abromavicius, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Ukrainian Corporate Governance Academy (UCGA); Vladislav Rashkovan, Deputy Executive Director of the IMF; Serhiy Zhadan, writer and musician; Oleksandr Khomenko, director, co-founder of the MUR cultural association; Oksana Syroid, officer of the 2nd Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine “Charter,” associate professor at the Kyiv School of Economics, and others.
For more information about the program, visit the Forum website: https://delo.tt/61827GWIk.
Event partners: MHP, FUIB, Squad, Korn Ferry, Maison Castel, and the social enterprise POI “Inclusively Friendly,” which helps organize the event space to maximize accessibility.
Social component: 10% of the cost of tickets and partner contributions will be directed to the Children of Heroes Charitable Foundation, which provides assistance to children who have lost one or both parents as a result of the war.
Media accreditation is open until November 17. Please send your requests to Anastasia Pratsyuk, PR specialist at Deloitte Ukraine (apratsiuk@deloittece.com).
