A revision of EU air passenger rights regulations could pose a serious challenge to the business model of Wizz Air and other ultra-low-cost carriers, which generate profits not only through base fares but also through a wide range of additional paid services.
European institutions are discussing updates to rules related to compensation for flight delays and cancellations, passengers’ rights to carry-on baggage, seating arrangements for families, transparency regarding additional fees, and the handling of complaints. For traditional airlines, this means an increased compliance burden, but for ultra-low-cost carriers, the potential impact could be greater, as a significant portion of their revenue comes from ancillary revenue—baggage fees, seat selection, priority boarding, rebooking, and other services.
Wizz Air is one of the most prominent examples of this model in Europe. The company’s base fare typically includes a minimal set of services, while many aspects of the trip are paid for separately. Wizz Air’s official website states that passengers may bring one carry-on bag measuring up to 40 x 30 x 20 cm on board free of charge, provided it fits under the seat. Larger carry-on bags, checked baggage, seat selection, and a range of other services are subject to additional fees.
It is this business model that allows low-cost carriers to offer low base fares while simultaneously increasing average revenue per passenger through additional services. If the EU introduces stricter requirements for free carry-on baggage, seating children next to accompanying adults, or limits certain fees, a portion of airlines’ revenue could come under pressure.
The key debate centers on the revision of Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, which governs compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of denied boarding, flight cancellations, and long delays. According to the European Parliament’s analytical service, the EU Council proposed in 2025 to change the compensation thresholds, specifically to set longer delay thresholds for payments, while the European Parliament advocates for maintaining stricter passenger protections and additional rights, including stricter rules on carry-on baggage and a ban on unfair ancillary charges.
For Wizz Air, the risk lies in the fact that the regulator could affect two pillars of the business model at once: revenue from ancillary services and operational discipline. Ultra-low-cost carriers operate with high fleet load factors, tight schedules, and rapid aircraft turnaround. Any new requirements regarding passenger service, compensation, connections, baggage, or seating could increase costs and reduce flexibility.
The issue of carry-on baggage could become particularly sensitive. Currently, many European low-cost carriers distinguish between a small bag stored under the seat and a full-sized cabin bag placed in the overhead compartment.
If the new version of the rules establishes passengers’ right to a larger allowance of free carry-on luggage, this will cut into one of the usual sources of additional revenue. Additionally, airlines may face an operational challenge: the cabins of narrow-body aircraft simply lack the physical space to accommodate full-sized carry-on luggage for all passengers.
The second sensitive issue is seating families together. If airlines are required to seat children next to their parents or accompanying adults for free, this will limit the monetization of seat selection. For passengers, this will be an improvement in service, but for low-cost carriers, it will mean a loss of revenue from seat selection.
The third area is compensation for delays and cancellations. The current EC261 regulation provides for payments ranging from 250 to 600 euros depending on the flight distance under certain conditions. Wizz Air explicitly lists these compensation amounts under EC261 on its website.
Airlines and industry associations warn that expanding passenger rights could significantly increase their costs. According to estimates cited in industry discussions, the current EC261 regime already costs European carriers approximately €8 billion per year, and expanding the requirements could increase this amount.
However, for passengers and consumer organizations, the argument is the opposite: the European air travel market has become more complex, and many fees and restrictions have become opaque. From this perspective, tightening the rules should not destroy the low-cost model, but rather make it more transparent—so that the final ticket price is clearer from the very beginning of the purchase.
For the markets of Central and Southeastern Europe, potential changes are particularly important. Wizz Air holds a strong position in Hungary, Romania, Poland, Serbia, North Macedonia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and other countries in the region. For many airports and passengers, the company has become a key provider of affordable international flights. Any change in the low-cost carrier economy could affect flight frequency, prices, and route availability.
On the other hand, pressure on Wizz Air does not necessarily mean abandoning the current model. The company can adapt by raising base fares, introducing new package deals, optimizing schedules, revising baggage policies, digitizing claims processing, and increasing the share of direct sales. Low-cost carriers have already gone through similar regulatory cycles and typically responded not by exiting the market, but by adjusting their fare structures.
The key question for Wizz Air and other ultra-low-cost carriers is how far the EU will go. If the reforms are limited to clarifying compensation and procedures, the impact will be manageable. However, if the rules affect free baggage, family seating, and additional fees, the pressure on ancillary revenue could become significant.
Eugene Tomac, a native of southern Odessa region and a Romanian Member of the European Parliament, withdrew his candidacy for the post of prime minister after failing to form a cabinet within the 10-day deadline set by law. Romanian President Nicușor Dan subsequently nominated Adrian Veștu—deputy leader of the National Liberal Party, former Minister of Development, and head of the Brașov County Council—as the new candidate for prime minister.
Tomac was nominated on June 4 as an independent candidate tasked with forming a technocratic government and leading the country out of the political crisis. However, the parliamentary parties did not provide him with sufficient support. According to Reuters, political leaders preferred the option of a minority government rather than a technocratic cabinet.
The political crisis in Romania began after the collapse of the pro-European coalition and the resignation of Ilie Bolojan’s government. The fall of the cabinet complicated economic decision-making, jeopardized access to European funding, and increased pressure on the national currency.
Eugene Tomac was born in 1981 in the Ukrainian part of historic Bessarabia, in what is now the Odessa region. At age 17, he moved to Romania under a scholarship program for ethnic Romanians from neighboring countries. He later graduated from the University of Bucharest, where he studied history, journalism, and politics.
In Romania, Tomac served as State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a member of parliament, and leader of the People’s Movement Party (PMP); since 2019, he has been a member of the European Parliament. In the European Parliament, he represented Romania and advocated for a pro-European course, support for Moldova, and the strengthening of the eastern flank of the EU and NATO.
The new prime minister-designate, Adrian Vestea, now has 10 days to form a cabinet and secure a vote of confidence in parliament. President Dan described him as a pro-Western politician, a man of dialogue, and an administrator with experience in managing budgets and European funds.
Romania remains one of the largest countries in Eastern Europe, a member of the EU and NATO, and an important neighbor of Ukraine. Therefore, the protracted government crisis in Bucharest is significant not only for domestic politics but also for regional stability, the economy, and the coordination of the EU’s Eastern European policy.
On June 9, the Bosch Junior Academy—a modern educational and innovation hub focused on automotive maintenance, diagnostics, and repair—opened in Chernihiv, according to a statement from the press office of Robert Bosch Ltd. to the Interfax-Ukraine news agency.
The new educational facility is operating on the premises of the Chernihiv Higher Vocational School. Investments in the material and technical infrastructure of the Bosch Junior Academy project in Ukraine have exceeded EUR 100,000 at this stage. Students will train using state-of-the-art Bosch diagnostic equipment, which is used in leading auto service centers worldwide, and the training process is designed to closely mimic the working conditions of a modern auto service center.
This project was implemented in partnership between the Belgian Agency for International Cooperation (Enabel) and Bosch in Ukraine, with the support of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and the Chernihiv Regional Military Administration.
“For us, this project is an attempt to create a new model of cooperation between the government, business, and vocational education. We want to explore how the private sector can be integrated into the training of specialists so that educational programs align with the real needs of the labor market. “Bosch was one of the first private companies to offer its assistance to Ukraine, and today we are continuing this cooperation by creating real opportunities for professional development and employment for young people,” noted Dirk Depre, Director of Enabel in Ukraine.
According to Sergey Baranovsky, CEO of Robert Bosch Ltd., the opening of the Bosch Junior Academy in Chernihiv is an important step that underscores the company’s strategic vision for the development of vocational education in Ukraine.
The company noted that the first Bosch Junior Academy opened in Boryspil at the end of 2025. In 2026, the company, together with the Enabel agency, is continuing to expand its network of educational and innovation hubs: in addition to the newly opened academy in Chernihiv, preparations are underway to open another learning space in the city, and work is underway to launch the Bosch Junior Academy in Brovary.
These projects are part of Bosch’s long-term strategy aimed at supporting vocational education, developing the industry community, and strengthening the human capital of the Ukrainian labor market. Upon completion of the training, program participants receive internationally recognized certificates and qualifications that are accepted by the Bosch Service network in various countries around the world. The partnership with the Bosch Auto Service network opens up opportunities for students to complete internships and secure future employment: according to the latest survey, over 30% of interns have successfully found jobs within the network.
The Belgian Agency for International Cooperation (Enabel) supports Ukraine’s recovery, reconstruction, and European integration. In cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Science, Enabel supports the transformation of institutions in 12 regions into Centers of Professional Excellence. In the target regions of the BE-Relieve program—the Kyiv and Chernihiv regions—the agency is also investing in the development of Junior Academy hubs, construction of shelters, and innovative training and retraining programs for specialists.
Bosch in Ukraine is one of the leading suppliers of solutions for the automotive industry, the auto parts market, power tools, heating, air conditioning, and hot water supply systems, energy-efficient technologies, security systems, industrial solutions, and home appliances.
Rising housing and rent prices in Europe are increasingly limiting people’s access to adequate housing and increasing the risk of homelessness, according to the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA)’s annual report, Fundamental Rights Report: Challenges and Achievements in 2025.
According to the FRA, between 2015 and 2024, home prices in the EU rose by an average of 53%, while rents increased by nearly 17%. The agency notes that the housing crisis is becoming not only an economic issue but also a human rights issue, as the right to adequate housing is becoming increasingly inaccessible to vulnerable groups.
“Rising costs are affecting many people and families, as more and more people cannot afford housing and are at risk of becoming homeless,” said FRA Director Sirpa Rautio.
According to an estimate by the European Federation of National Organizations Working with the Homeless (FEANTSA), cited by the FRA, there were nearly 1.3 million homeless people in the EU in 2025. The agency identifies young people, private-market renters, low-income families, migrants, refugees, and people already on the brink of social exclusion as particularly vulnerable.
The FRA notes that more than two-thirds of EU residents own their homes, yet among those with incomes below the at-risk-of-poverty threshold, fewer than half are homeowners. This exacerbates inequality: rising housing prices increase the wealth of property owners but worsen the situation for renters and those without access to mortgages.
The report covers all 27 EU countries, as well as three candidate countries or countries potentially linked to the European integration process—Serbia, Albania, and North Macedonia.
The housing crisis is becoming one of the key social challenges for Europe. Rising housing prices are already affecting not only the real estate market, but also demographics, labor mobility, social stability, and trust in public institutions.
The National Bank of Ukraine has issued a written warning to FC “Alfa-Invest Group” LLC for violating the procedures governing foreign exchange transactions, the regulator announced on its website.
According to the NBU’s statement, the violation consisted of failing to provide a retail customer with cash in foreign currency simultaneously with the issuance of a settlement document by the transaction registrar.
No fine was imposed on the company in the NBU’s statement; the measure in question is a written warning.
Alfa-Invest Group LLC operates in the non-bank financial services market.
France and Italy have opposed the European Union’s initiative to draft trade agreements exclusively in English in order to speed up the negotiation process, citing constitutional constraints and risks to the multilingual nature of EU institutions, the Financial Times reports.
According to the publication, EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič proposed drafting the legal and technical “text” of a new trade agreement with Indonesia entirely in English, with the final text subsequently translated into all 24 official EU languages.
Typically, the process of finalizing trade agreements takes up to two years, as all changes must be agreed upon and implemented in all EU languages. The proposed approach, according to Šefčovič, should reduce the preparation time to one year.
He notes that delays in the process of concluding agreements lead to economic losses and postpone the benefits of trade agreements.
At the same time, France and Italy have expressed objections, citing constitutional provisions and the principle of multilingualism. A French official stated: “This is a matter of the French Constitution. France cannot be bound by or assume obligations under a text that is not drafted in French.”
However, according to sources, there is broad support among EU member states for the idea of accelerating agreement-conclusion procedures.
The European Commission notes that the use of English during the legal and technical drafting phase is standard practice in international negotiations and does not imply a refusal to translate the final documents.
