According to the “Serbian Economist,” five EU countries—the Netherlands, Croatia, Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia—have called for a pause before closing the remaining negotiation chapters with Montenegro, reports the Podgorica-based newspaper Dan, citing diplomatic sources in Brussels.
The Netherlands initiated the move, demanding further analysis of Montenegro’s compliance with European criteria and a more consistent application of established standards. Croatia and the three Baltic countries subsequently joined this position.
This has already affected the negotiation schedule. The EU–Montenegro intergovernmental conference scheduled for September—at which Podgorica had hoped to close new chapters—will not take place.
However, Brussels’ official line is more conciliatory. An EU representative stated that several countries have not yet completed their internal approval procedures, as many negotiation chapters are technically complex.
“The desire to make progress is there. The work is practically complete. It’s more a matter of timing than anything else,” the EU representative said.
The most optimistic scenario at the moment is that the next intergovernmental conference will be held in mid-October in Luxembourg.
Montenegro remains the candidate that has made the most progress in the EU accession process. The country has opened all 33 negotiation chapters, 18 of which have already been provisionally closed. The last conference took place on July 14, when Chapters 8 (“Competition Policy”) and 29 (“Customs Union”) were closed.
Croatia’s position remains a separate issue. In July, Zagreb refused to agree to the closure of Chapter 14, “Transport Policy,” primarily due to issues regarding cabotage and aviation permits. Croatia also continues to block Chapter 31, “Foreign Policy, Security, and Defense,” due to unresolved bilateral issues with Montenegro.
The Council of the EU officially confirms that Montenegro’s progress continues and that work on new negotiating positions is ongoing.
According to Experts Club, EU countries issued approximately 3.9 million first-time residence permits to third-country nationals in 2025, which is 10.1%, or 355,350, more than in 2024.
This was the highest figure since Eurostat began compiling comparative statistics in 2008.
Labor migration was the main driver of this growth. The number of first-time work-related permits increased by 179,700, or 16.1%, over the year, reaching approximately 1.3 million. Work-related permits accounted for 33.6% of all first-time residence permits issued.
The number of permits issued for family reasons rose by 14.1%—to approximately 1.1 million, or 28.1% of the total.
Another 600,000 residence permits, or 15.5%, were issued for educational purposes. Their number increased by 9%.
About 22.8% of permits were issued on other grounds, including international protection. In this category, the number of residence permits decreased by 0.9%.
Ukrainian citizens constituted the largest group of first-time permit recipients—335,100—followed by India with 227,600 and Morocco with 202,100.
Spain led all EU countries in the total number of new permits, issuing 635,400 residence permits.
The data does not include individuals under temporary protection, including the millions of Ukrainians who fled the country after the start of the full-scale war.
According to Experts Club, Ukrainian citizens received 335,100 first-time residence permits in European Union countries in 2025, ranking first among citizens of all non-EU countries, according to Eurostat data.
Ukrainians accounted for 8.7% of all first-time residence permits issued in the EU to third-country nationals. Citizens of India ranked second with 227,600 permits, or 5.9%, while Morocco ranked third with 202,100 permits, or 5.2%.
Compared to 2024, the number of first-time residence permits issued to Ukrainians increased by 13.6%. A year earlier, there were about 295,000. Thus, despite the continuation of the temporary protection mechanism, the flow of Ukrainians who are transitioning to or initially applying for other grounds for legal residence in the EU remains significant.
The main reason Ukrainians obtained their first residence permit was employment. According to Eurostat, approximately two-thirds of the permits issued to Ukrainian citizens in 2025 were related to employment.
Poland remained the primary destination: it accounted for 72% of all first residence permits issued to Ukrainians in the EU.
At the same time, Eurostat specifically notes that these figures do not include individuals benefiting from temporary protection in connection with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Temporary protection is accounted for in separate statistics; therefore, the 335,100 permits reflect other grounds for residence—primarily work, family, education, and other categories.
In total, EU countries issued approximately 3.9 million first-time residence permits to third-country nationals in 2025.
EU, Eurostat, EXPERTS CLUB, MIGRATION, RESIDENCE PERMIT, UKRAINE
According to the Relocation project, five Eastern Caribbean nations—Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, and Saint Kitts and Nevis—plan to send a joint delegation to Brussels for negotiations on the future of citizenship-by-investment (CBI) programs, Prian reports, citing Investment Migration Insider.
Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit stated that the negotiations are scheduled to take place toward the end of September 2026, although the exact date of the meeting has not yet been agreed upon. The delegation expects to hold consultations with the leadership of the European Commission, the European Council, and the European External Action Service.
The decision to launch the joint mission was made on July 10 at a meeting of leaders from the Eastern Caribbean at Roseau, Dominica. In an official statement, the meeting participants emphasized the economic importance of investment citizenship programs for small island states and the need to take into account their dependence on CBI-related revenues.
The negotiations are taking place against the backdrop of the European Union’s hardline stance on such programs. As previously reported, on June 25, European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner sent a letter to Antigua and Barbuda proposing that the investment citizenship program be phased out by June 1, 2028, with a 24-month transition period. According to industry sources, similar demands were also sent to four other countries.
The reason for the pressure from Brussels is primarily linked to visa-free access for citizens of these countries to the Schengen Area. The updated EU mechanism allows for the existence of a program that grants citizenship in exchange for investment—without the applicant having a substantial connection to the country—to be considered grounds for suspending the visa-free regime. EU documents also emphasize the need to strengthen vetting of applicants and to phase out such schemes.
As early as September, Caribbean states are to strengthen vetting of candidates and completely exclude individuals subject to EU sanctions from these programs. At the same time, the countries are working to establish a single regional supervisory body—Eastern Caribbean Citizenship by Investment Regulatory Authority (ECCIRA). The decision to form a common regulator was adopted by five states back in 2025.
ECCIRA is expected to set common standards for vetting investors, monitor the activities of national programs, and facilitate the exchange of information between countries. The regulator’s headquarters is to be located in Grenada.
Citizenship-by-investment programs remain an important source of revenue for small Caribbean economies. Foreigners can obtain citizenship after making a specified contribution to a government fund or investing in approved projects, particularly in real estate. As of 2026, all five programs continue to accept applications, and the minimum investment threshold starts at approximately $200,000, although specific requirements vary by country.
Caribbean governments intend to persuade the EU not to abruptly terminate the programs and are proposing that the EU take into account their role in financing infrastructure, climate projects, education, healthcare, and recovery from natural disasters.
According to Skerrit, the goal of the upcoming mission is to work with Brussels to find “practical and mutually beneficial solutions” that will allow for both the EU’s security requirements and the interests of small island economies to be taken into account.
According to Experts.news, Ukrainian citizens planning to travel abroad or return to the country with their pets must prepare veterinary documents in advance, verify that the animal has a microchip and a valid rabies vaccination, and in some cases, also provide the results of an antibody test, the Embassy of Ukraine in the Slovak Republic reported.
As diplomats note, the movement of an animal is considered non-commercial if it is not for the purpose of sale or transfer to another owner. For such trips, the main requirements include identification of the animal via a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination, an international veterinary certificate, and a veterinary passport of the prescribed format. Typically, no more than five animals may be transported as part of a non-commercial movement.
Additional requirements must be taken into account for trips from Ukraine to EU countries. As of April 22, 2026, updated rules for the non-commercial movement of pets from third countries will be in effect in the European Union. For Ukraine, the basic requirements have not changed significantly: a dog, cat, or ferret must be microchipped, have a valid rabies vaccination, and, as a rule, a test result confirming sufficient levels of antibodies to the rabies virus.
An important detail concerns the sequence of procedures. The microchip must be implanted before the rabies vaccination or on the day of vaccination. At the time of the initial vaccination, the animal must be at least 12 weeks old, and such a vaccination typically becomes valid for travel no earlier than 21 days afterward.
For Ukrainian animals entering the EU, a rabies antibody titer test is required. The State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection recommends drawing blood for analysis no earlier than 30 days after vaccination and taking into account the mandatory waiting period of at least 90 days before obtaining the necessary travel documents. The test itself must be conducted in an EU-approved laboratory.
If the test has already yielded a positive result, it does not need to be repeated for each trip, provided that the animal is revaccinated in a timely manner before the previous vaccination expires.
An international veterinary certificate must be obtained before crossing the border. For entry into the EU from a third country, it is valid for 10 days from the date of issuance until the document and identification checks are completed at an official point of entry. After passing inspection, the certificate may be used for further travel within the EU for up to six months or until the rabies vaccination expires—whichever comes first.
When crossing the EU’s external border with an animal, you must do so through state-designated Travellers’ Points of Entry, where authorized services can verify the animal’s documents and identification. Before traveling through Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, or Romania, it is advisable to check in advance whether the chosen border crossing is authorized for entry with pets.
Starting in 2026, another important detail has been introduced. If the animal is accompanied not by the owner but by a person authorized by the owner, the trip may be considered non-commercial only if the owner crosses the border no more than five days before or after the animal. A written declaration must be attached to the documents. Otherwise, stricter rules governing the commercial transport of animals may apply.
Ukraine has also changed the format of the veterinary passport. A new template, approved by Order No. 1366 of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy dated February 28, 2025, has been in effect since March 1, 2026. However, previously issued veterinary passports remain valid and do not need to be replaced.
The veterinary passport is issued by a state or authorized veterinarian after examining the animal and entering information regarding its identification, vaccinations, and other necessary preventive measures. For now, this document is issued in paper form in Ukraine.
Specific requirements may vary depending on the country of destination. For example, to import dogs into Finland, Ireland, Malta, Northern Ireland, and Norway, additional treatment against the tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis is required, administered by a veterinarian within the specified time frame prior to entry.
A veterinary inspection is also conducted when the animal returns to Ukraine. Only clinically healthy animals accompanied by the owner or an authorized person and meeting the established requirements are permitted for import. Requirements regarding identification, vaccination, and veterinary documentation apply to dogs, cats, and ferrets. Separate rules apply to animals under 16 weeks of age.
If more than five dogs, cats, or ferrets are being transported, such a trip may be considered non-commercial only in certain cases—for example, to participate in exhibitions, competitions, or training sessions. In such cases, the animals must be older than six months, and the owner must confirm their registration for the relevant event.
The State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection recommends starting to prepare for travel with a pet several months in advance, especially if the animal has not yet received a rabies vaccination or undergone a laboratory antibody test. It is essential to check the specific rules for both the country of first entry and the final destination, as they may vary depending on the route, species, and age of the animal.
Source: Embassy of Ukraine in the Slovak Republic, State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection, European Commission.
In January–August 2026, Ukraine exported 1.64 billion eggs worth a total of $164 million, which is an 18.3% increase in volume and a 37% increase in value compared to the same period in 2025, said Serhiy Karpenko, executive director of the Ukrainian Poultry Farmers’ Union, in an interview with the “Interfax-Ukraine” news agency.
The main buyers of Ukrainian eggs during the first eight months of 2026 were Spain—25.4% of exports—the United Kingdom—13.2%—Poland—8.7%—and the Czech Republic—7.4%. The share of EU countries in exports amounted to 75.9%.
Exports of egg products from January through August 2026 totaled 6.7 thousand metric tons, a 36% increase compared to the same period last year. The main importing countries were Latvia, Poland, and Croatia. The share of EU countries in exports was 76.4%.
According to Karpenko, the top priority markets for further export development are Asian countries, particularly China, the MENA region (the Middle East and North Africa), and ASEAN countries (Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Indonesia).
In addition, it is important to open up markets in the United States, South Africa, and Mexico, and to expand exports to EU countries, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq.
As reported, in the first eight months of 2026, Ukraine increased poultry meat exports by 12.5%—to 330,200 metric tons—while foreign exchange earnings from these exports decreased by 2.6%—to $697.9 million. The main buyers were the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Slovakia, and the UAE.
