The European Union is preparing a support mechanism for companies that would allow them to avoid relying solely on China for supplies of essential goods and would also mitigate the impact of Beijing’s measures in the event of a trade conflict, Bloomberg reported Saturday, citing sources.
“According to people familiar with the matter, this working tool will not come cheap and will require funding, while EU members are haggling over the long-term budget,” the agency reported.
However, the amount of funding needed, as well as the scale of China’s retaliatory measures in the event of a conflict, remain uncertain.
The mechanism being developed by the European Commission is intended to be part of the EU’s efforts to mitigate the effects of a significant trade deficit with China, which stands at 360 billion euros and affects all EU member states.
At the same time, the EU’s strategy for restructuring trade relations with China also calls for negotiations, diversification of supply chains, and more effective use of existing measures to support domestic producers. The European Commission also emphasized that none of the protective measures are directed exclusively against China.
The parties have set October 2026 as the deadline for reaching an agreement. In October, European Commissioner for Trade Maroš Šefčovič is scheduled to travel to China ahead of the EU summit in Brussels.
Bloomberg notes that Beijing controls the supply of mineral raw materials and microchips, which are critical to key sectors of European industry, including the defense and automotive sectors.
Nine European countries—Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Switzerland—have asked the European Commission to extend the temporary mechanism that eases the implementation of the new Entry/Exit System (EES) at the external borders of the Schengen Area.
The EES requires mandatory electronic registration of non-EU citizens when crossing the border, including facial recognition and fingerprinting. According to the countries that initiated the appeal, the first months of the system’s operation revealed serious problems at a number of airports and border crossing points: lines grew longer, processing times increased, and the burden on border services rose.
The current temporary mechanism allows for the waiver of biometric data collection in exceptional cases, while still maintaining electronic registration of travelers. Nine countries believe that abandoning this measure now could lead to new disruptions in border infrastructure operations.
For Ukrainian citizens, this issue has direct practical implications, as Ukrainians are also considered travelers from non-EU countries and are subject to the EES for short-term trips to the Schengen Area.
If the European Commission agrees to extend the temporary mechanism, this could:
reduce the risk of long lines at popular border crossings and major EU airports, especially during peak travel periods; reduce the likelihood of delays for Ukrainian tourists, drivers, business travelers, and seasonal workers when crossing the border;
give EU countries more time to fine-tune the system technically without suspending its operation.
However, Ukrainians should not expect the biometric registration requirement to be lifted. The EES remains a mandatory system, and in most cases, Ukrainian citizens entering the Schengen Area will be required to have their photo taken and provide fingerprints upon their first border crossing after the system’s launch.
Experts note that the extension of the simplified regime signifies a more flexible application of the rules at problematic border crossing points rather than a change in the requirements for travelers themselves.
The EES system is part of a broader reform of the EU’s external border controls and is intended to eventually replace traditional passport stamping with electronic recording of all entries and exits by third-country nationals.
According to “Serbian Economist”, Serbia does not expect candidate countries to join the European Union anytime soon, but believes that the European path remains the best option for the region, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said at a conference of the speakers of the parliaments of EU candidate countries in Belgrade.
According to him, the EU is unlikely to be able to make quick decisions on enlargement in the coming years. However, Vucic emphasized that this does not mean Serbia and other candidate countries should halt their reforms.
The Belgrade Format is also important from an economic standpoint: Serbia is effectively promoting the idea that candidate countries should be partners rather than competitors. This is particularly relevant for the Western Balkans, Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia, where European integration is increasingly viewed not only as a political project but also as a trade and logistics initiative.
Vucic placed special emphasis on Ukraine. He stated that Ukraine has demonstrated resilience and that Europe has much to gain from its potential. For Serbia, this also presents an opportunity to strengthen economic ties with Kyiv without waiting for formal EU membership.
Trade between Serbia and Ukraine in 2025 returned to roughly pre-war levels and, according to Serbian data, amounted to approximately $442 million. Serbian exports to Ukraine reached $202.9 million, while imports from Ukraine totaled $239.3 million. Electricity, mineral and chemical fertilizers, tires, and industrial goods play a significant role in the structure of Serbian exports. Ukraine supplies Serbia with iron ore, semi-finished rolled steel products, metal products, and agricultural goods, including frozen raspberries. In the first quarter of 2026, trade turnover had already reached $152.8 million, and Serbia recorded a trade surplus of $36.8 million. The parties have also resumed negotiations on a free trade agreement, which could become a key instrument for further growth in trade volumes.
Demand for short-term housing rentals in the EU through online platforms continued to grow in early 2026. From January through March, guests spent 144.3 million nights in short-term accommodations booked through Airbnb, Booking, or Expedia. This is 9.7% more than in the first quarter of 2025 and 16.6% higher than in the first quarter of 2024, Eurostat reported on July 2.
Malta showed the fastest growth—up 30.5% year-over-year. It was followed by Slovenia—up 24.7%, Slovakia—up 23.5%, and Cyprus—up 22.3%. Double-digit growth was also recorded in Finland, the Czech Republic, Ireland, Croatia, Greece, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
Among the EU’s largest tourism markets, all seven of the most-visited countries also showed growth. Germany saw a 14.9% increase, Italy 14.7%, Poland 11.9%, France 8.1%, Spain 6.5%, Portugal 4.9%, and Austria 4%. This means that the market is growing not only in small countries with a low baseline but also in major tourism economies.
Eurostat clarifies that these figures specifically refer to guest nights in short-term accommodations booked through platforms, rather than hotels and campgrounds. For example, if a family of four stays in an apartment for three nights, this counts as 12 guest nights. The data is published as experimental statistics and is based on information that the platforms report directly to Eurostat.
Regional statistics are published with a delay. According to data for the fourth quarter of 2025, the most popular regions for short-term rentals through these platforms were Andalusia in Spain—9.9 million nights, the Canary Islands—8.2 million, and Île-de-France in France—7.2 million. Only regions from three countries—Spain, France, and Italy—made it into the top ten.
For investors, these statistics mean that focusing solely on overall market growth is no longer sufficient. It is necessary to take into account the specific country, city, seasonality, local restrictions on Airbnb and Booking, taxes, registration rules, and competition from hotels. In Europe, short-term rentals continue to grow, but are becoming an increasingly regulated and professional business.
Antigua and Barbuda could lose visa-free access to the Schengen Area by the end of 2026 due to the European Union’s concerns about its citizenship-by-investment program, said Prime Minister Gaston Brown. According to him, Brussels has warned of a possible revocation of visa privileges if the EU’s security concerns regarding the program are not addressed.
This refers to the Citizenship by Investment Program—a scheme under which foreign investors can obtain citizenship of Antigua and Barbuda through a fee or investment. For purchasers of such passports, mobility remains the key commercial benefit: the country’s passport currently allows for short-term visa-free entry into the Schengen Area.
Brown made it clear, however, that the government does not intend to shut down the citizenship-by-investment program, even under pressure from the EU. For Antigua and Barbuda, it remains an important source of non-tax revenue and a tool for financing development. The authorities hope to convince the European side that additional electronic travel monitoring could serve as an alternative to a full-fledged visa regime.
Pressure on Caribbean programs has intensified following the reform of the EU’s visa mechanism. In October 2025, the European Parliament supported an update to the rules that allows for the faster suspension of visa-free travel for countries that pose security risks or violate the conditions of visa liberalization. “Golden passport” schemes effectively fall into a separate category of such risks.
In its eighth report on the visa suspension mechanism, the European Commission explicitly stated that citizenship-by-investment programs in visa-free countries pose a “non-zero risk” to the Schengen Area. Although countries in the Eastern Caribbean have already raised the minimum investment threshold to $200,000 and tightened applicant screening, Brussels considers the situation problematic.
This is a warning sign for the investment migration market. Vanuatu has already become the first country to lose visa-free access to the EU due to “golden passports”: the European Union permanently revoked the visa-free travel agreement with this Pacific nation in December 2024, following a previous suspension of the arrangement in 2022.
Antigua and Barbuda has already faced similar pressure from the United States. In early 2026, Washington suspended visa services for the country’s citizens, citing concerns that the citizenship-by-investment program could be exploited by criminal organizations to gain access to the U.S.
If the EU does indeed impose visa requirements, the value of an Antigua and Barbuda passport for foreign investors will plummet. For small island economies in the Caribbean, this could mean not only a drop in demand for CBI programs but also a reevaluation of the entire model of attracting capital through the sale of citizenship.
For investors, the conclusion is becoming increasingly clear: a “golden passport” without sustainable visa-free access to the EU is transforming from a tool for mobility into a much riskier asset. European policy is gradually shifting from tolerance of investment citizenship to direct control and the possible revocation of visa benefits.
Antigua and Barbuda, EU, golden passport, INVESTMENT, VISA-FREE TRAVEL
The European Commission has launched the Connectivity Agenda Platform—a new platform to coordinate investments in transport, energy, digital infrastructure, and trade between Europe and Central Asia via the Black Sea region and the South Caucasus.
At the same time, the European Commission has signed agreements with international financial institutions to mobilize up to 2 billion euros for strategic infrastructure projects in the Black Sea region and the South Caucasus.
The platform was presented at a high-level ministerial meeting attended by representatives from EU countries, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan, as well as the G7 and international financial institutions.
The main goal of the initiative is to integrate projects for the development of the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor into a single system; the EU views this corridor as one of the key routes between Europe and Central Asia, bypassing unstable or politically risky routes.
Investments are planned to be directed toward transportation infrastructure, border crossing points, and trade facilitation. The participants also agreed to enhance the operational efficiency of the Trans-Caspian Corridor and asked the European Commission to assess its performance and propose priority measures to improve the route’s competitiveness.
For Ukraine, this initiative is important in several respects. First, Kyiv has been included in the framework for discussions on regional connectivity between the EU, the Black Sea, the South Caucasus, and Central Asia. Second, the development of alternative trade routes reinforces the importance of the Black Sea corridor for exports, logistics, and the restoration of the region’s transit role. Third, such projects could become part of Ukraine’s broader integration into European transport, energy, and digital networks.
The Connectivity Agenda is part of the Global Gateway strategy. This strategy aims to strengthen the EU’s external connections through investments in infrastructure, energy, digital solutions, and sustainable trade.
The European Commission notes that the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor is already gaining strategic importance as a more resilient route between Europe and Central Asia. According to Marta Kos, European Commissioner for Enlargement, trade along this route could increase fivefold over the next 15 years.
In fact, the EU is seeking to create a new infrastructure architecture along the Europe–Black Sea–South Caucasus–Central Asia axis. For businesses, this means potentially more routes, less dependence on specific transit routes, and new opportunities in logistics, energy, digital projects, and trade.
