Ukraine will be fully integrated into the EU energy market in 2027, even if we are not yet formally a member of the Union, said Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Taras Kachka, according to a correspondent from Interfax-Ukraine.
“There is currently a large bill in parliament—several hundred pages on the final integration of Ukraine’s energy market with the EU. It is ready for its second reading, and I think we will be able to adopt it in February,” he said at the Ukrainian Breakfast in Davos on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum on Thursday, organized by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation.
According to Kachka, the document consists of hundreds of pages of technical assessments that experts have been working on for years.
“It is thanks to this work that in 2027 we will be fully integrated into the EU energy market, even if we are not yet formally a member of the Union,” the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized.
As reported, on July 22, the Verkhovna Rada adopted draft law No. 12087-d “On Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine Regarding the Implementation of European Law on Energy Market Integration, Improving Security of Supply and Competitiveness in the Energy Sector.” According to the Ministry of Energy, the relevant legislative proposal was developed on the basis of nine EU energy legislation acts and aims to create the necessary legislative framework for the full integration of Ukraine’s electricity market into the single European market on the principle of reciprocity.
The document provides, in particular, for the integration of the short-term (spot) electricity markets of Ukraine and the EU (market coupling) and balancing markets, which means increasing market liquidity, simplifying the conditions for trading electricity with the EU, making effective use of the transmission capacity of interconnections between countries, increasing the flexibility of the energy system, and providing access to EU reserves.
The draft law also provides for additional mechanisms to protect consumer rights and strengthen their role in the market by increasing the transparency of supply conditions and introducing tools for comparing suppliers’ offers, as well as creating conditions for consumers to participate in other market segments, in particular the ancillary services market.
The ministry noted that the adoption of the document as a whole will ensure the synchronization of electricity markets in early 2027.
The European Union Delegation to Ukraine has announced a new round of enrollment for the EU Study Days 2026 online courses, with the program also open to adults from 2026. The deadline for applications is 11:00 p.m. on February 7, 2026.
The training is scheduled for the period from February 16 to March 31, 2026. Students in grades 9-11, senior undergraduate and graduate students of Ukrainian universities, postgraduate students, as well as representatives of EU networks in Ukraine, including Euroclubs and EU information centers, are invited to participate.
The program includes 10 modules on the history of the EU, its institutions, values, and policies, as well as on Ukraine’s European integration. The format includes video lectures by diplomats and experts from the EU Delegation, European and Ukrainian specialists, webinars, discussions, and master classes on the Zoom and Webex platforms. Upon completion, participants will receive a certificate indicating the duration of the training, the number of hours, and the list of modules.
It is also reported that the 45 most active and successful participants from among schoolchildren, students, and adults will be able to participate in an offline school.
To participate, you must fill out an application and, if selected, take an online test on the project platform.
DELEGATION, EU, EU Study Days 2026, online courses, recruitment
Hungary became the EU leader in terms of housing price growth: in the third quarter of 2025, residential property prices there rose by 21.1% year-on-year, according to Eurostat data.
Overall, housing prices in the EU, as measured by the House Price Index, rose by 5.5% in July-September 2025 compared to the same quarter in 2024, and by 5.1% in the eurozone. Compared to the second quarter of 2025, growth was 1.6% in both the EU and the eurozone.
Eurostat notes that among the EU countries for which data is available, only Finland (-3.1%) recorded an annual decline in prices, while the rest saw growth. Apart from Hungary, the most significant price increases were recorded in Portugal (+17.7%) and Bulgaria (+15.4%).
Source: http://relocation.com.ua/hungary-showed-the-highest-growth-in-housing-prices-in-the-eu/
Tourists spent a total of 3.08 billion nights in hotels, hostels, and rented apartments in the European Union in 2025, according to preliminary data from the EU statistical office.
This is 2% (61.5 million) higher than in 2024 and is a record. Compared to pre-pandemic 2019, the growth was 7.2%.
At the same time, the number of overnight stays by foreign guests increased by 46.1 million last year, while for EU residents this figure rose by 15.4 million. The former account for 48.6% of the total, while the latter account for 51.4%.
An increase in tourist activity was observed in all EU countries except two. The most significant growth in tourist numbers was recorded in Malta (+9.9%) and Poland (+7%), while the number of overnight stays in Romania fell by 1.4% and in Ireland by 1.8%.
The most popular tourist destinations for foreigners were Spain (330 million overnight stays), Italy (264 million), France (150 million), and Greece (131 million).
Ukraine has significantly reduced its presence in the EU market for soft wheat supplies in the 2025/26 season: its share in EU imports fell to 22.3% from 67.3% a year earlier, according to SPIKE BROKERS.
According to the statistics, soft wheat imports to the EU fell by 52% from 4.43 million tons to 2.15 million tons, while Ukraine’s share fell from 2.98 million tons to 479,000 tons, meaning it lost its leading position among suppliers.
Against this backdrop, Canada increased its share of EU imports to 40% (858,000 tons) compared to 13% a year earlier, while Moldova and Serbia increased their presence to 17.3% and 14.3%, respectively.
SPIKE BROKERS also notes that Ukrainian wheat exports in early January were concentrated mainly in the markets of the Middle East and North Africa, while activity in the EU remains minimal.
Ukrainian cheese producers are ending the year without the expected pre-holiday sales boost, although consumption traditionally increases in December, with more and more buyers preferring European cheeses because of their lower price, according to the industry analytical agency Infagro.
Analysts noted that the supply of inexpensive imported cheese on the Ukrainian market increased significantly at the end of 2025. Already, according to estimates, a significant share of semi-hard cheese sales comes from EU products, and this trend is likely to intensify.
“Sales of domestic products were supported mainly by active promotions, which had a negative impact on margins. Anticipating weaker demand in January, producers reduced production volumes at the end of the year, and at the end of the year, the output of hard and semi-hard cheeses decreased compared to last year,” experts noted.
According to their information, market participants do not expect a decline in imports next year, as European cheese remains competitive in terms of price. Even during promotions, Ukrainian cheeses are often more expensive than their imported counterparts, forcing manufacturers to either offer deep discounts or reduce production.
“Exports remain an alternative to the domestic market for some producers, where price conditions are more attractive,” analysts said.
Infagro emphasized that the processed cheese market remains relatively stable, without sharp fluctuations in demand or production, making it one of the few balanced niches in the cheese segment.
