The European Commission may present legislative proposals as early as summer 2026 to restrict minors’ access to social media. This was announced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen while speaking at a democracy summit in Copenhagen.
According to Reuters, von der Leyen said that the European Commission is stepping up measures to protect children from the “addictive design” of digital platforms, including TikTok, Meta, Facebook, Instagram, and X. She linked excessive social media use by teenagers to risks related to sleep, mental health, anxiety, cyberbullying, and other threats to young people.
However, this does not involve an immediate shutdown of social media platforms or a temporary suspension of their services for all users. Primary sources mention a possible “social media delay” for children, meaning a delay or restriction on the age at which minors can independently use social media. Euronews reports that the European Commission may present plans for a Europe-wide ban or age restriction for children as early as this summer.
The European Commission has already established a special panel of experts on children’s online safety. According to official EC documents, by the summer of 2026, the panel’s co-chairs are to present von der Leyen with recommendations on protecting children online, including possible harmonized age restrictions for access to social media and other online services.
Digital age verification will be a separate element of the future policy. In April 2026, the European Commission held the second meeting of the special panel, dedicated to current rules for protecting minors online and EU initiatives in this area. Reuters also reported that the EU has already developed an age verification app designed to help restrict children’s access to inappropriate content and services.
The new proposals could become part of a broader EU digital policy, including the Digital Services Act and the future Digital Fairness Act. The EU is currently investigating major platforms regarding the protection of minors, advertising transparency, researchers’ access to data, and the use of mechanisms designed to capture users’ attention.
Switzerland has expanded its sanctions lists targeting Russia and Belarus, partially aligning itself with the European Union’s 20th sanctions package, adopted in response to Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine.
According to the Swiss government, the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education, and Research expanded the sanctions lists against Russia and Belarus on May 22.
An additional 115 individuals and entities have been subject to the new restrictions. Asset freezes and a ban on the provision of funds are being imposed on them. Individuals are also prohibited from entering Switzerland and transiting through its territory.
The Swiss government specified that the new sanctions apply, in particular, to individuals and organizations linked to the Russian military-industrial complex and the energy sector.
In the trade sector, Switzerland is imposing stricter export controls on an additional 60 companies, including entities in third countries. The aim of this measure is to prevent the supply of critically important goods to the Russian military-industrial complex.
Bern has also adopted some of the EU measures targeting Russia’s “shadow fleet.” The restrictions have been extended to 46 additional vessels, with bans on their purchase, sale, and the provision of services to them. At the same time, in accordance with the EU decision, previously imposed bans on 11 vessels have been lifted.
In addition, Switzerland has imposed a ban on transactions involving two Russian ports and one port in a third country that are used for the transport of Russian petroleum products.
At the same time, Switzerland has not yet included seven companies from a third country, which were mentioned in the EU decisions, on its sanctions list. Bern stated that operational measures are being applied to prevent the circumvention of sanctions.
According to Serbian Economist, the event will take place at Porto Montenegro, and city authorities are already preparing temporary traffic restrictions, changes to access procedures, and enhanced security measures.
Montenegrin President Jakov Milatović and European Council President António Costa have sent joint invitations to the leaders of EU countries and Western Balkan states. The summit is set to bring together European leaders at a time when enlargement policy is once again high on the EU’s agenda.
The summit is expected to be attended by European Union member states and six Western Balkan countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. These six economies are traditionally part of the EU-Western Balkans format, which is used to discuss the region’s European integration, reforms, security, infrastructure, energy, and economic convergence with the EU.
Earlier, local authorities reported the arrival of over 30 European delegations, though the final number may be higher when accounting for representatives of EU institutions, EU member states, countries in the region, and accompanying teams.
For Montenegro, hosting the summit is of particular significance. Milatović called it a historic moment, as the country is hosting such a major meeting between the European Union and the Western Balkans for the first time.
Tivat will operate under special arrangements in connection with the forum. On June 4–5, the city expects temporary traffic restrictions, heightened security measures, and changes to access in the Porto Montenegro area, where the summit will take place. Short-term road closures are possible, primarily on the route from Tivat Airport to the city center, as well as special traffic arrangements on Arsenalska and Istarska Streets.
Some parking lots will be temporarily closed, and Tivat Airport will adjust its operations to accommodate the international forum. Authorities are also considering changes to school schedules on June 4–5 and are preparing a cultural program for residents and visitors on the city waterfront on June 4.
The main political theme of the summit is the European perspective for the Western Balkans. Against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, intensifying geopolitical competition, and the EU’s desire to accelerate expansion, the region has once again found itself in the spotlight in Brussels. Montenegro and Albania are considered the most advanced candidates for EU accession, while Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, and North Macedonia face more complex political and institutional dynamics.
For the region’s economy, the summit is important not only as a political meeting. The focus is expected to be on infrastructure connectivity, access to European funds, energy security, a common regional market, transport corridors, and investments.
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Ukrainian cement exports to the EU are nearly blocked with the implementation of the second phase of the CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism); our country must take a proactive stance in supporting its own producers, emphasized Lyudmila Kripka, Executive Director of the “Ukrcement” Association.
“The conditions that the Ukrainian cement industry faced at the start of the second phase of the CBAM, that is, at the beginning of this year, can be more realistically described not as a ‘barrier’ but as an ‘embargo.’ We were assigned default CO2 emission values for cement from Ukraine at 1,518 kg/t of clinker, which is nearly double the actual figures, even using the wet production method,” Kripka said at the “Trade Wars: The Art of Defense” conference in Kyiv on Wednesday.
She also noted that there are currently no verifiers in the EU for the purposes of the CBAM, but even if there were, the arrival of European verifiers in Ukraine (a mandatory requirement in the first year) is unlikely due to the high level of security risks.
“Under such conditions, exports are impossible in principle! And we see the consequences: cement production has decreased, budget revenues have shrunk, and foreign exchange earnings have fallen, leading to an even greater imbalance in the country’s trade balance,” Kripka noted.
The “Ukrcement” Association, both on its own and together with partners whose products fall under the CBAM mechanism, appealed throughout 2025 to the government, the EC, and all stakeholders regarding the application of the declaratory principle for the duration of the war and reconstruction (this is possible under Part 7 of Article 30 of the CBAM Regulation on force majeure, which has devastating consequences for the economy and industrial infrastructure). However, according to Kripka, EC officials reassured them that the impact of the CBAM’s implementation on the Ukrainian economy would be minimal. First-quarter results showed that the impact is significant, effectively blocking exports.
“Currently, the EC acknowledges that the default value is incorrect; they also see a problem with the certification of verifiers, which concerns not only Ukraine but also EU countries. They promise to correct these issues within a month,” Kripka said.
According to her, these encouraging statements have prompted companies to resume exports, but the risk of catastrophic sanctions remains for companies and dealers that made these shipments.
At the same time, the cement industry is one of the leaders in domestic industry in terms of systematic preparation for the full launch of the CBAM.
“We have made significant progress in the use of alternative fuels, have concrete examples of launching our own ‘green’ power generation, conduct continuous emissions monitoring (CEM), and have verified these emissions using verifiers available in the country,” Kripka said.
Therefore, she emphasized, in response to the question “what is holding back the development of exports to EU countries,” one can point to “uneven competitive conditions.”
“We see that the world is shifting toward a model of economic pragmatism and the protection of domestic markets. Under these conditions, Ukraine has very limited time to adapt its economy to the new reality. “We must take a proactive stance in supporting our own producers,” Kripka explained.
She cited neighboring Poland as an example of healthy “aggressive pragmatism.” In 2024, Ukrainian cement exports to Poland totaled 854,000 tons. Poland produced 17.7 million tons of cement that year. In fact, exports from Ukraine accounted for 3.7% of Poland’s production. Meanwhile, front-page headlines in the press spoke of the “disappearance of Polish cement plants,” and an inter-factional parliamentary group called “Support for the Development of Poland’s Cement Industry” was established in the Polish Sejm.
Kripka emphasized that in order not to be left behind in industrial competitiveness, our country must take a proactive stance in supporting its own producers.
Serbia has the potential to become a key logistics and industrial hub between Ukraine, the markets of the Western Balkans, and the European Union, said Marko Čadež, President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
“By using the Danube route from the ports of Izmail and Reni toward Serbian ports and intermodal terminals, goods from Ukraine can be efficiently redirected to Corridor X and the markets of Central Europe and the Adriatic region,” he said in an interview with the agency “Interfax-Ukraine.”
According to Čadež, the development of intermodal logistics and free zones gives Serbia the opportunity to be not only a transit point but also a place where new value can be added to Ukrainian raw materials and semi-finished products before they enter regional and European markets.
“Serbia positions itself as an important geo-economic center of the region, at the intersection of Eastern European resources and European transport corridors,” emphasized the president of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
He also noted that Serbia could serve as a production and technology base for Ukrainian companies seeking to enter the markets of the Western Balkans, the EU, Asia, and Africa.
BALKANS, Čadež, EU, HUB, SERBIA, Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
EU member states and the European Parliament have so far failed to agree on the internal mechanism for implementing the trade agreement with the United States, despite pressure from Washington and the threat of new tariffs on European automobiles.
Negotiations between representatives of the European Parliament and EU countries took place on the evening of May 6 and lasted more than six hours, but no final decision was reached. According to Bloomberg, Cyprus, which currently holds the presidency of the Council of the European Union, confirmed that the parties discussed possible amendments to the transatlantic agreement concluded in the summer of 2025, but failed to reach a final compromise.
The issue concerns EU-US trade arrangements announced in July 2025. Under the agreement, Brussels is expected to abolish tariffs on a range of American industrial goods, while Washington maintains a baseline tariff rate of 15% on a significant share of European exports. Stricter conditions remain in place for steel, aluminum, and copper, including 50% tariffs.
The main dispute within the EU is related not so much to the principle of the agreement itself as to guarantees in case the United States fails to fulfill its obligations. The European Parliament insists on additional safeguard mechanisms, including the possibility of suspending concessions if Washington violates the arrangements. Some EU countries, by contrast, support a faster approval of the deal in order to avoid further escalation of the tariff conflict.
The situation escalated after threats by US President Donald Trump to raise tariffs on cars and trucks from the EU from 15% to 25%. Brussels fears that this would hit Germany and other countries with major automotive exports particularly hard. According to Reuters, most EU countries are interested in completing the procedure as quickly as possible, while the European Parliament demands stronger safeguards be built into the agreement.
Chairman of the European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade Bernd Lange stated that the negotiations had moved forward, but that “there is still a way to go” before a final decision is reached. The next round of consultations between the European Parliament and EU member states is scheduled for May 19 in Strasbourg.
For the European Union, this dispute is a test of its ability to conduct a unified trade policy under pressure from the United States. Some countries emphasize the need to quickly remove the risk of new tariffs for industry, while others fear that an overly soft EU position would create a precedent in which Washington could secure concessions through threats of additional duties.
For European businesses, the main uncertainty is currently linked to the automotive sector, industrial supplies, and transatlantic production chains. If the EU fails to coordinate its internal position in time, the risk of higher US tariffs will remain, and trade relations between the world’s two largest economic blocs could once again enter a phase of acute confrontation.
