The European Commission unveiled last week its proposal on Horizon Europe, the €100 billion research and innovation programme that will succeed the current Horizon 2020. The new programme will build on the achievements and success of Horizon 2020 and will continue the simplification process already started in the previous programme.

In a few days, Bulgaria will be passing on the Presidency of the European Union to Austria. We take this opportunity to look back at some of the key issues that the Bulgarian Presidency has put forward in these 6 months and to present our office in Sofia.

At the helm of the EU for the first time, 10 years after the accession to the European Union, the Bulgarian Presidency  placed particular emphasis on strengthening the stability and security in Europe with the Western Balkans and the relations with Turkey..

Security has become of the main topics for EU policy makers, ranking high on the list of concern of EU citizens. During the Bulgarian Presidency, the European PNR rules became applicable and an informal agreement was reached with the European Parliament on three regulations on the use of the Schengen Information System in the fields of:

(1) police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters;

(2) border checks and

(3) return of illegally staying third-country nationals.

The motto for the EU presidency is 'A Europe that protects'.

On 1^st July 2018, Austria has assumed the Presidency of the Council of the EU for the third time. The Austrian Presidency will put emphasis on three areas where the EU has a particular protective role: Security and fight against illegal migration; securing prosperity and competitiveness through digitalisation and stability in the neighbourhood – rapprochement of the Western Balkans/South-Eastern Europe to the EU.

The fifth edition of the Berlin Process Summit was held on 9-10 July in London (UK), gathering heads and ministers of governments of the Western Balkans six (WB6) as well as several EU Member States with high interest in fostering further cooperation with the region.

The focus of the Summit in London was on economic development and connectivity, cooperation in security matters and good neighbourly relations.

Italy is one of the top recipients of EU funds just behind Poland and Romania.

Through 75 national and regional programmes, Italy has been allocated EUR 42.77 billion from European Structural and Investment Funds over the period 2014-2020. With a national contribution of EUR 30.96 billion, Italy has a total budget of  EUR 73.73 billion to be invested in various areas, from jobs and growth to boosting research and innovation as well as protecting the environment and increasing labour market participation.