The European Commission has approved a €20 million state aid scheme for agricultural and fishing companies in the Italian region of Friuli Venezia Giulia that are facing increased fuel and fertiliser prices due to the Middle East crisis. The scheme was approved under the Middle East Crisis Temporary State Aid Framework (METSAF) adopted by the Commission on 29 April 2026.

The scheme, which will run until 31 December 2026, aims at mitigating the impact of the increase in agricultural fuel and fertiliser prices, as well as in fishery and aquaculture fuel prices. The aid will take the form of direct grants and subsidised loans. It will be determined on the basis of the size of land used for the primary production of agricultural products, and on the basis of estimates of fuel consumption in the primary production of fishery and aquaculture products, capped to €50,000 per beneficiary. The aid is paid by the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia.

The Commission assessed the scheme under EU state aid rules, in particular Article 107(3)(c) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, which enables Member States to support the development of certain economic activities subject to certain conditions, as well as Sections 1 and 2.1 of the METSAF. The Commission found that the scheme is in line with the conditions set out in the METSAF. In particular, aid will be granted based on a scheme with a clear estimated budget and will be provided to temporarily support the development of companies active in primary production of agricultural products. The Commission concluded that the scheme is necessary, appropriate and proportionate to facilitate the development of an economic activity and does not adversely affect trading conditions to an extent contrary to the common interest. On this basis, the Commission approved the Italian regional scheme under EU State aid rules.

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Discover the new available training paths for taxation and for customs officers on the EU Learning Potal.

Two curricula modules for taxation and for customs officers from candidate and potential candidate countries have been released on the DG TAXUD Customs, Tax & CBAM EU Learning Portal. These modules are gateways that guide and provide direct access to targeted training resources designed for taxation officers or customs officers in candidate and potential candidate countries.  

The modules feature links to selected courses of the training catalogue of the portal, displayed in a pre-determined order, to provide an extensive knowledge on the EU customs and taxation acquis and its implementation. Taxation and customs officers can also select a specific course according to their competence and/or need. 

Access to the Courses 

• Training curriculum for taxation officers from candidate and potential candidate countries 
• Training curriculum for customs officers from candidate and potential candidate countries

AI is playing a bigger role in hiring, but laws protect you. Here is what you need to know.

Europe needs top talent, and employers want high-quality hires – the best person for the job – quickly and in a cost-efficient way. So, given this urgency, it’s no surprise that more and more companies are using AI in their hiring processes. From CV screening to interviews, AI can streamline each stage, reduce hiring times and make the whole process more cost-effective. 

But there’s a downside to AI-driven recruitment, as a recent Instagram post highlighted. It describes how a jobseeker from Vienna felt ‘dehumanized’ by an AI interview. 

The EU takes AI action

This concern isn’t limited to Austria, which is why the EU AI Act classifies using AI in employment decisions as ‘high-risk’. Given the growing AI adoption in HR by businesses across the globe (39 % by the end of 2025), the AI Act addresses risks by introducing rules that help make its use more transparent and accountable. 

Under the AI Act:

• No AI tool can make final hiring decisions without a qualified human in the loop. 
• Using AI to infer emotions, stress levels or personality traits and assign people numerical scores is banned.
• Starting 2 August 2026, companies using AI tools for hiring, evaluating performance or other employment decisions must check regularly for safety risks and bias, keep detailed technical records, ensure human oversight and transparency, and continuously monitor their systems.
• Obligations apply not only to the providers of these AI systems, but also the businesses that use them.
• These rules even apply to non-EU companies, if their AI system is used or affects people in the EU.

As for the Viennese candidate, here’s what went wrong during the AI interview process:

• It repeatedly interrupted the interviewee, jumped to the next question and moved on even when asked to go back.
• If the jobseeker paused even briefly during a response, it sometimes took it for a complete reply.
• There were errors in the interview transcript.
• Instead of answering the applicant’s questions, the AI just recited the company’s ‘About Us’ page.

Only about one in four companies had begun to prepare for the EU AI Act’s strict requirements for high-risk AI systems. As AI becomes increasingly common in recruitment, it is therefore important to remember that you have the right to:

• be informed beforehand on its use and the role it plays in the company’s hiring decision;
• ask that a human reviews the hiring decision; 
• not to have your facial expressions, voice tone or body language analysed by AI during an interview; and
• know what data is being collected and, in many cases, to have it deleted once the hiring process is over. 

In an increasingly AI-driven labour market, EURES continues to offer human support through its network of trained advisers, who can provide information and guidance on practical, legal and administrative matters related to living and working across Europe. 

In the meantime, online interviews are here to stay, so gear up for that final step by reading up on some tips for tackling remote interviews.
 

Related links

‘Daily Austrian News’ Instagram post

EU AI Act

The State of AI in HR 2026

AI Hiring Tools at Risk: 6 Critical EU AI Act Compliance Steps Every HR Leader Must Take (2026)

Chat with EURES Advisers

The new ‘rules’ of the remote interview

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An August 2026 report on remote work destinations in Europe found that Palencia, Spain, is the best small town for digital nomads. A new study by the digital entertainment platform BC Game reveals the top 10 hidden gems where remote workers can spend this summer. 

• Palencia, Spain, is the best small town for working remotely in Europe, offering fast 267 Mbps Wi-Fi and safe neighborhoods. 
• With rent at just $525 a month, Le Havre is the cheapest way to spend summer on the French coast as a digital nomad.
• Akureyri is the best reason to finally make the Iceland trip happen, with close to 30 places to open a laptop and Arctic scenery all around.

The research examined 20 European towns with smaller populations to find which ones work best for remote workers. The report looked at factors like average Internet speeds, monthly rent for a one-bedroom city center apartment, and personal safety ratings. It also considered the number of cafes and coworking spaces, coffee prices, and the cost of a meal at an inexpensive restaurant. Each town received a final score out of 100, with higher scores meaning that the city is more suited for digital nomads. 

Here's a look at the top 10 European small towns for remote workers:

City	Country	Safety Index	Average Broadband Download Speed (Mbps)	Monthly Rent (1 Bedroom/City Centre)	Coffee
Palencia	Spain	94	267	$698	$1.8
Soria	Spain	87	277	$582	$2.2
Vaduz	Liechtenstein	92	286	$1,427	$6.7
Le Havre	France	43	312	$524	$2.7
Angers	France	61	257	$664	$2.8
Akureyri	Iceland	80	279	$1,783	$4.9
Reims	France	45	288	$705	$3.7
Dijon	France	47	271	$646	$3.9
Tartu	Estonia	77	136	$659	$4.2
Matera	Italy	80	87	$737	$2.1

You can access the complete research findings here.

1. Palencia, Spain

• Safety Index: 94.12/100
• Broadband speed: 267 Mbps
• Monthly rent (1BR, city center): $698
• Coffee price: $1.75
• Meal at an inexpensive restaurant: $11.64
• Score: 100/100

Palencia is the best small town in Europe to work remotely this summer. The destination has a 94/100 safety rating, which matters a lot for anyone arriving in an unfamiliar city for the first time. The Internet is also fast at 267 Mbps, so video calls and file transfers are never going to be an issue. One-bedroom rentals in the city center go for around 700 USD a month, and staying fed and caffeinated while working from a local spot costs very little, with meals under 12 USD and coffee at 1.75 USD.

2. Soria, Spain

Soria is the most affordable hidden gem for remote workers looking to set up a base for a couple of months. Rents here average just 580 USD a month, and Internet speeds reach 277 Mbps, so there's no trade-off on connectivity. The safety score of 87/100 also means it's a comfortable place to be, whether walking home late or leaving a laptop at a cafe table. It's also a small city of around 41K people, quiet and easy to get around, which is exactly what a lot of remote workers are actually looking for.

3. Vaduz, Liechtenstein

Vaduz is for digital nomads who put safety and connectivity above everything else. The city’s safety rating of 91/100 is second only to Palencia, and Internet speeds exceed 285 Mbps, making it one of the best-connected small towns in Europe. The trade-off is cost: rent runs at around 1,440 USD a month, and a coffee is nearly 7 USD, so the daily expenses add up fast. But for anyone earning well and looking for a calm base with fast Internet in the middle of Europe, Vaduz is hard to look past.

4. Le Havre, France

Le Havre has the best Internet of any small town in Europe at 312 Mbps, faster than even the capital, Paris. That alone is a good reason to be here for anyone doing heavy digital work. Rent is also among the cheapest at around 525 USD a month, and a meal at a local restaurant costs under 14 USD. Beyond that, the city has up to 20 cafes and co-working spaces where remote workers can get the job done. 

5. Angers, France

Angers rounds out the top five small towns for digital nomads. Typical studios here get listed for under 670 USD a month, while the Internet is fast enough for stand-ups, deadlines, and everything in between, at 257 Mbps. Angers is also quite safe for a city this size, and there are plenty of cafes and coworking spaces (up to 20) to rotate between when working from home gets boring. With around 161K residents, the city also has an active social scene to make longer stays feel less isolating. 

The CEO of BC Game commented on the study: "Most remote workers pick their next destination based on photos on Instagram or a Reddit thread someone wrote two years ago. The problem is that those places are usually packed by the time you get there, and the rent has gone up. The smarter move is to look one step outside the obvious choices. If everyone is going to Lisbon, look at a smaller Portuguese city like Faro. If Madrid is getting expensive, look at a town two hours away. The infrastructure is usually the same, the costs are lower, and you actually get to feel like you live somewhere rather than just being another nomad in a queue for a coworking desk."

"Any citizen can get shot. This is not going to calm down," warned Julien Moinil, (pictured) the King's Prosecutor of Brussels, during a press conference on Friday, dedicated to the recent wave of violence linked to drug trafficking. Approximately 150 shootings have been recorded since the firearm attack on 5 February 2025 at Metro station Clémenceau. Accompanied by the head of the Brussels-Midi police zone, Jurgen De Landsheer, and the director of the Federal Judicial Police of Brussels, Eric Jacobs, the prosecutor outlined recent events, the judicial response, and several points of concern.

The current wave began on 20 August. It is believed to be related to a conflict between two groups involved in drug sales. Three individuals have been arrested in connection with the shootings over the past few weeks. Around a hundred shooters have also been detained since the violence started. No link has currently been established between this conflict and the shootings targeting the police station last weekend in Anderlecht. "They have touched a sensitive point: a police station," emphasized Julien Moinil. No one has been injured, but the prosecutor reminded everyone of the daily risks police officers face and assured them of the prosecution's support. He praised the work of both local and federal police but called for structural investment.

The current prosecutor's office staff includes 49 magistrates out of the 63 planned. He reiterated his requests for more investigators in the federal judicial police and the installation of jamming devices at Haren prison, noting that at least one mastermind operating from a cell has been definitively identified. "The solution must not only come from the Justice Department," insisted Julien Moinil, calling for mobilization of the social and health sectors as well. He advocates activating a task force led by the prime minister.

European Affairs Minister Thomas Byrne TD (pictured), has highlighted key policy objectives for the work of the Irish EU Presidency over the coming months as the EU institutions prepare to resume their normal programme of activities following the summer break. 
 
In his role as chair of the General Affairs Council, Minister Byrne will lead discussions at EU level on several areas of priority for the Irish Presidency, including the approach to the EU’s next long-term budget and the simplification of EU rules, an important aspect of the Union’s competitiveness agenda.

The Irish EU Presidency, which began its term on 1 July, is focusing its work on three core thematic priorities of competitiveness, values and security. Substantial progress has already been made in the opening weeks of the Presidency on policy and legislative initiatives across these three priority areas.

Minister Byrne said: “We have been very pleased with the results we have already been able to deliver early in our Presidency term. For example, in July I chaired four Inter-Governmental Conferences to advance the EU accession processes of Albania, Moldova, Montenegro and Ukraine - the largest number of accession conferences held in a single day in over two decades. Across many areas of policy, there is scope for us to achieve really significant progress between now and the conclusion of our term at the end of the year, and we are determined to ensure the Irish Presidency delivers meaningful outcomes for citizens across Europe.”

As part of Ireland’s Presidency meetings programme, nine informal Ministerial meetings will take place in Ireland during the month of September. Minister Byrne will host an informal meeting of Ministers for European Affairs (General Affairs Council) in Dublin Castle on 3 and 4 September. This meeting will provide an opportunity for wide-ranging discussions on three of the major strategic priorities for the EU during the Irish Presidency term: progressing enlargement, advancing negotiations on the next long term EU budget, and taking steps to strengthen democracy across Europe. 

Minister Byrne said: "I look forward to welcoming my counterparts from across Europe – including from nine candidate countries and potential candidates – to Ireland in early September to discuss our approach to a number of major issues on the European agenda. These discussions will help build a consensus on a shared approach to the key challenges facing the EU”.

A central aspect of the work of the Presidency is engagement on behalf of the Council with the other EU institutions as part of the Union’s legislative process. As Minister for European Affairs, Minister Byrne will participate in the regular plenary sessions of the European Parliament in Strasbourg and Brussels throughout the autumn, representing the Council in debates on policy and legislative initiatives. 

Minister Byrne said: “The European Parliament is an important partner for us in delivering the EU’s legislative agenda. We have built very strong relations with the Parliament, and the priorities and policy objectives for the Irish Presidency were very well received by MEPs when the Taoiseach addressed the Parliament’s plenary session in Strasbourg in early July. Since then, I have been among 12 Irish Ministers to meet with European Parliament committees to discuss our Presidency priorities, and more of these meetings are scheduled for September. I look forward to working closely with MEPs from across all Member States and political groups as we take forward the ambitious legislative agenda for the remainder of this year.”

Details of the Presidency policy programme, the calendar of Presidency meetings and events, and other updates are available on the Irish Presidency website at www.eire2026.eu and www.ireland2026.eu.