EU Accession Talks: All 27 EU member states have approved opening Cluster 1 negotiations for Ukraine and Moldova after Hungary dropped its veto following a minority-rights deal, moving the process to formal talks. EU Tech Sovereignty: The Commission’s technology sovereignty package aims to boost European tech firms and curb access for dominant US cloud providers in sensitive tenders, while pushing chips and data-centre build-out—still seen as early steps. Payments & Banking Infrastructure: Wero expands in Germany for online shopping via account-to-account payments, while Triple-A launches stablecoin-enabled multicurrency accounts to give businesses SEPA collection rails without local entity setup. Energy & Industry Electrification: Eurelectric’s report argues competitiveness depends on coordinated industrial electrification, proposing “Power Couples” models that align grid, investment and policy. EIB EV Charging Push: The EIB partners with Ireland to accelerate a nationwide public EV charging network, using procurement and financing templates for faster rollout. Trade & Tariffs: US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer says tariff caps in EU and Japan deals will be respected, even as forced-labour tariffs and Section 301 authority loom. Legal/Policy: The EU Court of Justice rules Germany’s asylum benefit cuts for rejected claimants unlawfully breach EU law, including limits on clothing and basic participation needs. Markets/Corporate: CMC Markets shares jump on an FY2027 outlook beat, while European stocks face pressure amid Middle East tension and macro jitters.