Weekly report
Euro-area inflation confirmed at 3.8 percent in September · Industrial production down 0.5 percent in the euro area in August · AD5 graduates: Part 1 tests in the week of 9-13 November · AD5: the test sessions some candidates saw on TAO were simulations
Annual inflation rose from 3.2% in August to 3.8% in both the euro area and the EU, according to Eurostat's final figures of 16 October. Energy prices were up 18.9% and contributed 1.71 points; services rose 3.2%. Rates went up in 23 member states. Romania (6.5%), Lithuania (6.1%) and Bulgaria (5.6%) had the highest rates, Sweden (1.0%) the lowest.
EurostatOutput fell 0.5% on the month in the euro area and 0.3% in the EU, and was 1.1% lower than a year earlier in the euro area. Non-durable consumer goods dropped 2.7% on the month, while capital goods rose 0.4%. Belgium (-5.1%) and Ireland (-3.1%) had the largest monthly falls, Sweden (+6.5%) the largest rise.
EurostatFirst estimates show a deficit in goods trade with the rest of the world of 16.1 billion euros, against 1.7 billion a year earlier. Exports grew 9.9% to 227.7 billion euros and imports 16.7% to 243.8 billion. The energy deficit widened from 21.3 to 26.7 billion euros, and machinery and vehicles moved from a surplus to a deficit.
EurostatThe disbursement of 14 October comes from the defence part of the 90 billion euro Ukraine Support Loan, which earmarks 60 billion for defence and 30 billion for budget support in 2026-2027. In 2026 alone, 28.3 billion euros are planned for Ukraine's defence industry. Since 2022 the EU and its member states have provided 231.5 billion euros in support.
European CommissionCiting high energy prices and supply risks linked to the conflict in the Middle East, the Commission proposed on 14 October to postpone by one year the monitoring, reporting and verification obligations of the Methane Regulation for importers, and the methane-intensity reporting for importers and EU producers. The proposal now goes to Parliament and the Council.
European CommissionPresented on 16 October, two days before EU Anti-Trafficking Day, the strategy sets six priorities, from using technology to detect trafficking to working with businesses and labour inspectors and protecting victims. More than 20,000 victims were registered in the EU in 2023 and 2024, up 16.1%. Women and girls made up 63% of them, and children 15%.
European CommissionThe regulation, adopted less than seven months after the Commission's proposal in March 2026, funds 20 to 30 projects of small and mid-sized defence firms at up to 100% of eligible costs. Grants are to be awarded within four months, and the technologies should reach armed forces within one to three years.
European CommissionThe Commission cleared the takeover on 13 October on condition that Kimberly-Clark divests all its tampon and feminine hygiene brands in the European Economic Area, including Kotex, Camelia and Record. Without the remedy, the deal would have removed an important competitor in tampons, particularly in Czechia, Estonia and Slovakia.
European CommissionThe Commission opened a full probe on 12 October, concerned that the deal could reduce competition in furniture retail in Germany, Czechia and Slovakia, where both companies are among the strongest retailers, and in furniture purchasing. Porta has more than 140 stores; XXXLutz's brands, including Mömax, Roller and Poco, sell furniture in more than 1,800.
European CommissionThe survey published on 14 October found that 42% of the companies consulted use AI or algorithmic management, mostly in a limited way, and another 21% plan to. The most common uses are customer service (47%), monitoring performance and productivity (36%) and planning and staff scheduling (30%). 75% expect AI to improve job quality, and 90% say people still take the decisions.
European CommissionEPSO announced on 13 October that the first part of the EPSO/AD/427/26 testing will take place between 9 and 13 November 2026. On 19 October candidates receive an invitation letter in the Single Candidate Portal confirming their testing week; it will not include the individual date and time. From 20 October to 6 November candidates must complete a pre-requisite test on the TAO platform, where they will also see their exact test slot. Details of Part 2 will follow later.
EPSOOn 11 October EPSO's test provider ran simulated test sessions while preparing the AD5 competition, and some candidates could see them on the TAO platform. EPSO said on 12 October that the simulations have been deactivated and that every candidate will receive a formal individual invitation with the official testing slots and the pre-requisite testing phase.
EPSOOn 14 October EPSO clarified the education requirement for the three fields: a bachelor's degree in any field followed by a diploma in one of the listed areas (postgraduate certificate, master's, PhD or similar) also qualifies, whatever the length of that second programme, with at least three years of relevant experience after that diploma. EPSO will extend the application deadline (currently 11 November, 12:00 Brussels time) so that candidates who already applied can adjust their application; an amended notice will follow.
EPSOApplications for EPSO/AD/430/26 (AD 8, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity) closed on 13 October at noon. EPSO's planner lists the next opening on 21 October: EPSO/AD/431/26, lawyer-linguists for the Court of Justice in eight languages (AD 7), with a deadline on 25 November. The data-management competition is now the only one open for applications.
EPSOOn 11 October US President Donald Trump announced that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to stop attacking each other's energy infrastructure; Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia hit energy sites the same day. On 14 October Russia's Defence Ministry reported a 'massive' strike on energy and communications facilities, including two power and heating plants in Kyiv. At least nine people were killed and hundreds of thousands lost power.
Al JazeeraA Houthi missile hit King Khalid International airport in the Saudi capital on 10 October, killing 12 people and wounding more than 300, according to the Saudi-led coalition; an Indian citizen later died of his injuries. The next day a projectile struck the domestic terminals, killing a Pakistani resident and injuring 11.
Al JazeeraThe Vatican said on 13 October that tests after the removal of the lower lobe of the 71-year-old pope's right lung confirmed a lung adenocarcinoma. The 90-minute operation at Rome's Gemelli hospital was successful and without complications. He is expected to recover there for about a week, and his audiences until 20 October are cancelled.
Al JazeeraThe boat, carrying more than 300 people from Djibouti to Yemen, sank near Guhere in the Gulf of Aden on the night of 8 to 9 October, the International Organization for Migration said on 11 October. At least 139 people died, including 15 children, and 84 were missing. More than 80 people, all Ethiopians, survived.
Al Jazeera / IOMThe Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the 2026 prize on 12 October to the two US economists for their work on how monetary and fiscal policy can stabilise economic fluctuations. The committee said their models are now used by central banks and governments around the world.
Al JazeeraAddressing parliament on 12 October, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said parts of the UK's trade agreement with the EU would be renegotiated to reverse some of the 'damage' of Brexit. He confirmed he will attend a bilateral summit in Brussels next month, focused on growth and controlling illegal immigration.
Al JazeeraSocial Democratic leader Magdalena Andersson said on 13 October that talks with the three other parties of the left-wing bloc had reached an impasse and that the conditions to form a government parliament would tolerate were not in place. The deadlock continues a month after the election of 13 September.
Al JazeeraThe health ministry reported 9,066 confirmed cases and 4,381 deaths on 13 October. The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain, for which there is no approved vaccine or treatment, is the largest in the country's history and the second-largest ever after West Africa in 2014-2016. Kenya has confirmed imported cases.
Al JazeeraProtests entered a third day in Tirana on 15 October and spread to other cities, with police using water cannon and tear gas and government buildings damaged. Demonstrators accuse officials of corruption and neglect of education and oppose the sale of coastline to a resort backed by Jared Kushner. Edi Rama said he has a mandate to complete the EU accession negotiations.
Al JazeeraTrump wrote on 14 October that 'massive' exploration for oil, gas and minerals was about to begin in 'our new and beautiful Greenland'. Denmark's Foreign Ministry replied that last month's agreement between Denmark, Greenland and the US did not change the rules on extraction and gives US investors no preferential treatment over investors from other NATO and EU countries.
Al JazeeraDestatis confirmed on 13 October that consumer prices rose 3.3% year on year in September, after 2.9% in August, and 0.6% on the month. Energy was 14.9% dearer than a year earlier, the largest rise since February 2023, with motor fuel up 37.1%. Destatis links the rise to oil prices since the start of the Iran war.
DestatisSelling prices in wholesale trade were 8.7% higher than in September 2025 and 1.9% higher than in August, the steepest annual rise since February 2023. Mineral oil products were up 48.8% and non-ferrous metals 24.9%; prices of live animals fell 15.1%. Destatis attributes the increase to the conflict in Iran and the Middle East.
DestatisIn its October World Economic Outlook, the International Monetary Fund expects German GDP to grow 1.3% this year, 0.6 points more than in its July forecast. It also raised its forecasts for the world economy to 3.1% and for the euro area to 1.1%.
deutschland.deOn 12 October Bas stepped down with immediate effect as Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs and as SPD leader, citing a death in her family. She remains a member of the Bundestag. Her successor at the ministry is Alexander Schweitzer, 53, Minister-President of Rhineland-Palatinate from 2024 to 2026 and an SPD deputy leader.
deutschland.de / dpaIn a government statement to the Bundestag on 15 October, ahead of the summit of EU leaders in Brussels, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the negotiations should end before the end of the year and that every area of the draft needs further cuts. He wants the Commission's proposal of nearly €2 trillion reduced by several hundred billion euros, together with Austria, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and the Netherlands, and said the latest Irish Presidency proposal does not go far enough.
deutschland.deThe UN General Assembly elected Germany on 14 October with 163 votes, where 97 were needed. It will be Germany's sixth term on the Geneva-based council; its last membership ran from 2023 to 2025. Germany and Ireland were unopposed for the two Western European seats, alongside 13 other countries elected for the same term, including Brazil, Japan and Ukraine.
deutschland.deA model calculation by ifo and Implement Consulting Group, commissioned by CCIA Europe and Google and published on 13 October, puts the yearly value added generative AI could bring Germany by 2034 at 440 billion euros. Harder access to training data would remove 155 billion of that. The authors recommend keeping the commercial text-and-data-mining exception in the EU Copyright Directive, which the Commission has been reviewing since May 2026.
ifo InstituteIn September, 14.6% of manufacturers reported shortages of intermediate products, up from 13.3% in August. The share rose to 37.8% in electronic and optical products and to 18.0% in chemicals, while metal production eased to 14.2%. ifo's Klaus Wohlrabe saw no broad-based rise in supply bottlenecks.
ifo Instituteifo's index for house builders dropped from -22.5 in August to -25.1 in September, mainly because expectations for the coming months worsened. The share of firms short of orders stayed at 41.3%, and cancellations rose to 14.1%. Klaus Wohlrabe said the European Central Bank's rate hike had probably dampened confidence.
ifo InstituteAt NATO's Spartan Arrow 2026 exercise on Crete, German and Swedish soldiers held live-fire training with ground-based air defence, which is rare because of cost and limited stocks. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, visiting on 15 October, called the joint expansion of NATO air defence a key step for defence readiness. The Bundeswehr has also procured Israel's Arrow system, which intercepts missiles above 100 kilometres.
deutschland.de / dpaEm 14 de outubro, o plenário do Senado aprovou em dois turnos a PEC 221/2019, que garante dois dias de descanso remunerado por semana (escala 5x2), sem redução de salário, e reduz a jornada máxima de 44 para 40 horas semanais. Sessenta dias após a promulgação, as empresas terão de adotar a escala 5x2 e o limite de 42 horas; 12 meses depois, a jornada cai para 40 horas. Segundo o Dieese, a mudança alcança 26,8 milhões de trabalhadores. O presidente do Congresso, Davi Alcolumbre, marcou a promulgação para a sexta-feira, 16 de outubro.
Senado Federal / Agência BrasilAprovado por 78 votos a 0 em 15 de outubro, o PLP 186/26 eleva o limite de faturamento anual do microempreendedor individual dos atuais R$ 81 mil para R$ 110 mil em 2027 e R$ 140 mil em 2028, o primeiro reajuste desde 2018, e permite contratar até dois empregados. O texto também perdoa as dívidas dos MEIs inscritas na dívida ativa da União até 13 de outubro de 2026. O pacote havia sido anunciado pelo governo dois dias antes, com estimativa de R$ 12,6 bilhões em débitos e 3,6 milhões de beneficiados; o projeto segue para sanção.
Senado Federal / Agência BrasilNo relatório Perspectivas da Economia Mundial, divulgado em 12 de outubro, o Fundo Monetário Internacional cortou a projeção para o PIB brasileiro de 2,4% para 2,2% neste ano e de 2,2% para 1,9% em 2027. A estimativa ainda supera a do Ministério da Fazenda (2,0%) e a do mercado no Boletim Focus (1,85%). O relatório aponta desaceleração na América Latina e alta na previsão de crescimento mundial.
FMI / Agência BrasilNo Boletim Focus de 13 de outubro, a projeção para o IPCA de 2026 subiu de 5,01% para 5,22%, acima do teto da meta, de 4,5%. A previsão para 2027 ficou em 4,30%. O mercado manteve o crescimento do PIB em 1,85% neste ano e 1,40% no próximo, e reduziu de 13,50% para 13,25% a Selic esperada para o fim de 2027.
Banco Central / Agência BrasilSegundo a Pesquisa Mensal do Comércio do IBGE, divulgada em 15 de outubro, o volume de vendas do varejo variou 0,1% em agosto frente a julho, depois de cair 0,8% no mês anterior. No ano, o setor acumula alta de 1,7%. Equipamentos de escritório e informática subiram 6,3%, enquanto móveis e eletrodomésticos caíram 4,2%. No varejo ampliado, que inclui veículos e material de construção, o volume recuou 0,2%.
IBGE / Agência BrasilA Pesquisa Mensal de Serviços, divulgada pelo IBGE em 14 de outubro, mostra queda de 0,1% no volume de agosto frente a julho, mês em que a atividade ficou estável. Na comparação com agosto de 2025 houve alta de 0,6%, e no acumulado de 12 meses, de 2,2%. O setor está 19,9% acima do nível pré-pandemia e 0,3% abaixo do recorde de outubro de 2025.
IBGE / Agência BrasilO Levantamento Sistemático da Produção Agrícola de setembro, divulgado em 15 de outubro, estima a produção de cereais, leguminosas e oleaginosas 2,4% acima da de 2025 (346,1 milhões de toneladas), o maior volume da série histórica. A área a ser colhida chega a 83,2 milhões de hectares. Arroz, milho e soja respondem por 93% da produção estimada.
IBGE / Agência BrasilEm 14 de outubro, a Comissão de Constituição e Justiça aprovou sem alterações a PEC 18/2025, que endurece penas e regimes de prisão para chefes de facções e milícias e cria um novo pacto federativo contra o crime. O texto, já aprovado pela Câmara, está pronto para o plenário, ainda sem data de votação. Em entrevista ao Jornal Nacional em 15 de outubro, o presidente Lula defendeu discutir depois, em outra proposta, a redução da maioridade penal para 16 anos em crimes hediondos.
Senado Federal / Agência BrasilPublicada em 13 de outubro, a MP determina que as operadoras autentiquem as ligações feitas em suas redes; chamadas não autenticadas poderão ser bloqueadas antes de chegar ao destinatário, conforme regulamentação da Anatel. Ligações de empresas passarão a exibir o nome empresarial e, quando houver, o logotipo. A medida cria uma base nacional de dados de numeração, sob supervisão da Anatel.
Governo federal / Agência BrasilA concessionária espanhola, que assumiu o aeroporto do Rio de Janeiro na semana anterior com contrato até 2039, anunciou em 13 de outubro mais de 50 frequências semanais adicionais para nove destinos, entre eles Paris, Miami, Frankfurt, Lisboa e Atlanta. Também prevê retomar ou abrir rotas para outras nove cidades, como Nova York, Toronto, Dallas e Lima.
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