EU Economic Outlook: The European Commission’s 2026 European Semester Spring Package sets a roadmap for resilience and competitiveness, pushing reforms on the Single Market, innovation, decarbonisation, housing and skills while keeping fiscal sustainability in focus. Slovakia in the spotlight: Slovakia is reported to have the best result among EU states in the latest assessment of compliance with fiscal rules, with the Finance Ministry pointing to controlled spending. Bratislava–UAE business ties: The UAE and Slovakia met in Bratislava for the 2nd Joint Economic Committee, flagging cooperation in energy and green tech, digitalisation and cybersecurity, agriculture and food, infrastructure and smart urbanisation, plus healthcare, with non-oil trade at $812.7m in 2025. Retail pressure in the region: Eurostat data shows Cyprus retail trade volume fell 1% in April, reversing earlier growth; across the euro area retail volume dropped 0.4% month-on-month, with food up but non-food and fuel down. Defence industry delivery: Patria has completed the final batch of AMV XP 8×8 ambulance vehicles to Slovakia under the 2022 government-to-government deal, including technology transfer to strengthen local industrial capacity. Shipping rules: The IMO confirmed the HNS liability convention enters into force in November 2027, closing a long-standing gap for hazardous cargo compensation.