As part of its external investment plan the EU gave the greenlight on 10th July to a series of financial guarantee programme to a total value of around 800 million €. This will help to mobilise around 8 to 9 billion € in public and private investments in Africa and in the Union's neighbourhood. The plan aims to foster inclusive growth, the creation of jobs and sustainable development.

The President of the European Central Bank, Mario Draghi spoke on Monday 9th July to the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee of the European Parliament. He spoke in support of a bank deposit insurance system in the euro zone deeming that risk sharing helps avoid economic destabilisation.

On 12th July the 19 members of the Eurogroup addressed the European deposit insurance system, the end of the aid programme to Greece (which will remain under "post-programme surveillance" by the Commission), and Bulgaria's request to join the EMU.

On 10th July NATO's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, the President of the Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker and the President of the European Council Donald Tusk signed a joint declaration on cooperation between the EU and NATO. The document speaks of several cooperation sectors such as military mobility, cybersecurity and even resistance to arms of massive destruction and hybrid threats. According to the document "NATO will continue to play a unique, vital role as a keystone in collective defence for all the countries of the Alliance."

On 10th July in London the 5th annual Western Balkans Summit took place. Representatives from all of the region's countries took part. British Prime Minister Theresa May announced that there would be greater support to the region and cooperation would be enhanced to counter corruption and cross-border criminal groups.

On 9th July in Berlin the 5th Sino-German government consultation took place. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang signed 22 cooperation and trade agreements, whilst China is Germany's leading trade partner outside of Europe. Both sides also re-iterated their commitment to multilateralism.

On 9th July the Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz travelled to London to meet Theresa May and to Dublin to see Leo Varadkar. They spoke of the Austrian presidency's priorities of the Council and especially the Brexit negotiations.

On 12th July the Supreme Court of Schleswig-Holstein in Germany decided to allow the extradition of former President of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont to Spain but only on the grounds of "embezzlement" and not for "rebellion" as wished for by Madrid. Whilst waiting for his extradition Mr Puigdemont remains a free man.

On Tuesday 10th July the Swedish and Finnish Ministers of Defence signed a cooperation pact in terms of defence between their two countries, in times of peace and war. This pact is the first of its kind between two nations that are not part of NATO and which have increased their defence budget significantly over the last few years. On 12th July Finland announced that it would sign an memorandum of understanding regarding Multinational Land Battle Decisive Munition (LBDM).

On 15th July the World Football Cup came to an end with victory for France over Croatia (4-2), in an entirely European final. The European teams succeeded immensely in the competition with four teams in the semi-finals and 6 in the quarter finals. Croatia came second, ahead of Belgium, 3rd, and England, 4th.

On Wednesday 11th July Andrej Babis's government coalition won the confidence vote in Parliament 105 votes against 91 thanks to the support of the communists. After two failed votes the Czech Republic now has a government comprising 10 ANO ministers and five from the Social Democratic Party (CSSD).

On July 12th July the British government published a 104 page "White Paper" describing sectorally its expectations about its future relations with the EU. The document confirms the request for an "Association Agreement" including a free-trade area for goods, a flexible arrangement for services, a defence and security partnership as well as permanent participation by the UK in certain EU agencies.

On 12th July the Council of Europe's Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) published a report on Albania. The document stressed the progress made by the country in the implementation of its recommendations in view of preventing corruption amongst parliamentarians, judges and prosecutors, but it invited Tirana to introduce a certain number of improvements and to complete the reforms now ongoing.

On 13th July the 3rd Stabilisation and Association Council meeting between Bosnia-Herzegovina and the EU took place in Brussels. The general elections that are to take place on 7th October next were discussed, as well as public administration, the fight to counter organised crime and cooperation in terms of migration.

On 13th July the 14th Stabilisation and Association Agreement meeting with Macedonia took place in Brussels together with the High Representative Federica Mogherini, the Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn and a Macedonian delegation. The EU re-iterated its wish to open membership negotiations in June 2019 "on the basis of constant progress and tangible results". It congratulated the country on the signature of the agreement over the issue of its name with Greece.

France and Italy were relegated to 7th and 9th place (6th and 8th respectively in 2016) in the 2017 ranking of the world's economies published by the World Bank on 9th July. The GDP of India rose beyond that of France for the first time, hot on the heels of the UK (5th) and the GDP of Brazil supplanted that of Italy (9th). The USA remains in the lead of the ranking followed by China, Japan and Germany.

According to figures published by Eurostat on 10th July the EU's population was estimated on 1st January 2018 at 512.6 million residents against 511.5 million the previous year. With a higher number of deaths in comparison with births the natural variation in population of the EU was negative in 2017. The demographic variation recorded (+1.1 million inhabitants)is therefore due to a positive migratory balance.

The "subsidiarity, proportionality and doing less more efficiently" task force chaired by Mr Timmermans, the First Vice-President of the European Commission delivered its final report to the President of the Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker on 10th July. The report concludes that a new working method is required to enable local and regional authorities and national parliaments to contribute more effectively to the drafting of EU policies and new legislation.

On 28th July the Ramatuelle Festival will be opening its doors to the public. This festival in Provence is the 72nd of its kind and will be offering theatre plays, concerts and other shows to visitors.