On 8th October the Commission published its proposals for fishing opportunities in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea in 2020. The quotas which aim to promote the sustainable management of fish stocks and to guarantee the fishing sector's social and economic viability will be discussed by Ministers at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council in December.

On 9th October the Commission called on heads of State and government to provide political guidelines and new energy to negotiations so that an agreement over the EU's budget can be found for the period 2021-2027. In a communication published just days before the Council on 17th and 18th October it recalls its priorities, amongst which feature an own resource to respond to the Union's priorities, as well as a balance and greater coherence between policies.

On 11th October the Commission presented a draft of the rules for the introduction of the Investment Court System, the mechanism to settle litigation provided for in CETA, the free trade agreement between the EU and Canada. The Commissions proposals cover the functioning of the appeal court, the code of conduct, mediation and binding rules for the interpretation of decisions. The project is to be assessed by the Council.

On 7th October the EU's Justice Ministers adopted the directive for the protection of whistleblowers which will enter into force in 2021. They agreed on the need to draft a new strategy to counter corruption and for the Union to join the Group of States against Corruption at the Council of Europe (GRECO). On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, they reiterated the Union's values, which hopes to join the European Convention of Human Rights. They called for adequate resources to be provided to the judicial cooperation agency, Eurojust. On 8th October the Interior Ministers assessed a voluntary mechanism for the distribution of migrants rescued at sea. They discussed the fight to counter violent extremism and terrorism, the risks set by 5G mobile networks and the fight to counter the sexual abuse of children.

On 10th October Finance Ministers reviewed the progress made in terms of the action plan to counter laundering and discussed a new methodology to establish a new list of high risk third countries. They decided to withdraw the Arab Emirates and the Marshall Islands from the list of non-cooperative countries and territories. The Council also received the report by the panel of high level experts on the European financial architecture for development. Moreover it recommended to the European Council that Fabio Panetta, the present deputy governor of the Bank of Italy, join the Board of the European Central Bank.

On 14th October the Council approved the appointment of Laura Codruţa Kövesi, former head of the Romanian Office against corruption, to be head of the future European Public Prosecutor's Office. The decision must now confirmed by Parliament.

As they met on 14th and 15th October the Agriculture and Fisheries Ministers approved the fishing quotas for the 10 main species in the Baltic Sea, particularly a 60% reduction regarding cod. They updated the Council's position on the European Fund for Maritime Affairs and Fishing after 2020 and discussed their position in future discussions with Norway. They also discussed the future reform of the Common Agriculture Policy and the situation on the international agricultural markets.

Queen Elizabeth II set out the priorities of the new government formulated by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on 14th October during her speech marking the re-opening of parliament. The main priorities remain "exiting the EU on 31st October" as well as the introduction of a "new partnership with the EU based on free-trade and friendly cooperation."

On 11th October the Commission published its 30th annual report on the protection of the EU's financial interests. It notes that additional effort is required at European and national level in response to new trends in terms of circumventing the rules, but stresses the measures taken to consolidate the protection of the budget, such as the creation of the European Prosecutor's Office, simplified rules and a new anti-fraud strategy.

In its annual assessment report on cybercriminal threats published on 9th October, Europol notes that even though their volume, their targets and level of sophistication vary, the nature of the threats remains the same. The European agency notes that the new threats often result from existing vulnerability.

In its annual report on the implementation of trade agreements, published on 14th October, the Commission notes that trade with the EU increased in 2018 and that the Union recorded a surplus of 84.6 billion € in its goods trade with its partners under the trade agreements, against a global trade deficit of 24.6 billion € with the rest of the world. It stressed that trade represents 35% of the Union's GDP.

From 17th to 21st October the Designblock, the international festival of design is taking place in Prague. Each year 50,000 visitors are hosted and are offered exhibitions, shows and conferences.

The Palazzo Ducale in Mantua is running an exhibition until 6th January 2020 covering the career of Giulio Romano, a student of Raphaël. Stucco, drawings, paintings, prints, tapestries, jewellery as well as 3D reconstitutions.

The Arts Pavillon of Zagreb is running an exhibition until 5th January 2020 entitled "The magic of Sculptural Movement", showing the sculpture of Alexander Calder. The retrospective is part of the series "The Greatest Sculptors of the 20th century" launched by the museum in 2014.

A new contemporary art museum in Athens, the Basil and Elise Goulandris Museum opened its doors on 2nd October. Its permanent collection brings together the works of many artists like Cézanne, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Picasso, Braque, Giacomette, Balthus and Soulages, as well as Greek artists like Takis or Christoforou.

The 46th International Contemporary Art Fair (Fiac) is taking place from 17th to 20th October at the Grand Palais, the Tuileries Gardens, the Petit Palais and Place Vendôme.

Caravaggio and Bernini are on show at the Kunsthistorisches in Vienna from 15th October to 19th January 2020. The exhibition will present around 60 works by the Masters of the Italian Renaissance.

From 15th October to 26th January 2020, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in Madrid is running an exhibition showing how photography stimulated major artists like Manet, Degas and other Impressionists by developing a new way of seeing the world.

The book fair in Frankfurt, the greatest event in the publishing industry, is taking place from 16th to 20th October. Debates, meetings with writers and activities between professional are on the programme.