In the Netherlands, as of 6 November, the Covid certificate has been made compulsory in bars, restaurants, cultural venues and conference rooms, and masks must be worn in shops, public transport and schools. In Austria, non-vaccinated people cannot enter bars, hairdressing salons and cultural venues. Masks are again compulsory in schools in the most affected areas in France, and in secondary education in Belgium. In Germany, the federal government and the Länder have expressed their support for a third dose of vaccine for the entire already vaccinated population. To follow developments in the situation and find out what measures are currently in force in the various EU Member States, the Foundation offers you a complete map of the measures in place. An indispensable, regularly updated resource.

On 3 November the Commission published its proposal for fishing opportunities in EU waters in the Atlantic, Kattegat and Skagerrak for 2022. The 23 proposed Total Allowable Catches (TACs) for the fish stocks concerned will be adopted on 13 and 14 December at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council.

After 4 citizens' panels organised in Strasbourg from 17 September to 17 October as part of the Conference on the Future of Europe, a second series of panels, this time virtual, has been launched. From 5 to 7 November, a first panel of 200 randomly selected Europeans discussed economic issues, social justice, employment, culture, youth, sport and digital transformation. Three more panels will be organised by the end of November. Their conclusions will be presented in December or January to the conference plenary. All Europeans can contribute to the debates on the conference platform.

The members of the Eurogroup met on 8 November to discuss the political outlook and macroeconomic developments in the euro area. They exchanged views on energy prices and inflation. Ministers also discussed the potential impact of the digital euro on the euro area, addressed the issue of fiscal and economic policy coordination in the post-Covid-19 context and took stock of the preparations for the introduction of the common safety net to the Single Resolution Fund.

On 2 November, at the climate conference in Glasgow, the Commission announced an EU contribution of €1 billion for forest protection. In addition, the EU and the US launched the global commitment to reduce methane emissions by at least 30% by 2030, signed by over 100 countries. Finally, the EU, France, Germany, the UK and the US announced a partnership to support South Africa's decarbonisation efforts with $8.5 billion in funding.

Angela Merkel was welcomed with her husband by Emmanuel Macron and his wife in Beaune on 3 November for her last official visit to France as German Chancellor. The French president awarded her the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour, underlining her "exceptional career" and her contribution to "keeping Europe united despite all the shocks". Angela Merkel praised Franco-German cooperation and the common values she has shared with four French presidents. Chancellor Merkel looks back on her 16 years in office in an interview with Deutsche Welle.

With one week to go before the 14 November parliamentary elections, the conservative GERB party chaired by Boyko Borisov is in the lead with 22.5% of the vote, ahead of the Socialist Party (15.1%), the new "We continue the change" party (13.4%), the "There is such a nation" movement (12.2%), the Democratic Bulgaria party (11.2%) and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (10.8%). In the first round of the presidential election on 14 November, incumbent Rumen Radev (independent) is leading ahead of Anastas Gerdijkov (GERB), Mustafa Karadaya (Movement for Rights and Freedoms) and Lozan Panov (Democratic Bulgaria).

The French Secretary of State for European Affairs, Clément Beaune, and the British Minister for Brexit, David Frost, met in Paris on 4 November to seek a solution to the crisis between their two countries over licences for French fishermen in British waters. No agreement was reached and discussions are continuing.

On 4 November, the Italian government presented a draft reform of competition policy to make the rules regarding concessions, public procurement and for certain sectors such as health and transport more transparent.

Following the rejection by the Portuguese Parliament of Prime Minister António Costa's 2022 budget proposal on 27 October, Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa announced the dissolution of the Chamber of Deputies on 4 November. Parliamentary elections will be held on 30 January 2022.

Five Czech parties belonging to SPOLU, a coalition of three conservative parties (Civic Democratic Party ODS, Christian Democratic Party KDU-ČSL and TOP 09), and STAN, an alliance of the Pirate Party and Mayors and Independents, signed a coalition agreement on 8 November, the day the parliament that emerged from the 8-9 October elections met for the first time. On 6 November, President Milos Zeman, who was hospitalised, said he was ready to appoint SPOLU leader Petr Fiala as Prime Minister. The government will comprise 18 ministers.

On 4 November, the Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) called on Bulgaria to take action for its lack of progress in addressing significant problems in the country's social care homes and hospitals. The CPT calls upon the Bulgarian authorities to adopt a new methodology for the provision of mental health care and institutional social assistance services.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) condemned Poland on 8 November for violating the right to a fair trial. It considers that the appointment of Supreme Court judges by the Polish President on the advice of the National Council of the Judiciary compromises the independence and impartiality of the Supreme Court. In addition, the ECHR found a violation of Polish domestic law both in terms of the procedural rules for the appointment of Supreme Court judges, as well as in terms of the failure to comply with a domestic judicial decision.

According to figures published by Eurostat on 3 November, the EU unemployment rate was 6.7% in September, down from 6.9% in August. The euro area unemployment rate was 7.4%, down from 7.5% the previous month.

The Commission has published a report outlining the evolution of EU budgetary policy, analysing the 2021-2027 budget and the NextGenerationEU recovery instrument, and suggesting ways forward.

The Paris Photo festival is being held from 11 to 14 November at the ephemeral Grand Palais. Among the various exhibitions, a tour called Elles x Paris Photo is being organised to improve the representation and recognition of women photographers.

The romantic paintings of Franz-Ludwig Catel are exhibited for the first time in France at the Maison de Chateaubriand, in Châtenay-Malabry, until December 20. Franz-Ludwig Catel, a Prussian painter who travelled to the region of Calabria in southern Italy under Napoleon's occupation, returned from his journey with some forty paintings depicting, among other things, features that have now disappeared.