On 27 October, the Commission approved a first payment of €2.6 billion to Romania under the EU's NextGenerationEU programme, designed to tackle the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic. The €672.5bn recovery fund, known as the Recovery and Resilience Facility, is designed to provide grants and loans to Member States. The plans of 26 countries have been approved, and 10 countries have received disbursements. The Foundation provides an interactive map of the plans country by country, including amounts, timelines and priorities.

On 25 October, an international conference of experts to discuss the reconstruction of Ukraine was held in Berlin under the auspices of the German G7 Presidency and the European Commission. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reiterated the international community's long-term support for Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke via video conference and asked the political representatives for financial support to address the $38 billion budget deficit expected next year. The creation of a donor platform to coordinate the reconstruction process is also planned by the G7 countries.

Christine Lagarde, President of the ECB, announced on 27 October a 75 basis point increase in key interest rates to counter inflation, which rose to almost 10% in September in the euro area. With a view to ensuring that inflation returns to its 2% target as soon as possible, the ECB also tightened the financing conditions for banks by modifying its third series of targeted long-term refinancing operations (TLTRO III).

The Commission proposed on 26 October a revision of the Ambient Air Quality Directives (Zero Pollution Plan) which will introduce, among other things, compensation for people whose health is affected by air pollution, as well as a revision of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, and the updating of the lists of pollutants to be monitored more strictly in surface water and groundwater.

The Council and Parliament reached a provisional agreement on 27 October tightening CO2 emission standards for cars and vans. The target is a 55% reduction in emissions for new cars and a 50% reduction for new vans by 2030, with a view to achieving the end of internal combustion engines by 2035. The agreement must now be formally adopted by the Council and Parliament.

On 24 October, the Council gave its final approval to the directive requiring the use of the universal charger for all electronic devices such as mobile phones, tablets and headphones from 2024. The common USB-C charging port will also apply to laptops from 2026.

At a meeting in Astana on 27 October, Central Asian heads of state and European Council President Charles Michel welcomed the rapprochement between Central Asia and the European Union. They expressed their wish to deepen their cooperation in the field of energy.

The Court of Justice of the European Union ruled on 27 October that any data controller is obliged to inform internet search engines of a subscriber's request to delete their personal data. Furthermore, under the GDPR, the Court clarified that before publishing a subscriber's details in a public directory, the subscriber's consent is required at all stages of the processing of their personal data.

On 25 October the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights published a report on the living conditions and inclusion of Roma in the territories of the Member States. It reveals that 80% of Roma are at risk of poverty, compared to an EU average of 17%. According to the survey, due to discrimination against them, Roma face persistent problems in exercising their fundamental rights to employment, education, health care and housing.

On 26 October, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron met in Paris for lunch at the Élysée Palace, with a view to reviving Franco-German cooperation. The two leaders exchanged views on European energy supply, rising energy prices and joint defence projects.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited Athens on 27 October to meet Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. The two leaders discussed the war in Ukraine and the need to continue supporting the country, as well as the energy crisis. They said they would support the accession of the Western Balkan countries to the European Union. Olaf Scholz expressed his support for Greece in the face of Turkey's aggressive rhetoric and manoeuvres.

The new President of the Italian Council, Giorgia Meloni presented her government's programme to MPs on 25 October and to the Senate on 26 October. She stressed her country's establishment in the European Union and NATO, stating that "Italy is a full member of Europe and the Western world." The head of the Italian government will make her first official trip outside of Italy on 3 November when she comes to Brussels.

The new leader of the British Conservative Party, Rishi Sunak, was appointed Prime Minister by King Charles III on 25 October. He said he wanted to correct the mistakes of his predecessor Liz Truss, and focus his policy agenda on economic "stability and confidence". His government includes returning ministers such as Jeremy Hunt in Finance, James Cleverly in Foreign Affairs, Ben Wallace in Defence, Suella Braverman in Home Affairs, and Chris Heaton-Harris in the Northern Ireland Department.

A new agreement to improve trade flows between the EU and Moldova enters into force on 1 November. The aim is to simplify customs arrangements and, in particular, to reduce customs controls and to give priority to customs clearance. The agreement is part of an enhanced cooperation framework, as EU exports to Moldova amounted to €3.8 billion in 2021.

The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe took place from 25 to 27 October in Strasbourg. The members had the opportunity to exchange views with the Mayor of Kiev, Vitali Klitschko, and the Ukrainian Minister for Local and Regional Development, Oleksiy Chernyshov. They reiterated their support for Ukraine and recalled the existence of a correspondence platform for Ukrainian and European cities, Cities4cities, supported by the Congress. Frenchman Mathieu Mori was elected Secretary General of the Congress for a 5-year term. The Congress also discussed a renewal of the European Charter of Local Self-Government and called for the adoption of an additional protocol guaranteeing the consideration of local and regional authorities in environmental matters.

In its annual International Migration Outlook for 2022, the OECD notes that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has generated unprecedented migration flows into Europe, in contrast to the slowdown caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. By mid-September 2022, nearly 5 million Ukrainian refugees had crossed the borders of the European Union and other OECD countries.

According to a Eurobarometer survey published on 24 October, almost one in two Europeans believe that air quality has deteriorated over the last 10 years. Of those surveyed, 89% believe that respiratory diseases are caused by air pollution. Furthermore, the survey reveals that 65% believe that the problem needs to be tackled on a global scale and 67% believe that European protection standards should be tightened.

To celebrate the 300th anniversary of the coronation of Louis XV, the Château de Versailles is dedicating an exhibition to him until 19 February 2023. 400 works present his life, his passions and his influence on art. The exhibition is organised in partnership with the National Museum of Natural History.