Headlines:

- CoE Assembly Kosovo Report Stresses Standards Over Status

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, PACE, adopted today a report on the situation in Kosovo that points to poor respect for the rule of law as one of the main problems facing Kosovo.

- Bulgaria, Romania Rank Last in EU GDP Survey Bulgaria and Romania once again fare badly in a recent Europe-wide survey of GDP per capita performance, occupying the last two places in the European Union with 41 and 45 per cent of the EU average respectively, the Sofia Echo reports.

- Court Decision Boost to Small Albania Parties

Albania’s Constitutional Court on Monday struck down two articles of electoral code which had made it virtually impossible for small political parties to run in parliamentary elections.

- WAZ Acquires Firm with Shares in Serbian Daily

Paul Binder, spokesperson of German media group WAZ, has confirmed that the company has taken over Salzburg-based Ardos Holding GMBH, which owns a 24.9 per cent share in the Serbian daily Vecernje Novosti.

- Macedonia Budget Cut "Unrealistic"

The proposed Macedonian budget cut is not enough to deal with the financial situation that the country faces, opposition lawmakers said at the parliamentary commission hearing on the draft motion to balance the budget.

For further information: Balkan Investigative Reporting Network