In response to the economic and social consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, the European Union has set up a €672.5 billion recovery fund, known as the Recovery and Resilience Facility, for Member States in the form of grants and loans. On 8 November, Italy received a second instalment of €21 billion after meeting 45 targets. On 7 and 10 November, the Commission approved preliminary assessments for payments to Bulgaria and Croatia. The Foundation provides an interactive map of the country-by-country plans, including amounts, timetables and priorities.

On 10 November, MEPs approved two agreements aimed at facilitating the cross-border transport of goods between the European Union and Ukraine and Moldova. The aim is to provide alternative transit routes to air and sea routes for the export of grain, fuel and foodstuffs. In this sense, an agreement includes the recognition of Ukrainian driving licences within the territory of the Union.

The Council and the Parliament agreed on 10 November on the plan not to accept Russian passports issued in the occupied regions of Ukraine and Georgia in the EU. The measure must be formally approved by both institutions.

The Commission and the Member States bordering Ukraine announced on 11 November the payment of €1 billion to facilitate the functioning of the trade routes linking Ukraine to the European Union. These corridors were created in May to ensure the export of Ukrainian agricultural products, particularly cereals, and the import of products needed by the country.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hosted on 11 November the Speaker of the Lithuanian Parliament Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, who was visiting Kyiv as part of the session of the Parliamentary Assembly of Ukraine and Lithuania. He praised Lithuania's military, financial and humanitarian support. They discussed the European energy crisis and the idea of using seized or frozen Russian funds to finance the reconstruction of Ukraine.

The Commission proposed on 9 November the adoption of a regulation for the deployment of renewable energy sources to accelerate the process of independence from Russian gas. In this context, renewable energy installations would be deemed to be of overriding public interest. In addition, it includes an acceleration of the procedures for the authorisation of the installation of solar energy equipment, the granting of heat pump permits and the renovation of power plants.

On 9 November, the Commission presented its proposals to reform the EU's economic governance framework, with the aim of simplifying it in order to strengthen Member States' ownership of and compliance with budgetary rules. It proposes to maintain public deficit ceilings at 3% of GDP and debt at 60% of GDP, and suggests defining a budgetary trajectory for each Member State over a period of four years, adjusted to its financial situation, to restore its finances.

The Commission presented its economic forecasts on 11 November, which predict a recession in the last quarter of the year, but also growth for the year 2022 of 3.3% in the European Union and 3.2% in the euro zone, and only 0.3% for the year 2023 for both the European Union and the euro zone. The European Union is expected to see its inflation peak at the end of 2022, at 9.3%. It is expected to fall to 7% in 2023 and recover to 3% in 2024.

On 10 November, MEPs adopted the Sustainability Reporting Directive, which obliges companies to regularly share data on their societal and environmental impact. With a view to combating greenwashing, the new rules require more detailed data to be published and for the information to be subject to independent certification and auditing. The Council now has to adopt the proposal.

MEPs gave the green light on 10 November to the inclusion of energy measures, as set out in REPowerEU, in national recovery plans to boost support for vulnerable households, SMEs and micro-enterprises. Member States will have to include measures to save energy, produce clean energy and diversify sources of supply. In addition, MEPs suggested that the €20 billion in additional subsidies proposed by the Commission should be distributed taking into account the dependence on and increase in expenditure and the share of fossil fuels in each country's energy consumption. These rules will apply from 1 February 2023.

MEPs voted in favour of Croatia's accession to the Schengen area on 10 November and called on the Council to adopt a final decision to this effect. They reaffirmed that the country meets all the conditions for full membership. However, they urged Croatia to ensure respect for human rights in its management of the external borders and called for an evaluation by the Commission in this context.

MEPs adopted stricter cyber security standards for businesses, administrations and infrastructure on 10 November. The new legislation aims to harmonise different national standards and includes new obligations on risk management, including supply chain security, and information sharing. The critical sectors of energy, transport, banking, digital infrastructure, public administration and the space sector are now covered. The text must now be adopted by the Council.

The Parliament and Council reached a provisional agreement on 8 November on tightening up the greenhouse gas emission rules in the Fit for 55 package, notably by raising the mandatory reduction target for 2030 to 40%, instead of 30%, compared to 1990 levels. To achieve their national targets, Member States are following a stricter timetable, including an obligation not to exceed the annual quota. The new rules also restrict the possibilities to transfer, borrow and save emission allowances and aim to increase transparency.

The Council decided on 8 November to extend sanctions against Turkish individuals and entities for unauthorised drilling activities in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea until 23 November 2023. The sanctions include a ban on entering the territory of the Union and a freeze on the assets of listed individuals.

On 10 November, the Commission, together with the High Representative, presented its new cyber defence policy, which aims to strengthen cooperation between military and civilian cyber communities, particularly in response to recent cyber-attacks on energy networks, transport infrastructure and space assets. The aim will be to strengthen EU-wide coordination mechanisms, secure the defence ecosystem and consolidate investment and dialogue in this area.

On 14 November, the Foreign Ministers discussed the situation in Ukraine, food security, individual sanctions, protection of critical infrastructure and European military assistance. They discussed a new EU approach to the African Great Lakes region and agreed to intensify work on the Western Balkans region, which is suffering from various crises. They also discussed the situation in Iran and chemical weapons. They also adopted conclusions on women, peace and security, recalling in particular the importance of gender equality and human rights in all EU policies.

Following the affair of the Ocean-Viking ship that France welcomed in Toulon on 11 November with its 234 passengers, 175 of whom will be taken care of by 11 Member States in the framework of European solidarity, 4 countries (Italy, Greece, Cyprus and Malta), which are the most exposed to the arrival of migrants along with Spain, called on 12 November for the European Union to reform the system for managing migratory flows. In a statement on 14 November, the French and Italian presidents, Emmanuel Macron and Sergio Mattarella, stressed "the need to create the conditions for full cooperation in all areas, both bilaterally and within the European Union". On 14 November, the French and British interior ministers, Gérald Darmanin and Suella Braverman, confirmed the implementation of measures to combat all forms of irregular immigration, including crossings of the Channel, in accordance with international law.

On 11 November, French President Emmanuel Macron hosted several Iranian dissidents at the Elysée Palace: Masih Alinejad, Ladan Boroumand, Shima Babaie and Roya Pirayi. This is the first meeting between the leader of a major power and Iranian women dissidents since the beginning of the protest movement against the condition of women imposed by the Iranian regime.

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna and her British counterpart, James Cleverly, met in Paris on 11 November. They recalled the stakes of the bilateral summit to be held next year. Environmental, energy and migration issues will be at the centre of discussions. They also reiterated their willingness to continue to support Ukraine, pledged to strengthen cooperation to support peace in the Indo-Pacific region, and condemned the repression in Iran.

On 14 November, Banque de France Governor François Villeroy de Galhau and Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel published an opinion piece on the need to accelerate the EU's Capital Markets Union project to promote financial stability.

On 9 November the Irish Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe came to an end. The Organisation recalls the Committee's decision to hold a fourth summit of Heads of State and Government in May 2023 in Reykjavik, the creation of the Contact Group on Belarus and the work on a common legal response to the Russian aggression against Ukraine. Iceland succeeds Ireland in the chair.

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has announced that the world's population will reach 8 billion on 15 November, mainly due to population growth in Asia and Africa, which is now negative in Europe. India, with 177 million additional inhabitants, will have the highest population growth in 2023.

The Austrian National Library is presenting an exhibition dedicated to the Austrian writer and poet Ingeborg Bachmann until 5 November 2023. Manuscripts, books and objects from the author's house are on display.

The 71st edition of the Mannheim-Heidelberg International Film Festival will take place from 17 to 27 November and will present new productions that have never been screened elsewhere, bringing together great names in cinema and young directors.

The MAXXI Museum in Rome is devoting the exhibition "Tutto è santo. Il corpo politico" (Everything is sacred. The political body) to the Italian writer and director Pier Paolo Pasolini, until 12 March 2023, on the occasion of the centenary of his birth.

Until 30 November, the National Museum in Wroclaw is hosting an exhibition of photographs taken by photographer Vasyliy Holosnyy who, since February 2022, has documented the destruction of the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv and the crimes committed by the Russian army.

The Scots Fiddle Festival, Scotland's prestigious fiddle festival, is being held in the city of Edinburgh from 18 to 20 November to celebrate traditional Scottish music through concerts, lectures and workshops led by musicians.

The El Greco Museum in Toledo is devoting an exhibition to José de Ribera until 19 February 2023. It is organised in partnership with the Budapest Museum of Fine Arts.

Until 12 February 2023, the Royal Academy of Arts in London is hosting an exhibition on the hidden female pioneers of 20th century modernism: Paula Modersohn-Becker, Käthe Kollwitz, Gabriele Münter and Marianne Werefkin. 65 works are on show representing various subjects: still life, childhood, landscapes and the female body.