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On 8 December 2022, the Council adopted a decision on full application of the Schengen acquis in Croatia, but blocked accession of Romania and Bulgaria into the area without internal border checks.

The Council and the European Parliament (on 22 and 23 November 2022, respectively) formally approved the EU budget for 2023. In total, next year's budget amounts to €186.6 billion in commitment appropriations and €168.6 billion in payment appropriations.

On 7 December 2022, the Council adopted its position on the Anti-Money Laundering Regulation and the new (sixth) Anti-Money Laundering Directive. The Council wishes, inter alia, to extend the scope of the AML/CFT Regulation, streamline the listing of high-risk third countries, and harmonise beneficial ownership rules.

On 22 November 2022, the Commission announced that it intends to no longer monitor Romania’s progress in judicial reforms and the fight against corruption under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM). Monitoring will continue under the annual rule of law cycle.

In conclusions adopted on 22 November 2022, the Council stressed the importance of the protection of the EU's financial interests in spending EU money for cohesion policy. Expenditure for cohesion is traditionally the biggest part of the EU budget.

In its Opinion 6/2022, the ECA welcomes several proposals made by the Commission to recast the EU's Financial Regulation. However, the auditors also raise critical points, such as the fact that the proposal does not tackle the insufficient reporting on the Commission's debt management.

In a legislative resolution of 23 November 2022, the EP paved the way for new EU revenue sources based on the Emission Trading System, the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, and the OECD/G20 global corporate tax agreement.

On 25 October 2022, GRECO published its fifth round evaluation report on Montenegro. Overall, the report found that ublic confidence in institutions in preventing and fighting corruption should be strengthened, but a comprehensive national strategy in this area is lacking.

The new website EPPO-LEX (www.eppo-lex.eu) – the legal research library on the European Public Prosecutor’s Office – provides easy access to all types of legal documents concerning the EU’s new criminal law enforcement body. The website is designed to help users find their way through the complex legal framework guiding the operation of the EPPO.

At the beginning of November 2022, the Commission adopted a revised EU Action Plan to put an end to illegal wildlife trade, as announced in the Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. It directs the EU efforts in combating wildlife trafficking until 2027 and addresses four main priorities.