The EU said Monday it will begin legal action against Cyprus and Malta over their controversial "golden passport" schemes for foreign investors, which critics say have been exploited by criminals.

Mayors in many parts of Italy have objected to a package of new measures aimed at combatting the spread of COVID-19 approved by PM Giuseppe Conte's government, ANSA reported. In a bid to prevent people contracting the disease while out socializing, city and town mayors will have the power to close squares and other areas where groups gather at night at 21:00.

Romania’s capital Bucharest closed schools, restaurants and theatres from Tuesday and widened the compulsory use of face masks to all outdoor spaces across the city as infection rates soared, Reuters reported. A spokesperson for the Bucharest’s emergency situations committee said the measures will be reassessed after a 14-day period.

Hungary will launch rapid antigen tests for coronavirus infections possibly as soon as Tuesday, PM Viktor Orban said on Monday, "Together with our epidemiologists we are following what new testing methods are available in the world," Orban told parliament.

Lithuanians started voting on Monday in the second round of a national election, with some of them casting ballots from their cars in special drive-in polling stations amid a local spike in COVID-19.

Making Europe healthier, fairer and more prosperous, while accelerating its long-term transformation into a greener economy, fit for the digital age, is the core of the Commission’s work programme for the next year, adopted on Monday afternoon. 

Greece government has finalised plans to extend a wall along its northeast border with Turkey, over concerns that migrants may try to stage mass crossings into the country, news wires reported. According to government spokesman Stelios Petsas, 26 km of wall would be added to an existing 10 km section in a 63-million-euro project due to be completed by April-end.

The Council of the EU on Monday renewed the EU sanctions regime against ISIL/Da'esh and Al-Qaida and the related list of people subject to restrictive measures for another year until 31 October 2021. The decision was taken in light of the ongoing terrorist threat, the Council said in a statement.

Europe's biodiversity remains under strong pressure from farming, forestry, the expansion of cities and pollution, a European environmental watchdog said on Monday cited by DPA. Hundreds of habitats and species of plants, birds and animals are threatened despite conservation efforts, the European Environment Agency (EEA) said in a new report.

An EU-wide system that ensures interoperability, so-called ‘gateway' for contact tracing and warning apps went live on Monday. In the first wave of national apps now linked through this service are Germany's Corona-Warn-App, Ireland's Covid tracker, and Italy's immune and all in all, these apps have been downloaded by around 30 million people, which are two-thirds of all app downloads in the EU.