Jorge Valero
Europeans will have to recycle half of their waste by 2025
European households and businesses will have to recycle at least 55% of their municipal waste by 2025, according to stricter new rules passed by the European Parliament on Wednesday (18 April).
Commission rules out any concession to avoid Trump’s tariffs
EU commissioner for trade Cecilia Malmström demanded on Wednesday (18 April) a “permanent and unconditional” exemption from US President Donald Trump´s tariffs and said the UE would not negotiate anything "under threat”.
Macron offers half-hearted defence for waning eurozone push
Emmanuel Macron toned down his ambition of completing the Economic and Monetary Union in a speech to the European Parliament on Tuesday (17 April), as he appears to be losing Germany’s backing and faces mounting pressure at home on unpopular economic reforms.
Syrian crisis adds pressure to break Council unanimity in foreign affairs
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas agreed on Friday to use the already available options to circumvent the required EU member states' unanimity when it comes to addressing foreign challenges including the Syrian war.
Commission satisfied with US trade talks, criticises Chinese IP practices
Trade discussions with the US are progressing well, European Commission vice-president Jyrki Katainen said on Tuesday (10 April). However, he lamented the “deteriorating” business climate in China.
ECB admits negative effect of monetary stimulus on German and Spanish banks
Amid growing concerns about the profitability of eurozone banks, the ECB said that the monetary decisions adopted after the financial crisis had a neutral effect on the money houses of the single currency area, except for German and Spanish lenders.
Banks urged to improve IT systems to cope with crisis
Banks should invest more in IT infrastructure because providing quality data immediately makes all the difference when a bank needs to be resolved in an orderly fashion, the EU's Single Resolution Board has said.
EU considering taking China to WTO over IP practices
The European Commission is “closely examining” the option of filing complaints against China before the World Trade Organization for their rules and practices on intellectual property, a spokesperson told EURACTIV on Wednesday (4 April).
Consumers hail proposal to limit transaction costs in EU
The European Commission’s proposals to limit transfer costs to non-euro members and currency conversions abroad were welcomed by consumer and transparency activists, although NGOs complained that it would not benefit migrants’ remittances.
Banks should charge customers higher fees, says ECB
Banks should increase fees and commissions to customers to survive in the low interest rate environment, the ECB has argued in a new report.
Commission opens the door to solve US tariff dispute
The European Commission is ready to discuss “any issue” the US Administration wants to raise as it seeks to obtain a permanent exemption from the tariffs announced by President Donald Trump.