Economic governance

Eurozone sharpens up new anti-shock fund

Finance ministers of the 19-member euro area reached agreement late on Wednesday (9 October) on the details of a "budgetary instrument" for the eurozone, including stronger measures to support countries hit by a sudden economic shock.

Will Germany block EIB plans to ditch natural gas?

The European Investment Bank wants to purge its loan books of fossil fuels, including natural gas, by 2020. Although the Bank's final decision is expected to be delivered on 15 October, resistance, especially from Germany, is brewing. EURACTIV Germany reports.

Gentiloni wins broad approval with ‘ambitious’ EU economic and social agenda

Paolo Gentiloni won the European Parliament's approval on Thursday (3 October) to become EU Commissioner for the Economy, with ambitious plans to unblock tax proposals and to design the European unemployment reinsurance  scheme.

French business expansion slows amid sluggish eurozone

France's private sector is growing at a slower rate and has reached the lowest level in the past four months, according to forecasts published by IHS Markit on Monday (23 September). For the eurozone, business expansion fell to the lowest level since June 2013. EURACTIV's partner La Tribune reports.

Draghi calls for euro budget in farewell to MEPs

ECB President Mario Draghi urged EU co-legislators on Monday (23 September) to set up a fiscal capacity to counter eurozone’s economic shocks, as he warned of the worsening economic outlook in his farewell debate with MEPs.

New investment clause fails to win EU member state support

EU member states remain split over a possible relaxation of the bloc’s fiscal rules meant to facilitate investment in the bloc, despite calls from the European Central Bank and some governments to increase public spending and mitigate the risk of recession.

Growing pressure on eurozone economies to launch stimulus

The European Commission and some member states including France followed the ECB in pressing Germany and other countries with fiscal space to invest more to counter the risk of recession.

Draghi urges Germany, Netherlands to invest against risk of recession

The European Central Bank said on Thursday (12 September) it will reactivate its bond-buying programme, stepping up the monetary stimulus to maintain economic growth, but its president Mario Draghi told Germany and the Netherlands the time has come to spend more in order to avoid the risk of a downturn.

All signs point towards recession in Germany

The ifo Institute for Economic Research has lowered its forecast for Germany's economic growth for 2019 and 2020. Instead of the previously predicted 0.6%, the institute now expects a 0.5% growth rate for 2019. A potential hard Brexit and escalation of trade wars with the US were not taken into account. EURACTIV Germany reports.

Italy’s Conte proposes a ‘pact’ to start honeymoon with Commission

Freshly re-appointed as Italy's prime minister, Giuseppe Conte has meaningfully chosen Brussels and the EU institutions for his first official visit, aiming to lay down weapons and start a new give-and-take relation with the European Commission.

The seven-point recipe to improve EU’s messy fiscal rules

The European Fiscal Board has recommended major reform of the Stability and Growth Pact in order to simplify the EU’s spending rules and favour productive investment in the era of low-interest rates.

Trade wars: Germany’s slide into recession

Germany is facing a recession, with business confidence plunging to levels not seen since the global economic crisis of 2009. As a result, calls for increased investment are growing louder – but possibly for the wrong reasons, EURACTIV Germany reports.

Low and negative interest rates: remedy and threat for Europe’s public finances

From Saturday (24 July) onwards, G7 leaders will discuss the global economic situation in Biarritz, France. The discussion will likely focus on extremely low-interest rates, which represent both an opportunity and a risky temptation for over-indebted European countries. EURACTIV France reports.

Five things to know about the new pot to support EU economies

The European Commission will play a key role in deciding what reforms and investments are supported by a new financial instrument expected to be in place in 2021, whose amount is yet to be decided by the member states as part of the negotiations on the EU's long-term budget (MFF).

Cables reveal how Britain tried to turn France against the euro in the 1990s

British diplomats tried to establish a "very private link" with former French president Jacques Chirac with the "unavowed aim" of exposing him to the risks of a European currency union, declassified documents revealed Thursday (17 July).

Le Maire: ‘Capitalism is in a dead end, must reinvent itself’

French finance minister Bruno Le Maire is determined to chair an “efficient” meeting with his colleagues of the G7 countries on Wednesday and Thursday. His goal is no less than to refound capitalism. As a first step, he wants to reach an agreement on the main features of digital tax, to pave the way for an international compromise by early next year.

Europeans tell Germany to spend more to boost euro economy

European ministers and institutions told Germany on Monday (8 July) to increase public spending in order to support the ailing growth in the eurozone, as decision-makers and investors see a growing risk of recession looming on the horizon.

Italy escapes EU budget sanction procedure after spending cuts

The European Commission concluded on Wednesday (3 July) that Italy was no longer breaching the EU’s fiscal rules after the government reduced public spending by €7.6 billion in a last-minute effort to escape a sanction procedure.

Christine Lagarde, a non-conventional pick for the ECB presidency

A lawyer by training, Christine Lagarde has been nominated to succeed Mario Draghi as president of the European Central Banck (ECB). The IMF director has an atypical profile, due to her lack of banking experience and question marks over her past. EURACTIV France reports.

Finland softens opposition to eurozone budget as it takes over EU Presidency

On the eve of assuming the EU's rotating presidency, the new centre-left Prime Minister of Finland, Antti Rinne, accepted on Wednesday (26 June) the possibility of a “small” eurozone budget to support investments, as long as it remains part of the EU’s long-term spending plans.

EU fiscal board insists on stabilisation mechanism

Any systemic shock will not affect just some countries but the whole euro area so if member states want to counter it adequately, they need to have a central fiscal capacity, European Fiscal Board (EFB) president Niels Thygesen told reporters on Tuesday (25 June). 

Rutte: ‘I will never support stabilisation mechanisms at euro level’

In an exclusive interview with EURACTIV.com after the European Council, Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, said on Friday (21 June) that he "will never support" new budgetary instruments to stabilise the euro area if an economic shock hits the region.

Divided EU to urge return to talks on eurozone integration

European Union leaders will urge finance ministers on Friday (21 June) to keep working on deeper euro zone integration as flagship ideas such as a euro zone budget or a deposit guarantee scheme either lack key elements or have not progressed at all.

No agreement on euro budgetary tool- ministers send ‘hot potato’ back to leaders  

EU finance ministers failed to reach an agreement in the early hours of Friday (14 June) on an anti-shock instrument to shield the euro, as they continued to clash over almost every feature on the agenda, including the source of funding.