Economy & Jobs
The Brief – The hidden story behind the EU’s new budget
Budgets are hardly inspiring stuff for the general public, but they also tell interesting stories about shifting priorities and power struggles, which are usually not made explicit. As EU leaders hold a special summit on EU finances, EURACTIV reveals the hidden story behind the EU budget.
EU’s big budget battle
Leaders of the EU27 hold a special summit to debate the bloc's 2021-27 budget, in an effort to meet the tightening deadlines, fill the financial gap left by Brexit and reconcile vastly different positions of the member states.
EU eyes single space for European bank cards
The European Commission will present this autumn a strategy on an integrated EU payments market, to facilitate the use of national payment services across Europe and reduce the dependency from international card operators such as Visa or Mastercard.
Parliament ready to flex its muscles over EU budget in wake of Brexit
Ahead of an EU27 summit on Thursday, the European Parliament is mounting pressure on the member states to agree on an ambitious budget for the bloc, demanding a bigger say in decision-making in the aftermath of Brexit and threatening to reject the bloc's key financial instrument.
Google users in UK to lose EU data protection – sources
Google is planning to move its British users’ accounts out of the control of European Union privacy regulators, placing them under U.S. jurisdiction instead, sources said.
The Brief – It’s the (green) economy, stupid!
The issue of who will be the CDU’s next leader is not the only fertile ground for political discussion in Germany these days. The future Tesla construction site on the outskirts of Berlin has prompted a debate of equal intensity.
High-risk Artificial Intelligence to be ‘certified, tested and controlled,’ Commission says
Artificial Intelligence technologies carrying a high-risk of abuse that could potentially lead to an erosion of fundamental rights will be subjected to a series of new requirements, the European Commission announced on Wednesday (19 February).
EU expands tax heavens blacklist to Cayman Islands and Panama
EU finance ministers added on Tuesday (18 February) the Cayman Islands and Panama, together with Palau and the Seychelles, to the bloc's blacklist of tax havens, which now includes twelve countries.
Eurozone ministers discuss fiscal boost options as coronavirus worries weigh
Euro zone finance ministers discussed ways to pursue a more growth-friendly fiscal policy mix on Monday (17 February), in a potential nudge to Germany and the Netherlands to spend more as fears of a downturn grow in the wake of the coronavirus epidemic.
TGV-maker Alstom confirms bid attempt for Canadian rival
French train maker Alstom has confirmed it is in talks on the possible acquisition of the train business of Canada’s Bombardier, a potential €6.5 billion deal that could help it build scale in the increasingly competitive rail sector.
Poland’s just transition bonus cut 50% under latest EU budget proposal
Poland would see its €2 billion share of the EU’s Just Transition Fund cut in half under a new EU budget proposal published on Friday (14 February), which penalises countries that have not signed up to the bloc’s 2050 ‘climate-neutrality’ goal.
Michel offers flexible EU budget to convince sceptics
More flexibility within the Common Agriculture Policy and more money to less developed regions instead of a larger budget is what European Council President Charles Michel will offer to sceptic countries to agree on a new EU 7-year blueprint next week.
EU leaves economic forecast unchanged despite risks
The European Commission kept unchanged its economic forecast for moderate eurozone growth for this year and 2021 despite the impact of looming risks, especially the coronavirus.
EU starts to chart shipping’s new green course
The shipping industry will soon have to pay for its environmental impact in the EU, as both the European Commission and Parliament are moving forward with plans to include vessels in the bloc’s flagship carbon market. But there are choppy waters ahead.
Dried out: trade war cuts US whiskey sales to EU
Europeans have developed a taste for American whiskey over the past decade but trade disputes have slashed US exports of the booze, an American trade group said Wednesday (12 February).
EU to give Turkey more time to avoid tax blacklisting
European Union diplomats have reached a preliminary agreement to give Turkey more time to meet tax transparency requirements, two diplomatic sources said, in a move that could weaken the bloc’s blacklist but at the same time avoid a new clash...
MEPs bare teeth at illegal cats and dogs trade
The European Parliament is calling for a halt to the illegal trade in pets to protect animal welfare and public health but also to combat what has become an all too lucrative business. EURACTIV's partner Ouest-France reports.
‘Too early to assess’ the economic impact of coronavirus, Commission says
The European Commission won't consider the effects of the coronavirus outbreak in its updated growth forecast, expected on Thursday (13 February), saying it is "too early" to estimate the impact of the virus on the region’s output, EU sources told EURACTIV.
Commission warns of Green Deal failure if Transition Fund not well financed
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned on Wednesday (12 February) that the European Green Deal would fail if member states declined to provide the necessary funds to workers and regions affected by the climate transition.
After Clearview AI scandal, Commission ‘in close contact’ with EU data authorities
The European Commission is in consultation with EU data protection authorities following the news that US technology firm Clearview AI has scraped more than three billion facial images from social media sites including YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, without obtaining the permission of users.
New EU regions president: ‘Citizens feel left out from the European process’
Apostolos Tzitzikostas (EPP), the governor of Central Macedonia (Greece), has been elected as the new president of the European Committee of the Regions. He talked to EURACTIV about his main priorities, which include a bottom-up approach to shaping European policies as the only way to overcome the "democratic deficit".
Google vs EU: a decade-long saga goes to court
Google and the EU have a big day in court Wednesday (12 February) as the search engine giant enters a new phase of a legal saga that began a decade ago.
Italy faces existential threat over low birthrate, president warns
Italy's future is threatened by its diminishing birthrate, President Sergio Mattarella said on Tuesday (11 February), as new data showed the population had shrunk once again in 2019.