EMU

Conte buys Italy’s government more time over eurozone bailout fund

Italy's prime minister Giuseppe Conte claimed victory on Friday (13 December), after changing the wording of the Euro summit's conclusion postponing a final agreement on the reform of the eurozone bailout fund.

Costa and Centeno clash over euro budgetary instrument 

Tensions between Portuguese prime minister, Antonio Costa, and his finance minister and Eurogroup president, Mario Centeno erupted in front of EU leaders on Friday (13 December) as the two clashed over the design of the eurozone budgetary instrument .

ECB to embark on soul-searching process in 2020 

The European Central Bank will next year review its tools and objectives in order to better fulfil its mandate of price stability, and it also intends to assess the appropriateness of issuing its own digital currency, in the face of growing concerns about Facebook’s Libra.

Inflation, climate, jargon: ECB launches major review

The European Central Bank's new president Christine Lagarde has announced that the Frankfurt-based institute will soon undertake a strategic review, its first since 2003.

Ministers set to advance Eurozone reform amid political turmoil in Italy and Germany

EU ministers gather Wednesday (4 December) in a bid to chart progress on the Eurozone reform ahead of the EU Council summit next week. However, recent political developments in Rome and Berlin may hinder talks on the matter.

Merkel ignores calls for bigger fiscal stimulus

German chancellor Angela Merkel resisted calls to increase public spending as pressure continues to grow from her country and abroad to avoid the austerity that worsened the euro crisis.

German plan brings ‘new impetus’ to banking union, Eurogroup says

Finance ministers on Thursday (7 November) welcomed a German initiative to unblock proposals for a common bank deposit guarantee scheme in the eurozone, but questioned Berlin's request to ask additional capital buffers in return for banks holding sovereign debt.

As economy slows, Commission tells member states to be ready for ‘all scenarios’

EU member states should be prepared for “all scenarios” as the European economy continues to decelerate, and is not expected to pick up in the near future, the European Commission warned in its latest economic forecast published on Thursday (7 November).

Scholz’s proposal to complete EU banking union greeted with cautious optimism 

European decision makers welcomed on Wednesday (6 November) German finance minister Olaf Scholz’s attempt to unlock the European Deposit Insurance Scheme (EDIS) proposal, but warned of the long process still ahead to reach an agreement.

Eurozone equipped to save big economies, says euro rescue fund chief

The European Stability Mechanism, the euro area’s rescue fund, would have enough firepower to save large economies if necessary, including Italy, the fund’s chief Klaus Regling said on Tuesday (29 October).

Draghi attempts to heal divided ECB in farewell speech

Departing ECB president Mario Draghi tried to restore unity among eurozone central bankers  in his farewell speech on Monday (28 October) but he continued to defend his recent controversial monetary decisions.

Draghi’s farewell demand: the eurozone budget

Outgoing European Central Bank President Mario Draghi stressed in his farewell press conference on Thursday (24 October) that a truly eurozone budget “with an adequate size" would be the number one issue to fix in the eurozone. 

EU grandees send Draghi to ‘euro pantheon’

European Central Bank President Mario Draghi chairs his last governing council on 24 October, before Christine Lagarde takes over on 1 November. EURACTIV contacted eight politicians, decision-makers and analysts from different countries to review Draghi's eight-year mandate at the ECB.

EU investment plan helped create 1.1 million jobs

Outgoing European Commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker, announced on Tuesday (22 October) that the investment plan launched at the beginning of his mandate helped create 1.1 million jobs in Europe and boosted the European economy by 0.9%.

Commission tells member states to adjust their economies further

The European Commission is putting the final touches to a number of letters to various national governments that are at risk of missing their fiscal targets for 2020. Brussels wants more information on how they intend to to balance their public finances.

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.

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.

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.

Poland and Germany call for swift negotiations to conclude EU budget

Germany and Poland are pressing for EU budget negotiations to be concluded as quickly as possible. For Poland, the primary beneficiary of the EU's cohesion policy, there is a great deal at stake. Germany hopes the negotiations will finish before it takes over the EU presidency next July. EURACTIV Germany reports.

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.

A new team to defend Europe’s economic sovereignty

Achieving a “more assertive” Europe that can improve its competitiveness and sovereignty in an increasingly hostile world. These are the main guidelines of President-elect Ursula von der Leyen to the new College of Commissioners, unveiled on Tuesday (10 September).