Euro & Finance

5-Star EU chief: No clash with Europe, but austerity should end

Europe's austerity-driven dogma has proved to be unsuccessful and should come to an end, MEP Tiziana Beghin told EURACTIV in an interview but stressed that the aim of her party, the Five Star Movement, is not to clash with the EU but to ensure there is more fiscal flexibility.

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.

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.

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.

EU high court could qualify Spain mortgage pricing as abusive

Spain's mortgage interest rate index -known as IRPH- could be considered abusive, advocate general of the Court of Justice of the EU warned in his conclusions on Tuesday (10 September), which are contrary to an assessment of Spain's Supreme Court. 

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).

Italy’s PM seeks EU reform as government wins confidence vote

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte called Monday (9 September) for the reform of European Union budget rules and cooperation on immigration as his new government won a parliamentary confidence vote.

Lagarde pledges to continue with Draghi’s loose monetary stance

Christine Lagarde promised on Wednesday (4 September) to respond with “agility” to the looming financial and economic turbulences once she becomes the president of the European Central Bank in November, while confirming that the current loose monetary stance will continue for a “long period of time.”

EU member states to look into Facebook’s controversial Libra

The Economic and Financial Committee (EFC), which brings together the EU’s member states, has requested an analysis note from the European Commission to further look into the risks posed by Facebook’s controversial digital currency Libra and the ways to regulate it.

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.

Greece ends capital controls after 50 months

The Greek government fully lifted the capital controls introduced during the crisis in 2015 on Monday (26 August), in a sign of its growing economic confidence following the end of the bailout programme last year.

French minister eager to hold e-commerce platforms to account for VAT fraud

France's minister of public action and accounts, Gérald Darmanin, wants to reform VAT collection for e-commerce platforms. The French minister also wishes to draw inspiration from the EU's tax haven blacklist to establish a similar one for fraudulent platforms. EURACTIV's partner La Tribune reports.

Debate rages in Austria over enshrining use of cash in the constitution

It may sound like a strange thing to enshrine in a country's constitution: the right to pay cash. But a debate on whether to do just that has entered Austria's election campaign, shining a light on the country's love of cold, hard currency.

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.

Recession fears grow as euro area inflation hits three-year low

Inflation in the euro area fell to 1% in July, its lowest level since 2016, according to Eurostat data released on Monday (19 August), adding pressure on the European Central Bank to consider relaunching its economic stimulus program in September.

Germany’s slowing growth is penalising the whole of Europe

The European train is slowing down as one of its main drivers, the German economy, is experiencing a slowdown. At the same time, job creation across the EU is declining. EURACTIV's partner Euroefe reports.

Unconventional measures are seeing a comeback at the ECB

The ECB's key interest rate remains at zero and is expected to be at that rate at least until summer 2020. However, ECB chief Mario Draghi is suggesting that a decisive fiscal policy is far more important for the eurozone, especially for Germany and Italy. EURACTIV Germany reports.

König: I don’t believe in gender quotas

For many, the banking union represents the most ambitious step in EU integration since the creation of the euro. As the chairwoman of the new authority to resolve European systemic banks, Elke König, has been in the driving seat of the process.

Spain obstructs agreement on ‘Tobin tax’

Revenue sharing among member states appears as the main outstanding issue to reach an agreement on the financial transaction tax (FTT), as Spain is still opposing the mutualisation of the resources, European officials told EURACTIV.

More Europe needed to fight money laundering, Commission argues

The EU needs more competences to effectively fight money laundry, Vice-President for the Euro Valdis Dombrovskis and Commissioner for Justice Věra Jourová told reporters on Wednesday (24 July) during the presentation of a series of reports on financial crimes.

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).

G7 says Facebook’s Libra poses ‘serious risks’

The G7 listed on Thursday (18 July) the requirements Facebook’s new ‘coin' Libra should meet, as regulators are increasingly wary of the “serious risks” posed by this digital currency.