Euro & Finance
EU recovery fund struggles to find its true nature
Amid doubts around the implementation of the €800 billion recovery fund, European Commission and experts stress that the EU instrument is not a US-like emergency stimulus but an investment tool for the medium-term to transform the European economy.
Germany hatches plan to attract green investment capital
The German government is planning a new green financing strategy to steer capital towards environmental projects and developing Germany into a leading hub for sustainable finance, plans seen by Reuters show.OpinionPromoted content
A joint effort to boost the European recovery
In 2021, Generali celebrates its 190th anniversary. It is not only a significant milestone that few companies can boast, but also an opportunity to honour our history by continuing to play an ever-increasing active corporate citizenship role that goes beyond...
Insurers and EU institutions discuss options for pandemic coverage
The European Commission, insurance regulator EIOPA, and the industry have started discussing options to better ensure the protection of businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, as the withdrawal of state support measures is expected to reveal the real damage caused by the crisis in the private sector.
Where is social inclusion in the national recovery plans?
The Recovery Funds should respond to the strategic priorities set out by the European Commission, including employment and fighting poverty. However, an initial assessment of the submitted draft national recovery plans suggests that they largely miss investment in social inclusion and social services reform, writes Alfonso Lara Montero.
Germany, France, Italy, Spain push for implementation of recovery fund
Finance ministers of Germany, France, Italy, and Spain urged member states on Wednesday (28 April) to submit their recovery plans and pressed the European Commission to speed up the assessment of the investment and reform proposals.
The ECB needs political guidance on secondary objectives
While EU Treaties clearly stipulate that the European Central Bank “shall support the general objectives of the European Union", politicians cannot simply stand by, hoping that it will use its discretionary power to act on them, writes Grégory Claeys.
No need to panic about the EU recovery fund
The EU recovery fund has been delayed by another court case in Germany. But there's no need to worry, writes Sony Kapoor.
EU pushes for convergence of insolvency rules to support recovery
The European Commission is preparing a series of proposals to drive the capital markets union to facilitate the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the most difficult battles will be reducing the differences between national insolvency frameworks.
Brexit sparks £1 trillion UK assets switch to EU: study
UK banks and insurers have shifted more than £1.0 trillion to the European Union in response to Brexit, a study published Friday (16 April) found.
Parliament to look into Commission’s multi-million bill with consultancy firms
The European Parliament will examine the European Commission’s sizeable expenditure on big consultancy firms, recently revealed by EURACTIV.com, and propose a different approach to limit their influence in structural reforms, the chair of the Parliament’s budgetary control committee has said.
EU states set to benefit from multibillion IMF Special Drawing Rights programme
EU states are set to be among the main beneficiaries next week when international leaders are set to authorise up to $650bn of new ‘Special Drawing Rights’ to help countries badly hit by the Covid pandemic.at the International Monetary Fund’s spring meeting on 5 April.
Regulators maintain call for prudence in bonuses and dividends payout
Regulators are urging banks and insurance companies to exercise caution in handing out dividend payments to shareholders and bonuses to employees, as Europe continues to struggle to cement its recovery from the Covid pandemic.
Europe looks for investment to spur its ailing recovery
Difficulties never come alone in the EU. The German Constitutional court’s decision to halt the ratification of the EU’s recovery fund on 26 March is the latest challenge faced by the EU in the battle against the Covid-19 pandemic.
EU Court of Auditors looking into Commission’s contracts with consultants
The European Court of Auditors is examining almost half a billion euro worth of contracts the European Commission has concluded with external consultants to assess whether there is fair value for money in the contracts, a spokesperson of the institution told EURACTIV on Thursday (18 March).
Don’t impose new tax reporting burden on EU businesses
The competitiveness of European businesses is at risk if EU introduces unilateral public country-by-country reporting, writes Krister Andersson.
Eurozone to forgo budget belt-tightening for now
Eurozone finance ministers said Monday (15 March) they would not tighten spending given the continuing pandemic in Europe, but warned that soaring debt levels would eventually have to be fixed.
LEAK: EU considers expanding role of gas in green finance
The European Commission is reconsidering the position of gas in its sustainable finance taxonomy by recognising the fossil fuel’s role in keeping the lights on during peak electricity demand, according to a leaked document seen by EURACTIV.
‘OpenLux’ showed need for tougher enforcement of EU tax rules, says Gentiloni
The "OpenLux" investigation showed a need to better implement European Union tax rules and to strengthen tax-related disclosures by companies, a top EU official said on Wednesday (10 March).
EU prepares to turn the screw on asset managers over greenwashing
For money managers and advisers keen to market their sustainable investing credentials to European clients, going green is about to get a lot tougher.
Spanish business leader: EU fiscal rules are not an ‘open bar’
The softening of EU fiscal rules to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on Spanish businesses may lead to a massive deficit in two years time if not responsibly handled by the government, an industry representative has warned in an interview, EURACTIV's partner EuroEFE reports.
Parliament spells out red lines in EU battle over green finance
Senior lawmakers have expressed concerns about the EU’s proposed sustainable finance taxonomy rule book, raising the possibility that an unruly cross-party majority might emerge to reject the proposal in the European Parliament.
EU’s revised fiscal pact to consider ‘golden rule’ on investment
The European Commission will propose towards the end of the year how to simplify the European Union's complex budget rules, cut accumulated debt and boost investment, European Economic Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni said on Thursday (4 March).