The Council adopted a regulation that will make instant payments fully available in euro to consumers and businesses in the EU and in EEA countries. The new rules will improve the strategic autonomy of the European economic and financial sector as they will help reduce any excessive reliance on third-country financial institutions and infrastructures. Improving the possibilities […]
Read More
Zalando commits to provide clearer information for consumer following EU action
Following a dialogue with the Commission and national consumer authorities, Zalando has committed to removing misleading sustainability flags and icons displayed next to products offered on its platform. Such claims can mislead consumers about the environmental characteristics of the products. As from 15 April 2024, the icons will not appear anymore. Instead, clear information about […]
Read More
Halfway through its lifetime, the Recovery and Resilience Facility continues to deliver across the EU through ambitious reforms and investments
The Commission presented the mid-term evaluation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), the EU’s recovery instrument at the heart of the €800 billion NextGenerationEU (NGEU) plan. Unprecedented in its scale and ambition, the RRF was established in February 2021 and has the two-fold objective of helping Member States to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, as well […]
Read More
Ministers update EU list of non-cooperative tax jurisdictions
The Council removed Bahamas, Belize, Seychelles and Turks and Caicos Islands from the list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes. With these updates, the EU list consists of the following 12 jurisdictions: American Samoa Anguilla Antigua and Barbuda Fiji Guam Palau Panama Russia Samoa Trinidad and Tobago US Virgin Islands Vanuatu The Council regrets that […]
Read More
EU wins WTO compliance action against US in ripe olives dispute
The World Trade Organization (WTO) has today confirmed that the EU was right to challenge the US for not complying with a ruling relating to ripe olives from Spain. Today’s WTO panel report presents again a clear and full win for the EU. It confirms that the US failed to implement the recommendations of the original panel, […]
Read More
Report from experts on Cohesion Policy proposes ways to maximise the effectiveness and impact of Cohesion Policy in the future
The independent Group of High-Level Specialists on the Future of Cohesion Policy presented its report, which assessed the functioning of Cohesion Policy and included recommendations on how to ensure the Policy continues to promote prosperity and convergence across the EU. These recommendations will add to the ongoing reflections and body of opinions from many stakeholders and […]
Read MoreCommission monitors strengths and challenges of EU’s competitiveness
The Commission has published the new Annual Single Market and Competitiveness Report. The report details the competitive strengths and challenges of Europe’s Single Market, tracking yearly developments according to the nine competitiveness drivers identified in the EU’s 2023 Long-term competitiveness Communication. Those are the functioning of the Single Market, access to private capital, public investment and […]
Read More
Winter Economic forecast 2024 for Spain
The Spanish economy is estimated to have expanded by 2.5% in 2023, marginally above what was projected in autumn, with preliminary data for the fourth quarter pointing to an acceleration (0.6% q-o-q) compared to the third quarter. Private consumption and, to a lesser extent, investment were the key drivers of GDP growth throughout 2023. External […]
Read More
Council and European Parliament reach agreement on reform of EU tax rules
The Council and European Parliament negotiators reached a provisional political agreement on the proposed reform of the EU’s economic governance framework. The main objective of the reform is to ensure sound and sustainable public finances, while promoting sustainable and inclusive growth in all member states through reforms and investment. Main elements of the provisional agreement […]
Read More