The EU economy began 2025 on a somewhat stronger footing than anticipated. It is projected to keep growing at a modest rate this year, with growth expected to pick up in 2026, despite heightened global policy uncertainty and trade tensions. The Commission’s Spring 2025 Economic Forecast projects real GDP to grow by 1.1% in 2025 […]
EU high-speed rail lines grew to 8 556 km in 2023
In 2023, the EU railway network had 200 947 km of railway lines, with the highest densities being found in and around main cities and other population hubs. The highest railway network density was registered in Czechia, with 123.2 metres of railway lines per km². Other EU countries with high densities included Belgium (119.2 m/km²), Germany (109.5 m/km²) and Luxembourg […]
The Council adopts recommendations for countries with excessive deficit
The Council adopted recommendations for seven countries to correct their excessive deficit situation within a set time period: Belgium, France, Italy, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Romania. The recommendations contain a corrective budgetary path, expressed in numerical terms, and a deadline, for each member state. These are in line with each member states’ objectives, expressed in […]
Enforcement of trade policy delivers prosperity and growth for EU companies
The value of EU trade covered by the vast network of 42 agreements with 74 partners in place in 2023 was more than €2.3 trillion, having risen by over 30% over the past five years, according to the Annual Report on the implementation and enforcement of EU trade policy published. EU exports to preferential trade partners are increasing more […]
European Blue Economy report 2023: economic crisis takes a toll but doesn’t stop the growth
The European Blue Economy report is a compass to help decision-makers and stakeholders navigate the waters of the European blue economy. The 2023 edition of the report highlights the evolution of the blue economy sectors since 2010. It shows that despite the negative impact of the COVID19 pandemic and the unprovoked Russian invasion of Ukraine, most […]
European Commission proposes reform of the EU electricity market set-up
The European Commission proposes to reform the configuration of EU electricity markets to accelerate the growth of renewables and the phase-out of natural gas, reduce the dependence of consumer bills on volatile fossil fuel prices and better protect consumers against future prices. growth and potential market manipulation affect and make EU industry cleaner and more […]
Natural and cultural heritage as an engine for sustainable rural growth
An EU-funded project used successful natural and cultural heritage-driven practices to provide guidance and assistance for the regeneration of rural areas. Rural areas in the EU represent 83 % of its total area, housing nearly one third of the EU population. Nature and human society in rural areas have co-existed for thousands of years, offering […]
Clear opportunities to decouple Europe’s waste generation from economic growth
In most European countries and in the EU as a whole, waste generation is growing but at a slower pace than the economy. However, there are no signs that the overall objective of reducing the total generation of waste is close to being achieved, according to a European Environment Agency report published today. The report’s […]
H2020: Under water noise mitigation and environmental impact
Underwater noise from shipping and boats impact upon the behaviour and health of water organisms in rivers and at sea, including marine mammals. Despite previous research, the environmental impacts from effects and the propagation of underwater noise at different amplitudes and frequencies remain poorly understood and largely unquantified. The general objective is to better understand […]