1 February 2020 marks the first anniversary of the entry into force of the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). In the first ten months following the implementation of the agreement, EU exports to Japan went up by 6.6% compared to the same period the year before. This outperforms the growth in the past three years, which averaged […]
ECB welcomes ratification of agreement on orderly UK withdrawal from European Union
ECB regrets United Kingdom leaving European Union Central bank prepared for all contingencies, and monitoring financial market developments Banks now need to press ahead with implementation of Brexit plans The European Central Bank (ECB) expressed regret that the United Kingdom is leaving the European Union. However, the ECB welcomes the ratification of the agreement on […]
ECB launches review of its monetary policy strategy
The Governing Council of the European Central Bank (ECB) today launched a review of its monetary policy strategy. The monetary policy strategy was adopted in 1998 and some of its elements were clarified in 2003. Since 2003 the euro area and the world economy have been undergoing profound structural changes. Declining trend growth, on the […]
Pet trafficking: measures against the illegal puppy business
MEPs want action to tackle the illegal trade in pets in order to better protect animals and punish rule breakers. Many pets are traded illegally across the EU generating high profit at a low risk, often providing a profitable source of income for criminal networks. To clamp down on the illegal trade in pets, the […]
COSME: Training for SME-Friendly policies in Central Purchasing Bodies (CPBs)
The purpose of this call is to conclude a Framework Partnership Agreements (FPA) for the period 2020-2022 with organisations to which specific grant agreements might be awarded in order to implement training courses. Objectives The objective of the specific actions is to strengthen the capacity of personnel working for large public buyers (i.e. CPBs) to ensure SMEs’ […]
January 2020 euro area bank lending survey
Credit standards remained broadly unchanged for both loans to enterprises and housing loans Demand for loans to enterprises declined, while demand for housing loans increased further Euro area banks use TLTRO-III liquidity largely for granting loans Credit standards – i.e. banks’ internal guidelines or loan approval criteria – remained broadly unchanged for both loans to […]
EIB and BBVA provide €600m to support SMEs
EIB is providing BBVA with a €300m guarantee to expand its SME financing capacity Part of this guarantee – €150m- is being granted with Investment Plan for Europe support The European Investment Bank (EIB) and BBVA are joining forces to provide financing on favourable terms for Spanish SMEs and mid-caps. EU bank Vice-President Emma Navarro […]
The European Green Deal Investment Plan and Just Transition Mechanism
The European Union is committed to becoming the first climate-neutral bloc in the world by 2050. This requires significant investment from both the EU and the national public sector, as well as the private sector. The European Green Deal’s Investment Plan – the Sustainable Europe Investment Plan – presented today will mobilise public investment and […]
Less than half of EU travellers are aware of EU Passenger Rights
The European Commission today released the results of a Eurobarometer survey on passenger rights in the European Union (EU). According to the survey, 43% of EU citizens who have travelled by air, long-distance rail, coach, ship or ferry in the previous 12 months (‘travellers’) know that the EU has put in place rights for passengers. […]