STATEMENT BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE: The Internet has been revolutionary. It provides unprecedented opportunities for people around the world to connect and to express themselves, and continues to transform the global economy, enabling economic opportunities for billions of people. Yet it has also created serious policy challenges. Globally, we are witnessing a trend of rising digital authoritarianism where some states act to repress freedom of expression, censor independent news sites, interfere with elections, promote disinformation, and deny their...

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The announcement by Gazprom that it is unilaterally stopping delivery of gas to customers in Europe is yet another attempt by Russia to use gas as an instrument of blackmail. This is unjustified and unacceptable. And it shows once again the unreliability of Russia as a gas supplier. We are prepared for this scenario. We are in close contact with all Member States. We have been working to ensure alternative deliveries and the best possible storage levels across the EU. Member States have put...

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The European Commission has proposed today to suspend for one year import duties on all Ukrainian exports to the European Union. The proposal, which is an unprecedented gesture of support for a country at war, would also see the suspension for one year of all EU anti-dumping and safeguard measures in place on Ukrainian steel exports. This far-reaching step is designed to help boost Ukraine's exports to the EU. It will help alleviate the difficult situation of Ukrainian producers and...

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Interview with El Correo (Grupo Vocento) | Interview with Luis de Guindos, Vice-President of the ECB, conducted by Adolfo Lorente and Manu Álvarez on 26 April | Will interest rates already rise in July? It will depend on the data and the new macroeconomic projections in June. In April the ECB’s Governing Council decided that asset purchases will end in the third quarter. In my opinion, there’s no reason why this shouldn’t happen in July. Rates will rise after that. Exactly...

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Annual growth rate of broad monetary aggregate M3 stood at 6.3% in March 2022, after 6.4% in February 2022 (revised from 6.3%) Annual growth rate of narrower monetary aggregate M1, comprising currency in circulation and overnight deposits, decreased to 8.8% in March from 9.1% in February Annual growth rate of adjusted loans to households stood at 4.5% in March, compared with 4.4% in February Annual growth rate of adjusted loans to non-financial corporations decreased to 4.2% in March...

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The Transatlantic Business & Investment Council (TBIC) is the official European representative for selected counties, cities and corporations from over 30 U.S. States. It is our mission to promote transatlantic trade and investment. To that end, TBIC bridges the gap between U.S. Economic Development Organizations (EDOs) and European investors looking to enter or expand in the U.S. market. This latest issue of our quarterly features an analysis of the newly published preliminary (p) data for Q4 2021 and partially revised...

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The Commission is today proposing an ambitious and sustainable legal migration policy. As part of the comprehensive approach to migration set out in the Pact on Migration and Asylum, the Commission is proposing legal, operational and policy initiatives that will benefit the EU's economy, strengthen cooperation with non-EU countries and improve overall migration management in the long term. The set of proposals also includes specific actions to facilitate integration of those fleeing Russia's invasion of Ukraine into the EU's...

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Today, the Commission is proposing the digitalisation of the Schengen visa process, replacing the visa sticker, and introducing the possibility to submit visa applications online through the European online visa platform. The New Pact on Migration and Asylum set the objective to fully digitalise visa procedures by 2025. It is an opportunity to effectively improve the visa application process by reducing the costs and the burden on Member States as well as the applicants, while also improving the security...

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