Blog post by Fabio Panetta, Member of the Executive Board of the ECB | We are entering the age of digital money. Much like commodity or representative money in the past, digital money is emerging in response to changes in society and technology. Today, digitalisation is reaching all areas of our lives. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has shown just how fast such change can happen. And this is affecting the way we pay. We are increasingly buying digitally and online. The...

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Today, the European Commission adopted a package of proposals to make the EU's climate, energy, land use, transport and taxation policies fit for reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels. Achieving these emission reductions in the next decade is crucial to Europe becoming the world's first climate-neutral continent by 2050 and making the European Green Deal a reality. With today's proposals, the Commission is presenting the legislative tools to deliver on the targets agreed in the...

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Main results Infographic - Recovery fund: the EU delivers See full infographic Ministers focused on the economic recovery. They adopted the first set of Council implementing decisions on the approval of 12 national recovery and resilience plans. Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Portugal, Slovakia and Spain can now sign grant and loan agreements and start receiving funds from the EU's Recovery and Resilience Facility. Ministers also exchanged views on the further implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility. The Facility will make...

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The European Commission welcomes the historic global agreement endorsed by G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors on July 10, which will bring fairness and stability to the international corporate tax framework. This unprecedented consensus will usher in a complete reform of the international corporate tax system. This will include a reallocation of taxing rights that will mean the world's largest companies will have to pay tax wherever they conduct business. At the same time, a global minimum effective...

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The European economy is forecast to rebound faster than previously expected, as activity in the first quarter of the year exceeded expectations and the improved health situation prompted a swifter easing of pandemic control restrictions in the second quarter. Faster economic growth as economies reopen and sentiment indicators brighten According to the Summer 2021 interim Economic Forecast, the economy in the EU and the euro area is set to expand by 4.8% this year and 4.5% in 2022. Compared to the...

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While the COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage the world, climate change—a crisis that can cause even greater destruction—looms. All crises teach us lessons, but the pandemic has gone further: it has reminded us about the power of nature. A recent Ipsos poll conducted globally for the IMF found that 43 percent of people surveyed reported being more worried about climate change now than they were before the pandemic, with only 7 percent saying they are less worried. The heightened public...

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There is a need to coordinate the large and growing number of international initiatives underway on addressing financial risks from climate change. There is a growing focus on potential risks to financial stability from climate change. A large, and growing, number of international initiatives are underway on addressing financial risks from climate change. Ongoing work by official sector bodies, including the FSB, NGFS, BCBS, IAIS, IOSCO, OECD, IMF and World Bank, and a variety of private sector bodies on climate...

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The European Commission has found that Daimler, BMW and Volkswagen group (Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche) breached EU antitrust rules by colluding on technical development in the area of nitrogen oxide cleaning. The Commission has imposed a fine of € 875 189 000. Daimler was not fined, as it revealed the existence of the cartel to the Commission. All parties acknowledged their involvement in the cartel and agreed to settle the case. Executive Vice-President of the Commission Margrethe Vestager, in charge of...

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The publication of the majority of LIBOR settings will cease in less than half a year With the end of 2021 getting ever nearer, the transition away from LIBOR is a significant priority for the FSB. Continued engagement from the private sector, in conjunction with a significant commitment by the official sector, remains critical in order to support this transformational effort and to support financial stability on a sustainable basis. The majority of LIBOR panels will cease at the end of...

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