As Prepared for Delivery on April 22, 2021 by Kristalina Georgieva | Mr. President, Special Envoy Kerry, Secretary Yellen, At the IMF we look at climate change as central in our work on macroeconomic and financial stability, growth and employment.  It presents huge risks to the functioning of our economies and offers incredible opportunities for transformative investments and green jobs. Let me focus on three areas where the right policies can make a significant difference in accelerating the transition to the new climate economy. First, a robust price...

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The rise in long-term US interest rates has become a focus of global macro-financial concerns. The nominal yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury has increased about 70 basis points since the beginning of the year. This reflects in part an improving US economic outlook amid strong fiscal support and the accelerating recovery from the COVID-19 crisis. So an increase would be expected. But other factors like investors’ concerns about the fiscal position and uncertainty about the economic and policy outlook may...

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Introductory remarks by Christine Lagarde, President of the ECB, Frankfurt am Main, 22 April 2021 | Ladies and gentlemen, the Vice-President and I are very pleased to welcome you to our press conference. We will now report on the outcome of the meeting of the Governing Council. While the recovery in global demand and the sizeable fiscal stimulus are supporting global and euro area activity, the near-term economic outlook remains clouded by uncertainty about the resurgence of the pandemic and the...

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Index: New regulatory framework on AI Coordinated Plan – 2021 Update New Machinery Regulation Next steps 1. A new regulatory framework on AI Why do we need to regulate the use of Artificial Intelligence technology? The potential benefits of AI for our societies are manifold from improved medical care to better education. Faced with the rapid technological development of AI, the EU must act as one to harness these opportunities. While most AI systems will pose low to no risk, certain AI...

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The Commission proposes today new rules and actions aiming to turn Europe into the global hub for trustworthy Artificial Intelligence (AI). The combination of the first-ever legal framework on AI and a new Coordinated Plan with Member States will guarantee the safety and fundamental rights of people and businesses, while strengthening AI uptake, investment and innovation across the EU. New rules on Machinery will complement this approach by adapting safety rules to increase users' trust in the new, versatile generation of products. Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President for...

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The Council's and the European Parliament's negotiators reached a provisional political agreement setting into law the objective of a climate-neutral EU by 2050, and a collective, net greenhouse gas emissions reduction target (emissions after deduction of removals) of at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990. We are very happy with the provisional deal reached today. The European climate law is "the law of laws" that sets the frame for the EU's climate-related legislation for the 30 years to come....

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Testimony by Mark Van Der Weide, General Counsel before the Subcommittee on Investor Protection, Entrepreneurship, and Capital Markets, Committee on Financial Services, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. | Chairman Sherman, Ranking Member Huizenga, and members of the subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to appear today. My testimony will discuss the importance of ensuring a smooth, transparent, and fair transition away from LIBOR (formerly known as the London interbank offered rate) to more durable replacement rates, as well as...

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Speech by Vice Chair Richard H. Clarida at "SOMC: The Federal Reserve’s New Policy Framework" a forum sponsored by the Manhattan Institute's Shadow Open Market Committee, New York, New York (via webcast) | On August 27, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) unanimously approved a revised Statement on Longer-Run Goals and Monetary Policy Strategy, and, at its September and December FOMC meetings, the Committee made material changes to its forward guidance to bring it into line with this new policy...

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Many countries are experiencing a combination of high public debt and low interest rates. This was already the case in advanced economies even prior to the pandemic but has become even starker in its aftermath. A growing number of emerging market and developing economies are likewise enjoying a period of negative real rates—the interest rate minus inflation—on government debt. The IMF has called on countries to spend as much as they can to protect the vulnerable and limit long-lasting damage to economies, stressing the...

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Current account recorded €26 billion surplus in February 2021, down from €35 billion in previous month Current account surplus amounted to €259 billion (2.3% of euro area GDP) in 12 months to February 2021, down from €263 billion (2.2%) one year earlier In financial account, euro area residents’ net acquisitions of foreign portfolio investment securities totalled €804 billion and non-residents’ net sales of euro area portfolio investment securities totalled €21 billion in 12 months to February 2021 Chart 1 Euro area current account...

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