“A strong and united Europe is an absolutely fundamental pillar of a strong and effective United Nations," said António Guterres, addressing MEPs in Strasbourg on 17 May. The Portueguese UN Secretary-General, the first European one since Austria’s Kurt Waldheim in the early 1980s, said global challenges such as the multiplication of conflicts, a human rights violations, climate change and globalisation required the EU and the UN to work together. Welcoming Guterres, Parliament President Antonio Tajani pointed out that both the...

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The Board of the European Investment Bank today approved a total of EUR 10.8 billion of new financing for 43 projects in the fields of energy, social housing, and support for business and innovation investment across Europe and beyond. “The EIB continues to deliver for Europe’s citizens, mobilising new investment to enhance economic opportunities. Financial projects approved today will support construction of new homes for thousands of families and allow high-speed internet access in towns and rural areas across Europe.”...

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It is a pleasure to be here to discuss Connectivity - the driving force of the twenty-first century. The Asian Development Bank estimates that Asia faces a $26tn infrastructure gap until 2030. Done the right way, more investment in cross-border infrastructure links could boost sustainable growth for all. That is why it is in Europe's interest to be part of this Initiative. China is at one end of the Belt and Road – Europe at the other. Our Trans-European Networks...

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The external positions of BIS reporting banks in Central, Eastern and South Eastern Europe (CESEE) have broadly stabilized, and post-crisis deleveraging seems to have been largely completed, while banks’ strategies in the region have become more selective, according to two new reports from the Vienna Initiative. A third such report shows that levels of bad loans in the region declined in the year to mid-2016, but in several countries, they continue to have a negative impact on the local...

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Some 88 million tonnes of food are wasted in the EU every year, equivalent to 173 kilos per person. Not only is this a waste or resources, it also contributes to climate change. Parliament is working on new measures to cut food waste in the EU by 50%. Check out our infographic to find out which sectors and countries waste the most food and read what is being done at EU level and what you can do yourself. (view the...

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The European economy has entered its fifth year of recovery, which is now reaching all EU Member States. This is expected to continue at a largely steady pace this year and next. In its Spring Forecast released today, the European Commission expects euro area GDP growth of 1.7% in 2017 and 1.8% in 2018 (1.6% and 1.8% in the Winter Forecast). GDP growth in the EU as a whole is expected to remain constant at 1.9% in both years...

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Globalisation offers great potential to create wealth and jobs, but it also has the capacity to disrupt. The EU has always tried to make the most of it, while mitigating its negative effects by setting rules and working together with other countries. As the European Commission publishes on 10 May a reflection paper on how the EU should deal with globalisation in the future, we take a look at what Parliament has already done recently. What Parliament has done recently The...

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European tax rules are not currently prepared for the digital economy. They need to be adapted to reality in order to offer the people of Europe a more prosperous future. This was the main message of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) debate on Taxation of the Digital Economy held on 5th May. “The digital economy is no longer just a part of the economy, but is becoming the actual economy itself”, stated the keynote speaker, Rita de la...

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