Growth prospects and macroeconomic imbalances  The Council discussed growth prospects and macroeconomic imbalances under the 'European Semester', the EU's annual policy monitoring process.  It adopted conclusions and approved a draft recommendation on the economic policies of the euro area.  "We are calling on member states to redouble their efforts to create a virtuous triangle of boosting investment, pursuing structural reforms and ensuring responsible fiscal policies", said Edward Scicluna, Maltese minister for finance and president of the Council. "These are our policy priorities...

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"Tomorrow, 28 January marks European Data Protection Day. Personal data protection is a fundamental right in the European Union; it is part of the European DNA and deserves the highest protection standards. 2016 was a historical year for data protection in the EU. We agreed on a data protection reform that will help stimulate the Digital Single Market in the EU by fostering consumer trust in online services and by providing legal certainty for businesses based on clear and uniform...

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EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström at the Bruegel Lunch Talk Ladies and gentlemen, Thank you for inviting me here today. In 2016, we saw many trying to reverse the trend of increasing globalisation, and increasing openness. Their reflex was to say "close a border! Build a wall!" - as though that were the solution to all our problems. It isn’t. The fact is that the nations of the world, and especially the nations of Europe, need each other, are dependent on each...

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One year after adopting its Circular Economy Package, the Commission today reports on the delivery and progress of key initiatives of its 2015 Action Plan. Together with the report, the Commission also: took further measures today by establishing a Circular Economy Finance Support Platform with the European Investment Bank (EIB) bringing together investors and innovators issued guidance to Member States on converting waste to energy proposed a targeted improvement of legislation on certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment. First...

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During the last four years, as president of the Eurogroup, I have spent many debates, interviews and Q&A sessions explaining what's actually going on in the Eurozone and what we are doing to fix it. During this time, I have seen the economic facts, figures and results improve. But much less so, the sentiment. A lack of trust perseveres.  The topics changed over the course of time. Cyprus stepped into the spotlight in 2013 and has since recovered, leaving its...

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EIB Group signed operations worth 83.8 billion euros supporting total investments in the order of 280 billion euros in 2016. Record financing for SMEs of more than EUR 33bn. EIB Group well on track under Investment Plan for Europe. President Hoyer: No more business as usual, political and regulatory reform vital in 2017 EU Bank President Werner Hoyer has laid out the EIB Group’s contribution to creating jobs and growth in Europe by supporting projects and investment in SMEs, key infrastructure, innovation and...

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The priorities of the Maltese Presidency of the EU Council of Ministers are being outlined to parliamentary committees by Maltese ministers at a series of meetings taking place in January. Regional development: cohesion policy visibility, “Omnibus” The great relevance of EU cohesion policy, which is increasingly seen as an investment policy, and the need to simplify procedures and increase the visibility of the results of EU-funded projects were stressed by Parliamentary Secretary for the EU Presidency and EU Funds Ian Borg,...

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Parliament’s environment committee votes on Tuesday 24 January to amend a European Commission proposal on waste management, the so-called waste package, which is a priority for the EU for this year. In previous resolutions Parliament has called for more ambitious targets. This vote is the first step towards entering negotiations with the Commission and Council. According to statistics from 2014, 44% of all municipal waste in the EU is recycled or composted. This compares to just 31% in 2004, and...

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The international trade committee votes on 24 January on the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement or Ceta, but this free trade agreement with Canada is far from the only deal the EU is working on. Various deals are currently being negotiated right across the globe, but they can only enter into force if the European Parliament approves them. Read on for an overview of the negotiations in progress and an explanation of how the process works. Types of agreements The EU has...

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