Eight years after the start of the economic crisis, recovery in the European Union is still weak and uneven, with member states struggling to put their debts under control and unemployment still too high. MEPs discuss the challenges during a plenary debate on the annual cycle of economic policy coordination within the EU, on 24 February. Parliamentary committees have prepared reports calling for structural reforms that create jobs and boost productivity. Plenary debate The European semester is how EU countries...

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Parliament's political group leaders will react to the EU-UK reform deal reached at the EU summit and comment on the changes conceded by EU leaders to the UK as well as their consequences for the European Union as a whole. The debate with Council President Donald Tusk and Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker will start at 3.10pm. Member states' responses to the ongoing refugee crisis will also be addressed by MEPs during the debate on the outcome of the 18-19 February...

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Questions and answers on combining European Structural and Investment (ESI) Funds with the Investment Plan's European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) following publication of guidelines The European Structural and Investment Funds (ESI Funds) are important contributors to the EU goals of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. Over the 2014-2020 period, €454 billion will be invested in 500 programmes and targeted at strategic, growth-generating areas, primarily in Research, Development & Innovation, support to SMEs, the low-carbon economy, and Information and Communication...

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On February 12, 2016, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded the Article IV consultation with the United Kingdom. The UK economy has been growing steadily. Economic recovery has been driven by robust expansion of private domestic demand and has supported rapid job growth, with the unemployment rate falling to 5.1 percent in late 2015. Looking forward, growth looks set to continue, averaging around 2.2 percent over the medium term. Inflation, which is currently very low (0.3 percent in...

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Twenty-two EU member states, Norway, Switzerland, international businesses and patient organisations have agreed to make food products healthier by reducing salt, saturated fat and sugar content. To achieve this they will work with the food industry and NGOs. This is the outcome of the conference that took place in Amsterdam on 22 February under the auspices of the Netherlands EU Presidency. Photographer: Hans Molenaar Large-scale meeting Health minister Edith Schippers and agriculture minister Martijn van Dam received delegations from the food industry, supermarkets,...

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The Commission, in partnership with the European Investment Bank (EIB), explains how to best combine the funds. The Juncker Commission’s top priority is to get Europe growing again and to increase the number of jobs without creating new debt. TheEuropean Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) – the heart of the Investment Plan for Europe - and European Structural and Investment Funds (ESI Funds) both play a crucial role in creating jobs and growth. A brochure published today is designed to help...

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The UK and the other EU countries would be better off staying together, Martin Schulz told heads of state and government at the start of a European Council on 18-19 February dedicated to migration and the UK’s demands of a reform of its EU membership. The EP President said: “In the globalised 21st century we need the UK more than ever and we are convinced that the UK will be better off as part of the European Union.” Schulz said...

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By Christine Lagarde, Managing Director, International Monetary Fund Abu Dhabi, February 22, 2016 Good morning—Sabah Al-Khair Ministers and Governors—thank you for honoring us with your presence. It is a great pleasure to speak before such a distinguished audience. Dear Minister Al-Tayer: Thank you for your generous hospitality and the gracious introduction, and thank you, Dr. Al-Hamidy, for joining hands with us to organize the Arab Fiscal Forum. This event is taking place at a pivotal moment not only for this region but for many...

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