The success of government interventions depends not just on how much is spent, but on spending it well. Blog post by: Alfred Kammer, Andrew Hodge, Roberto Piazza | Industrial policy is having a moment in Europe, as countries increasingly turn to sectoral policy interventions to address the challenges of geopolitical fragmentation and economic security, enhance productivity, and accelerate the green transition. State aid spending by European Union countries has tripled in the last decade, reaching 1.5 percent of GDP. Much of this...

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Ladies and gentlemen, It is a privilege to address you today as we celebrate two remarkable milestones. First, congratulations to Lithuania on 10 successful years in the euro area. This is a testament to your commitment to European integration and stability. Second, let us celebrate 25 years of the Euro itself, a currency that has become a global symbol of unity and resilience. And speaking of success, European policymakers deserve recognition for their extraordinary responses to the recent crises. Their swift...

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Tomorrow, the new rules under the General Product Safety Regulation enter into application, ensuring that all non-food consumer products, sold offline or online on the EU market, are safe. The rules also clarify the obligations for businesses and help ensuring a level-playing field. The new Directive replaces the current General Product Safety Directive  and the Food Imitating Product Directive, which will bring significant improvements for consumers and authorities. Michael McGrath, Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection, said: “The volume of online sales has...

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Today, in Valencia, the CitiVerse European Digital Innovation Consortium (EDIC) was officially established during its inaugural general assembly. This milestone marks a new era in cooperative smart city development, setting a new global benchmark in this area. The CitiVerse EDIC will deliver AI-based solutions to enhance urban planning in European cities. These solutions will provide reusable tools for essential urban management, such as for improved management of traffic, energy, and water. The EDIC will develop immersive, virtual worlds-based technologies to transform how citizens shape their cities...

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The Commission intends to issue up to €90 billion of EU Bonds in the first half of 2025 (H1), from January to June 2025. The Commission's funding plan for H1 2025 continues the 2024 issuance programme, during which the EU raised €138 billion in long-term funds. Funds raised by the European Commission through EU-Bond issuances continue to drive the EU's recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, strengthen the resilience of its economy, and support the EU's neighbouring partners, notably Ukraine and the Western Balkans. These wide-ranging...

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The Council today reached a political agreement on a new directive paving the way for the introduction of an electronic tax certificate for VAT exemptions. "As part of the EU’s efforts to update VAT systems, I’m glad that after the VIDA package last month, we are taking another modernising step with this agreement on the electronic VAT exemption certificate, that will put an end to paper certificates to be signed by hand." - Mihály Varga, Hungarian minister for finance The directive will...

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New EU cybersecurity rules take effect today, which will make everything from baby-monitors to smart watches safer. With the entry into force of the Cyber Resilience Act, specific mandatory cybersecurity requirements will now apply to all products connected directly or indirectly to another device or network (except for specified exclusions). These requirements will be imposed on manufacturers and retailers. The Act will guarantee harmonised rules when bringing to market products or software with a digital component a framework of cybersecurity...

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EIB Group offers €3 billion in loans for agriculture and other bioeconomy activities across Europe with focus on young farmers, gender equality and green investments EIB Group also working with European Commission to develop new forms of agricultural insurance and de-risking schemes against extreme weather events New initiatives form part of EIB Group's plan for agriculture and bioeconomy in the context of Strategic Dialogue on the future of EU agriculture European Investment Bank (EIB) Group President Nadia Calviño has...

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The European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC)  has selected seven proposals to establish and operate the first AI Factories across Europe. This is a major milestone for Europe in building a thriving ecosystem to train advanced AI models and develop AI solutions. The EU is now one step closer to realising President Ursula von der Leyen's commitment to setting up the first AI Factories. The first AI Factories will represent a €1.5 billion investment, combining national and EU funding. Half of...

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