Addressing the informal leaders' meeting in Copenhagen, President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola highlighted the following topics: On simplification: Making things easier is what the European Parliament is all about. We are committed to make life better, fairer and easier for the industry, for families, for farmers. At a time when too often the world feels like it is on fire, we want to make sure Europe remains the best and safest place to be. A few weeks ago, Parliament...

Read more

Steel and plastics sectors lead in emission savings potential. Circular economy measures could significantly contribute to abating greenhouse gas emissions in energy-intensive industries, such as steel, aluminium, cement and concrete, and plastics — sectors that currently account for nearly 15% of the European Union’s total emissions. Moreover, integrating circularity measures in these industries would improve the EU’s energy and economic security by reducing import dependency. Circularity measures could cut emissions significantly A new JRC report shows how circular economy practices would contribute...

Read more

DG TRADE launched a new platform aimed at boosting transparency in mineral supply chains. This new tool, named ReMIS (Responsible Mineral Information System), allows economic operators to register and share their due diligence policies and initiatives to ensure responsible sourcing of metals and minerals. It will enable them to share best practices with the broader public and showcase their efforts to increase transparency in their supply chain. ReMIS is part of the EU policy on the responsible sourcing of minerals, including...

Read more

Blog post by By Anastasia Allayioti, Giada Bozzelli, Paola Di Casola, Caterina Mendicino, Ana Skoblar and Sofia Velasco | Uncertainty is a key force shaping economic conditions. This post shows that heightened uncertainty about economic policy in the United States significantly affects firm lending in the euro area. This weighs on investment and reduces the effectiveness of monetary policy. Periods of heightened economic policy uncertainty exert significant pressure on economic outcomes. They dampen business confidence, delay investment decisions and constrain...

Read more

The European Commission today announced two major initiatives to advance the Savings and Investments Union and deliver tangible benefits for all EU citizens. The comprehensive package focuses on improving financial literacy for all and at all life stages and introduces a blueprint for Savings and Investment Accounts (SIAs) – a tool aimed at making investing simpler and more accessible for everyone. The Financial Literacy Strategy aims to help citizens make sound financial decisions, ultimately improving their well-being, financial security and...

Read more

Blog post by Jay Surti | Half of all financial assets worldwide are now held and intermediated by companies that are not classified and regulated as banks. The global financial crisis of 2008 froze the financial system. Banks pulled back credit, families tightened their belts and companies laid off workers. It was a frightening time for everyone, and an extremely difficult moment for the financial services industry. Today, the landscape of finance is quite different. Different types of investors and firms...

Read more

Here in Finland, the idea that economics cannot be separated from geopolitics is hardly new. During the early 1990s, as the Soviet Union collapsed, Finland lost more than 10% of its GDP when trade with its eastern neighbour suddenly evaporated. Few countries know better the costs of ignoring geopolitical realities. Today, the rest of Europe is facing a similar reckoning. We find ourselves in a new world – one where policymakers can no longer confine themselves to traditional economic and financial...

Read more

Thank you for inviting me to speak here today. The theme for Sibos this year, "the next frontiers of global finance" is a fitting one. We are indeed witnessing a new frontier of innovation in payments and the broader financial system. New technologies like distributed ledgers, tokenized assets, smart contracts, and artificial intelligence (AI) have the potential to make payments smarter, faster, and more efficient. I know many of you in the audience today represent firms that are using...

Read more

A digital euro could foster innovation in the European payments system and boost financial inclusion, according to a report published today on the outcome of the first iteration of the digital euro innovation platform – an initiative launched by the European Central Bank (ECB) in October 2024 for collaboration and experimentation with digital euro project stakeholders. This iteration of the innovation platform brought together almost 70 market participants, including merchants, fintech companies, start-ups, academia, banks and other payment service providers,...

Read more