Member News

Vulcan View: The latest EU developments 15 September – 19 September

European Commission proposes suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement The situation in Gaza has caused several divisions in the EU, with some Member States wanting to introduce measures against Israel while others resist. The Commission has mostly stayed out of the discussion until now. However, on Wednesday, 10 September, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed a partial suspension of the EU-Israel Agreement due to a push from several Member States.  Later, on Wednesday, 17 September, EU High Representative Kaja Kallas confirmed...

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Chapter News

OECD encourages responsible use of AI by governments to strengthen efficiency, effectiveness and trust

Adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in public administrations is growing, but governments face a range of challenges in scaling up AI applications, leading to many initiatives remaining in their pilot phase, according to a new OECD report. As AI becomes an integral part of digital government, transforming processes and services to improve productivity, responsiveness and accountability, the OECD’s Governing with Artificial Intelligence report is the first of its kind to examine how governments use and engage with AI, analysing 200 use cases and dozens of policy...

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Chapter News

Council of the EU | Cohesion policy mid-term review: Council adopts new laws to better address current and emerging challenges

In the context of the mid-term review of the EU’s cohesion policy, the Council adopted today amendments to existing regulations to better address current and emerging strategic challenges linked to the economic, social and territorial cohesion. These include, notably, defence and security, competitiveness and decarbonisation, affordable housing, measures related to water and challenges facing Eastern border regions. "The EU must be better prepared for tomorrow’s challenges. The legislation adopted today will enable member states to spend EU cohesion funds on...

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Member News

EIB | More than 350,000 European companies to get energy efficiency support under major EU financing initiative

• EIB Group pledges €17.5 billion to support energy efficiency improvements by small and medium-sized European businesses. • Commitment aims to spur energy savings by more than 350,000 companies over next three years, nearly doubling EIB Group financing in this area. • EIB Group also teams up with nonprofit Solar Impulse Foundation to promote energy efficiency as a service. • New report highlights drivers of and barriers to energy efficiency investments in Europe. More than 350,000 companies across Europe are set to make...

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Chapter News

IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva Appoints Nigel Chalk as Director of the Western Hemisphere Department

Washington, DC: International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva today announced her intention to appoint Nigel Chalk as Director of the Fund’s Western Hemisphere Department (WHD). Mr Chalk will assume his new role effective October 27, 2025. A UK and Irish national, Mr. Chalk brings to the role nearly three decades of experience at the Fund. Deep institutional knowledge, strategic insight, and calm leadership have earned him widespread respect across the institution. “Nigel’s deep experience, sound judgment, and steady hand...

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Member News

IPTI | Property Tax in the News – September 2025

IPTI’s usual monthly newsletter - the “President’s Message” - contains, inter alia, some summarised news articles from around the world. This IPTI publication - “Property Tax in the News” - contains some of the more interesting news articles concerning property taxes in North America and Europe which is where many of our members have a particular interest. Links to these and more, similarly summarised, articles - from North America, Europe and around the globe - can be found in...

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Chapter News

IMF | Global Debt Remains Above 235% of World GDP

By: Vitor Gaspar, Carlos Eduardo Goncalves, Marcos Poplawski-Ribeiro, IMF Decline in private lending offsets increase in public borrowing; notable differences persist across countries and income groups. Global debt has stabilized, though it remains at an elevated level, as a continued reduction in private-sector lending offset greater borrowing by governments. Total debt was little changed last year, just above 235 percent of global gross domestic product, according to the latest update of the IMF’s Global Debt Database. Private debt declined to under 143 percent of GDP, the...

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Chapter News

ECB | What resilience takes: strengthening the financial system in an era of heightened risk

Keynote speech by Piero Cipollone, Member of the Executive Board of the ECB, at the Resilience Conference hosted by De Nederlandsche Bank At a time of digital and geopolitical disruptions, enhancing our financial sector’s resilience is critical to protect the stability and prosperity of our economy. Money is ultimately a matter of trust. That trust rests on the stability of prices, the stability of the financial system and the smooth functioning of payments that keep our economies moving every day. These...

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Chapter News

European Commission | Opening keynote speech by President von der Leyen at the ‘One Year After the Draghi Report’ Conference

Dear Professor Draghi, caro Mario, Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen, Today we mark one year since the Draghi report was released. But let me go back for a moment to two years ago, when I first called you, Mario, to propose that you embark on this new mission. I remember you were intrigued by the offer. But you set one condition. You said this new report had to make a real difference. You were not interested in writing another academic paper. You wanted...

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Chapter News

ECB | Stability through balance: rethinking power in a connected world

Paris, 15 September 2025 Speech by Christine Lagarde, President of the ECB, 'Conversations pour demain' on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Institut Montaigne in Paris, France It is a great honour to be invited to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Institut Montaigne with you. For a quarter of a century, this institution has stood out for its independence of thought. That independence has given its work both credibility and influence. As a central banker, independence has a special...

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