ECB wage tracker suggests slightly higher wage growth in first three quarters of 2027 compared with the full year of 2026 ECB wage tracker updated with wage agreements signed up to middle of October 2026; forward-looking horizon extended to end of September 2027 Headline ECB wage tracker at 2.7% in second half of 2026 and 2.8% in first half of 2027; it will decline to 2.4% in third quarter of 2027 based on still-limited employee coverage ECB wage tracker...

U.S. Trade Representative Holds Official Consultations with China on Bilateral Trading Dynamics As transatlantic executives navigate record global port congestion and volatile commodity pricing trends, global regulatory compliance remains paramount. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer held an official call with China's Vice Premier He Lifeng to address market access, balance, and reciprocity. For EACCNY members managing global supply chains and country-of-origin planning, tracking these shifts under the Administration’s 'America First' policy is critical for anticipating downstream pricing, logistics disruptions, and...

Executive Board member Piero Cipollone highlighted ongoing initiatives to redesign euro banknotes, develop a retail digital euro, and adapt financial infrastructure to tokenized finance. Simultaneously, outgoing board member Isabel Schnabel delivered a reflection on navigating volatile monetary environments, focusing on tool choice and economic shocks. Keynote speech by Piero Cipollone, Member of the Executive Board of the ECB, at the eighth International Conference of Regional Card Schemes and Retail Financial Market Infrastructures Tirana, 5 November 2026 Money connects people and societies. But to...

The external debt of developing nations jumped 5.5% in 2025 to a historic peak of $9.4 trillion. This marks the fastest growth pace since 2021 and stands at roughly four times the average seen between 2022 and 2024. The surge is largely driven by a combination of compounding interest on existing loans, currency fluctuations, and high borrowing needs to cover slowing domestic growth.   Compliments of World Bank

The Commission’s annual review finds Montenegro close to the final stage of accession talks, with its remaining chapters possibly closed by the end of 2026. Albania is aiming to finish negotiations by 2027, Moldova by early 2028 and Ukraine by the end of 2028. The Commission proposed roadmaps for these four countries and plans to integrate candidates gradually into EU energy, transport, digital and defence frameworks. It also reports stalled progress or backsliding in Serbia, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina,...

In a blog post, ECB President Christine Lagarde says this summer’s heatwaves, droughts and wildfires had only a small, short-lived effect on euro area growth. She warns the longer-term costs are larger: output in affected regions stays about 1.5% lower two years after a heatwave and about 3% lower four years after a drought, and only about a quarter of catastrophe losses in Europe have historically been insured. She calls for an EU-level public-private reinsurance scheme, faster grid and...

As Europe faces increasingly frequent and complex crises, the European Commission is stepping up efforts to strengthen preparedness across the EU. From helping citizens protect themselves during emergencies to ensuring that national civil protection systems can keep operating when disaster strikes, the EU is delivering concrete measures to make Europe more resilient. Today, at the European Civil Protection Forum, Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib presented new guidelines to help people and communities prepare for emergencies, including...