The Commission adopted today its State of the Energy Union Reports for 2021, taking stock of the progress that the EU is making in delivering the clean energy transition, nearly two years after the launch of the European Green Deal. While there are a number of encouraging trends, greater efforts will be required to reach the 2030 goal of cutting net emissions by at least 55% and achieving climate neutrality by 2050, and the data will need to be analysed...

G20 should lead in sharing vaccine doses, helping developing countries financially, and committing to reaching net-zero carbon emissions by mid-century. When G20 leaders gather in Rome this weekend, they can take inspiration from the bold design of the meeting venue, known as La Nuvola. Just as the architect created a striking new space, global leaders must take bold action now to end the pandemic and create space for a more sustainable and inclusive economy. The good news is that the foundations for recovery remain strong,...

Global principles on data policy can help level the playing field while addressing financial stability and inclusion, competition, and privacy. Companies around the world are engaged in a digital data gold rush, panning the digital economy for our personal data, sifting flecks of it in online pools and streams of our preferences, choices, and locations. Data is the ultimate portable good, but moving it across borders requires countries to have coherent policies that build trust. Without global principles for managing...

Supply chain disruptions have become a major challenge for the global economy since the start of the pandemic. Shutdowns of factories in China in early 2020, lockdowns in several countries across the world, labor shortages, robust demand for tradable goods, disruptions to logistics networks, and capacity constraints have resulted in big increases in freight costs and delivery times. Our chart of the week shows suppliers’ delivery times in the United States and the European Union have hit record highs since late...

Speech by Governor Randal K. Quarles on the economic outlook at the 2021 Milken Institute Global Conference "Charting a New Course," Beverly Hills, California | Thank you to the Milken Institute for the opportunity to join you today. This morning I'd like to outline my view of current economic conditions and the economic outlook and then turn to the implications for monetary policy. In particular, with employment still well below its February 2020 peak, I will focus on how the...

Soaring natural gas prices are rippling through global energy markets—and other economic sectors from factories to utilities. An unprecedented combination of factors is roiling world energy markets, rekindling the memories of the 1970s energy crisis and complicating an already uncertain outlook for inflation and the global economy. 'Energy futures indicate that prices are likely to moderate in the coming months.' Spot prices for natural gas have more than quadrupled to record levels in Europe and Asia, and the persistence and global dimension...

Speech by Fabio Panetta, Member of the Executive Board of the ECB, at the ECB-CEBRA conference on international aspects of digital currencies and fintech | Frankfurt am Main, 19 October 2021 | It is a pleasure to welcome you on behalf of the European Central Bank (ECB) to the fifth annual meeting of the International Finance and Macroeconomics Program of the Central Bank Research Association (CEBRA). This year’s meeting is taking place virtually. And it brings together participants from nearly...

The European Commission has today adopted a Communication that takes stock of the changed circumstances for economic governance in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis and relaunches the public debate on the review of the EU's economic governance framework. The Communication follows President von der Leyen's commitment in the State of the Union address to build a consensus on the future of the EU's economic governance framework. The Commission had previously suspended this public debate, which was first launched in February 2020,...