The Commission published its fifth State of the Schengen report, reviewing developments in the Schengen area over the past year and setting priorities for the year ahead. The Schengen area continues to demonstrate resilience, underpinned by collective efforts at both EU and national level. The Schengen area is one of the European Union's most tangible and valued achievements, enabling a more than 450 million EU citizens to travel, work, study and live freely across borders while supporting trade, tourism and freedom of...

Blog | Non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs) are on the rise. This blog shows how shifts in their borrowing and investment portfolios constrain financing for euro area firms and affect the transmission of monetary policy. Two trends have diverted financing away from euro area firms in recent years. First, euro area NBFIs have shifted their portfolios towards foreign assets – particularly US equities. Second, banks have channelled more lending to NBFIs outside the euro area. Together, these cross-border flows via NBFIs...

The Council presidency and European Parliament negotiators reached a provisional agreement on a proposal to streamline certain rules regarding artificial intelligence (AI). The proposal forms part of the so-called 'Omnibus VII' legislative package in the EU’s simplification agenda. The package includes proposals for two regulations aiming to simplify the EU’s digital legislative framework and the implementation of harmonised rules on AI. "Today’s agreement on the AI act significantly supports our companies by reducing recurring administrative costs. It ensures legal certainty and a smoother and more...

With the EU Biotech Act marking a major push to strengthen Europe’s biotechnology sector, new OECD research offers a timely check on where the bloc stands. The evidence shows that Europe still lags competitors in biotech start-up creation, patenting and venture capital funding. This blog unpacks the gap and explores how agile regulation and smarter financing tools can help EU policymakers build a more competitive biotechnology start-up ecosystem. Biotechnology has the potential to drive economic growth and high-value job creation,...

Resilience, supervision, and international coordination are essential to safeguarding global financial markets as new AI tools enable attackers. Artificial intelligence is transforming how the financial system copes with vulnerabilities and reacts to incidents. Yet it is also amplifying cyber threats that can undermine financial stability when the offensive capabilities of intruders outpace defenses. IMF analysis suggests that extreme cyber‑incident losses could trigger funding strains, raise solvency concerns, and disrupt broader markets. The financial system relies on shared digital infrastructure that’s highly interconnected, including...