Transatlantic News
Transatlantic News
29
Mar
An export-led economic recovery in 2014-15 raised employment and private consumption and strengthened Slovenia’s external position. Financial stability has improved. However, decisive policy action is required to address significant constraints to growth and mitigate important vulnerabilities. In particular, further measures to repair balance sheets of small and medium enterprises (SME) would help stimulate private investment. A comprehensive fiscal adjustment package is needed to reduce public debt, create room to absorb potential adverse shocks, and prepare for coming demographic challenges....
28
Mar
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) today published the paper “The Adequacy of the Global Financial Safety Net,” which the IMF’s Executive Board discussed during an informal session as part of the Fund’s ongoing review of the international monetary system. The paper assesses the strengths, weaknesses and challenges of the Global Financial Safety Net (GFSN) –comprised of international reserves, central bank swap arrangements, regional financing arrangements, Fund resources (complemented by other multilateral and bilateral development partners), and market-based instruments.
The paper...
23
Mar
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that in the past four years, 112,000 residential and commercial energy efficiency projects have been completed or are currently under development through New York State clean energy programs. These projects will attract $766 million in private investment and will save customers $341 million on their energy bills each year. Homeowners are saving an average of $56 per month on electric and natural gas bills, and building owners are saving an average of $1,023...
23
Mar
Brussels, 22 March 2016
I would like to express my deepest sympathy to the people of Brussels, to the many wounded, to the families and loved ones of those cruelly hit by the explosions this morning at Zaventem airport and Maelbeek Metro Station. I would also like to express my full support for and solidarity with the Belgian authorities.
I commend the security forces, emergency services and all those who have helped victims and are still doing so now.
I would like...
22
Mar
The European Commission today publishes further documents from the ongoing negotiations on a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), in line with its commitment to enhanced transparency in the ongoing trade negotiations with the United States.
The documents made public today include the recent EU proposal on regulatory cooperation which the Commission submitted to the United States during the last round of talks in February.
Regulatory cooperation is an innovative part and a key pillar of TTIP. Regulatory cooperation with the...
18
Mar
March 2016
Monetary policy
Non-standard monetary policy measures
On 10 March 2016 the Governing Council decided on a number of measures in the pursuit of its price stability objective. This set of measures encompasses, inter alia, the launch of a corporate sector purchase programme as an additional component of the asset purchase programme (APP), an increase in the combined monthly purchases under the APP to €80 billion, starting in April 2016 and the launch of a new series of four targeted longer-term...
18
Mar
Initial findings from the Commission's e-commerce sector inquiry show that geo-blocking is widespread in the EU. This is partly due to unilateral decisions by companies not to sell abroad but also contractual barriers set up by companies preventing consumers from shopping online across EU borders.
The European Commission has published initial findings on the prevalence of geo-blocking which prevents consumers from purchasing consumer goods and accessing digital content online in the European Union. The information was gathered by the Commission...
18
Mar
Today the Commission is opening a call for proposals under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) to help finance key EU energy infrastructure projects. €200 million will be made available for projects aiming to eliminate bottlenecks that prevent the free flow of energy across EU countries.
Once finalised, these projects will contribute towards the completion of an EU internal energy market and the creation of a resilient Energy Union. This EU money is expected to act as a catalyst to speed...