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The push for joint EU debt to match the US Inflation Reduction Act comes from countries like France and Italy and is even backed by the European Commission.

Austria, Finland united in opposing new EU joint debt

By: EBR | Tuesday, February 21, 2023

Austria and Finland locked shoulders in opposing new EU joint debt ahead of the Munich Security Conference amid growing calls to up EU spending to face competitors like the US

The upset is the latest development in a dispute between France and other countries who want more EU policies to promote nuclear energy’s contribution to cutting CO2 emissions, and those like Germany and Spain who warn this risks distracting from efforts to massively expand renewable energy.

EU climate diplomacy deal on hold as nuclear dispute deepens

By: EBR | Tuesday, February 21, 2023

European Union countries failed to adopt conclusions on climate diplomacy that had been planned, owing to a deepening spat over the role of nuclear energy in the green transition, EU officials said

To smooth opposition, the European Commission wants to create a new ‘European Sovereignty Fund’, meaning European citizens would not only suffer from less competition but would also need to burden higher taxes to pay for this new fund.

Instead of undermining the single market, the EU must now complete it

By: EBR | Tuesday, February 21, 2023

The EU’s four freedoms – goods, capital, services and people – have never been fully implemented; with economic globalisation under threat, the one thing the EU must avoid is undermining its crown jewel – the single market

Couldn’t we, as Europeans, develop an energy independence strategy that would resemble the post-World War II ‘Marshall’ investment plan and would openly include nuclear power, at least to a certain extent? The Brussels’ European quarter is hardly a natural ally to such a plan, as they already dubbed nuclear the “energy of the past”.

For EU’s sake, invest in nuclear

By: EBR | Friday, February 17, 2023

In the face of the ongoing energy and climate crisis, the EU is getting its act together and getting ready for a true ecological revolution

This new obligation has been proposed by the Commission and is confirmed in the positions of the European Parliament and Council. I4CE has supported the discussions on climate transition plans for banks through dedicated research for more than a year now.

Climate transition plans for banks: EU legislators on a razor’s edge

By: EBR | Thursday, February 16, 2023

EU legislators are currently discussing the introduction of mandatory climate transition plans for banks

Data released on Monday showed the 20-nation currency bloc dodged a recession at the end of last year by posting weak-but-positive growth of 0.1%, while inflation has been easing – even if it remains at a high 8.5%.

Lagarde confirms ECB will raise rates again in March

By: EBR | Thursday, February 16, 2023

European Central Bank chief Christine Lagarde reiterated that the institution plans to raise its interest rates by a half percentage point even as the eurozone’s economic outlook improves

Sturgeon became leader of the Scottish National Party in the wake of a 2014 independence referendum when Scotland voted 55% to 45% to remain part of the United Kingdom.

Nicola Sturgeon gives up

By: EBR | Thursday, February 16, 2023

Nicola Sturgeon resigned as Scottish first minister, saying her dominance over her party and the country was no longer the asset it once was in the fight for an independent Scotland

Far from breathing new life into the EU, Chancellor Scholz and his colleagues are accused of sucking out its oxygen.

EU leaders yearn for days when Berlin was more ’Europe-minded’

By: EBR | Tuesday, February 14, 2023

Franco-German relations are central to the European Union’s future, yet they are the focus of growing concern

The FDP took a severe hit in Sunday’s Berlin rerun election: With 4.6% of votes according to the preliminary result, the party did not even pass the 5% threshold and will not make it into the regional parliament.

German Liberals could block climate projects after Berlin election fiasco

By: EBR | Tuesday, February 14, 2023

The coalition’s liberal FDP party could block green measures like new power lines and double down on building more highways to raise its profile among voters following its disastrous results in Sunday’s Berlin regional elections

Few countries are more dependent on Russian gas than Austria. When the Kremlin attacked Ukraine, 80% of gas flows into the Austrian gas market were supplied by Gazprom, owing to a rich history of gas deals with Russia.

Austria hesitant to halt comeback of cheap Russian gas

By: EBR | Monday, February 13, 2023

Stopping the comeback of cheap Russian gas to Austria by adopting measures is something the government is hesitant about, citing concerns of expropriating government-owned assets

After the Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni’s visit to Berlin last week, Habeck promised to “engage constructively” in the debate at the EU level, adding that “the important thing here is not to look first at what doesn’t work, but how we can organise a strong common response.”

Solidarity and joint borrowing scrapped from EU leaders summit statement

By: EBR | Thursday, February 9, 2023

As the focus of EU leaders’ attention shifts away from the economic debate towards migration, a statement on economic “solidarity” within the EU was removed from the draft joint statement ahead of summit in Brussels

The data show that if exports to Ukraine are stopped, the Lukoil refinery will continue to operate only for the Bulgarian market, which is too small for its production capacity.

Bulgaria to continue exporting fuels from Russian oil to Ukraine

By: EBR | Wednesday, February 8, 2023

The export of petroleum products from Russian oil to Ukraine will continue after 5 February, when the government derogation was due to expire, the Bulgarian government said in a statement on Wednesda

For the European Union to transition out of fossil fuels, materials like cobalt, lithium, and rare earths are crucial to developing key technologies such as wind turbines, solar panels and batteries, but very few are sourced in Europe.

Dutch present priority areas for EU critical raw material strategy

By: EBR | Wednesday, February 8, 2023

Ahead of a Commission proposal due in March, the Dutch laid out five priority areas for a “coherent” EU critical raw material strategy to ensure the transition to a green economy and decrease dependence on China

“We urge the Commission to propose an amendment for the RED3 draft, in order to align hydrogen and fuels targets in transport and industry with such a technologically neutral approach,” the nine countries write in the letter.

Nine EU countries want low-carbon hydrogen included in bloc’s renewables goals

By: EBR | Wednesday, February 8, 2023

Nine EU member states, including France, have called on the European Commission to include low-carbon hydrogen – produced from nuclear electricity – in the EU’s renewable hydrogen targets

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said last week the EU would prepare a law to make life easier for its green industry and back it up with state aid and a European Sovereignty Fund, as well as a more immediate funding “bridging solution”, to keep businesses from moving to the United States.

Seven EU countries oppose new EU funding as response to US green subsidies

By: EBR | Monday, January 30, 2023

Plans by the European Commission to create new European Union funding for green industries are facing mounting opposition in the 27-nation bloc, as seven EU countries openly rejected the idea

French President Emmanuel Macron set a target of 5% unemployment by the end of his term in 2027.

French unemployment levels reach 11-year low

By: EBR | Thursday, January 26, 2023

The number of job-seekers in France dropped by 3.6% in the last quarter of 2022 to 3.05 million, the lowest figure since 2011

Thoughts of a German Alleingang (going alone) understandably trigger fears all over Europe.

German economic policy at a crossroads

By: EBR | Thursday, January 26, 2023

German economic thinking has gone through a shift. Once a fierce advocate of restraint regarding subsidies and industrial policy, Berlin is looking at how to adapt to new market realities following the US Inflation Reduction Act

As part of its intention to reduce immigration to Sweden, the government, supported by the far-right Sweden Democrats (SD), stated that the country needed to invest more in information efforts abroad.

Sweden launches global campaign against migration

By: EBR | Wednesday, January 25, 2023

Sweden, which currently holds the rotating EU Presidency, will launch an awareness campaign to discourage migrants from coming to the country, Migration Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard and far-right Sweden Democrat leader in parliament Henrik Vinge said