Eu Financial News

Germany is stuck in a rut, and there is no quick way out. The European powerhouse’s economy, the largest on the continent and the world’s fourth biggest, shrank last year, extending a six-year slump that is raising fears of deindustrialization and sapping support for governments across the region. Output in the country likely shrank by 0.3% in the three months through December from the previous quarter, the German federal statistics agency said Monday.

ATHENS (Reuters) — Greece has received nearly 15 billion euros in grants and loans from the European Union's Recovery Fund since 2021, a sum which is equivalent to about 8% of its economic output, as it stepped up the absorption of funds, the government said on Monday.

As Mudrex marks its triumphant sixth year in the ever-evolving realm of cryptocurrency, the platform reflects on a journey rich with innovation and growth. From its inception in 2018 as an automated crypto trading platform, Mudrex is the world's biggest crypto index platform, with over a million users. In an exclusive interview with Edul Patel, CEO, Mudrex, ETMarkets explored the platform's notable milestones, its pivotal role in shaping investor behaviours, and its ambitious vision for the future. As Mudrex is turning six on 12th January, can you share some key milestones and achievements the platform has experienced so far? Edul Patel: In 2018, our journey began with building an automated crypto trading platform, laying the foundation for Mudrex today.

South Africa says more than 50 countries have expressed support for its case at the United Nations' top court accusing Israel of genocide against Palestinians in the war in Gaza. Others, including the United States, have strongly rejected South Africa's allegation that Israel is violating the U.N. Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Many more have remained silent.

European Union's competition czar Margrethe Vestager on Friday said US tech giants will have to strictly abide by the bloc's new rules on how they do business when they come into force in two months. EU competition commissioner Vestager was on a visit to Silicon Valley where she met with Apple CEO Tim Cook, Google CEO Sundar Pichai and other big tech executives.

EU countries will next week discuss a plan to set up a naval mission to help protect Red Sea shipping following attacks from Yemen's Huthi rebels, diplomats said Friday. The proposal — in the pipeline in Brussels for several weeks — was mooted before US and British forces struck rebel-held Yemen. Any EU effort would seek to complement a US-led coalition, which includes numerous countries from the bloc, already operating in the vital shipping route. The exact details of the size and scope of any EU mission remain to be hammered out and European diplomats said a first discussion would take place in Brussels on Tuesday.

EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager said she met with the chief executives of Apple, Alphabet and Qualcomm to discuss regulation and competition policy compliance, in posts on social media platform X on Friday. Last week, Vestager's communications adviser said she would speak to chief executives of Apple, Alphabet, Broadcom and Nvidia in the United States, focusing on European digital regulation including the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and competition policy.

BEIJING — China's exports rose more than expected in December, but failed to offset an overall decline for 2023, customs data showed Friday.

Microsoft says it is upgrading its cloud computing service to let customers store all personal data within the European Union instead of having it flow to the U.S. where national privacy laws don’t exist

A legal adviser to the European Union’s top court says Google should pay a whopping fine in a long-running antitrust case

European banking regulators have urged stablecoin issuers and other stakeholders to dialogue with regulators ahead of proposed stablecoin rules under the Markets in Crypto Assets (MICA) regulation.

In order to manage the emerging risks before the entry into application of the European Markets in Crypto Assets Regulation (MiCA), Lithuania intends to reinforce its national cryptocurrency regulation. We discussed the key points and consequences with legal experts from Gofaizen & Sherle , specializing in fintech law and crypto license in Lithuania and the EU, Vladimiras Kokorevas and Mihhail Sherle.

The latest survey from Morgan Stanley shows that the annual acceleration of IT budgets in 2024 is projected to be underpinned by the robust strength of secular trends, particularly in Generative AI (GenAI) and the Public Cloud.

eastward enlargement, once dormant policy areas, are now priorities—giving a new voice to Ukraine’s neighbours in central Europe. The rise of China, and the prospect of resurgent Trumpism in America, has caused the EU to rethink its economic arrangements—often along statist French lines. Climate imperatives have reinforced the value of taking action at collective level—an approach favoured by the EU’s quasi-federal institutions in Brussels.

Passport Index, offering their citizens visa-free access to a record-breaking number of destinations. According to data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan, and Singapore now boast the most powerful passports globally, enabling their citizens to visit an impressive 194 destinations out of 227 worldwide without the need for a visa. Are you immigration ready? Find out Four EU member states—France, Germany, Italy, and Spain—have now joined them at the top. Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, Chairman of Henley & Partners and the originator of the passport index concept, highlighted the widening global mobility gap. «The average number of destinations travelers can access visa-free has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to 111 in 2024. However, the top-ranked countries now have a staggering 166 more visa-free destinations than Afghanistan, which ranks at the bottom with access to just 28 countries without a visa,» he said. South Korea takes the second spot alongside Finland and Sweden, enjoying visa-free access to 193 destinations. In the third spot, four EU nations—Austria, Denmark, Ireland, and the Netherlands—share access to 192 destinations.

diesel exports to Europe rose 42% year-on-year in December on a combination of winter demand and the near absence of Russian supplies in the continent. India exported 248,000 barrels per day (bpd) of diesel to Europe in December, up from 175,000 bpd in December 2022 and 247,000 bpd in November, according to energy cargo tracker Vortexa. India's overall exports rose 17% year-on-year in December to 637,000 bpd. Europe's share in India's diesel exports was 39% in December, up from 32% in December '22 and 37% in November. India didn't export any diesel to the US in December.

Yves Leterme said on Wednesday that the European Union is focusing on Free Trade Agreement with India in coming days and emphasized on inclusiveness in education and said that challenges of illiteracy should be addressed. Merchant Chamber of Commerce & Industries (MCCI) in association with Woxsen University in Hyderabad organised a National Round Table on “Glocalization in Education for the Future Businesses” on Wednesday in Kolkata. Former Prime Minister of Belgium Yves Leterme was the Chief Guest of the session. Leterme said that “glocalization is an approach that recognizes the interconnectedness of global and local contexts and seeks to create a more inclusive and culturally sustainable society.” MCCI President Namit Bajoria, in his welcome address, emphasized that in today's fast-paced and interconnected world, “the concept of glocalization has become increasingly relevant for shaping the education systems that would prepare future business leaders”. Bajoria noted that the adoption of global standards and benchmarks in local context and incorporating local perspectives into global frameworks is becoming increasingly important. Chahat Mishra emphasized on the need of establishing diplomatic relations by educational institutes.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated the 10th Edition of Vibrant Gujarat in state capital Gandhinagar. Several heads of states and top industry captains attended the inauguration ceremony.  Amid high-pitched investments, we spoke with Finland’s Ambassador to India Kimmo Lähdevirta. Since January 1 this year, those who are interested in travelling to Finland and requiring a Schengen visa, will now need to provide details of more funds to qualify. 

Ukraine war have fallen to an 11-month low as the price tag on the discounted oil rises, figures show. Since the invasion of Ukraine nearly two years ago, India has bought hundreds of millions of barrels of cut-price Russian crude, saving itself billions of dollars while bolstering Moscow's war coffers. The purchases have catapulted it to second place among Russia's customers behind China, and Indian officials have made no secret of their decision to prioritise national interest over international sanctions against Moscow. But the price of Russian crude has risen in the face of OPEC+ production cuts and increased demand from China, analysts say, making it less attractive to Indian customers. Indian refiners bought 1.45 million barrels per day of Russian oil last month, their lowest amount since last January and down nearly 16 percent from November, according to global energy trade intelligence platform Kpler. The «interplay between India and China» was a key driver of the change, Viktor Katona, lead crude analyst at Kpler told AFP, «as both countries now vie for the same barrels». The biggest beneficiary of the change is Moscow: Russian crude has been trading above $85 per barrel, reports say, even though a coalition of the G7, EU and Australia imposed a $60 price cap a year ago. New Delhi's reduced imports will be welcomed by some European policymakers who have raised concerns over how Indian refiners have processed Russian crude into fuel for the European market, effectively bypassing the EU's sanctions. New Delhi and Moscow have ties dating back to the Cold War, and Russia remains by far the biggest arms supplier to the world's most populous country. India has shied away from explicit condemnations of Russia

EU norms as the European Union is moving towards a paperless customs process from June 3 this year. The development assumes significance for domestic exporters as the European Union (EU) accounts for about 17 per cent of India's total merchandise exports. In 2022-23, India exported goods worth USD 75 billion to EU as against the country's total exports of USD 451 billion in that financial year.

The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) has stated that crypto “is not money,” and has reaffirmed its intention to regulate the sector – using EU law as a benchmark.