Finance Archives

The EU's reaction to the current inflationary episode shows that it still follows a macroeconomic paradigm that makes it unable to properly react to the climate crisis and will ultimately lead to economic and ecological misery.

Despite the transition to climate neutrality creating frictions in the short-term, politicians should not change course, investors in green technologies said, asking for clear signals that the transition will be followed through.

In recent months, calls to complete the EU's Capital Markets Union (CMU) have become more frequent, but it's not always clear whether the CMU's most recent supporters really want a more integrated financial market or whether they just use the vagueness of the term to hide other political objectives.

The EU should include financial markets in the scope of its Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) to help reorientate capital markets towards more sustainable investments while making European financial markets more consistent and reliable, argues Richard Gardiner.

Everybody talks about cleantech, including politicians who stress the need for more investment in green technologies. Yet, the reality is that we are at an all-time high when it comes to investments in gas, oil and even coal, writes Jorgo Chatzimarkakis.

32 former high-level politicians and EU officials published a manifesto, calling for a central fiscal capacity for the EU, a shift to a new EU business model as well as institutional reforms.

The European Central Bank (ECB), the European Investment Bank (EIB), and the International Energy Agency (IEA) have called for a faster transition towards clean energy, with ECB President Christine Lagarde arguing for a "green Capital Markets Union" and EU-issued green bonds.

Margrethe Vestager, a top candidate to lead the European Investment Bank (EIB), came to Paris on Wednesday (20 September) to speak at a flagship start-up conference – and pitch her candidacy for the EIB job with Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire.

The financial system must be regulated on terms set by citizens, not the financial lobby, argues Benoît Lallemand.

French electric battery maker Verkor announced on Thursday (14 September) it had secured €2 billion in financing, the largest amount an early-stage start-up ever received in France, in a sign of strength for the European battery industry in its race against Chinese competitors.

With the race for the presidency of the European Investment Bank (EIB) in its final stretch, Danish candidate and former EU competition chief Margrethe Vestager said she would be ready to consider EIB financing for defence and nuclear.

“Sound banking” must be the top priority for the European Investment Bank (EIB), German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said on Thursday (7 September), the same day that Margrethe Vestager, a contender for the bank’s top job, said she wants the EIB to take more risks.

Economy professor Dirk Niepelt warns that too many financial stability safeguards might mean that the digital cannot fulfill its role as an attractive public alternative to private payment providers.

The Economic Affairs Committee of the European Parliament voiced concerns over the digital euro, including costs for banks and its use by EU citizens, during questions posed to European Central Bank Executive Fabio Panetta on Monday (4 September).

The surge in money going into biodiversity funds is the "next frontier" of environment, social and governance (ESG) investing and warrants increased monitoring to avoid greenwashing, the European Union's securities regulator said on Thursday (31 August).

The outgoing member of the executive board of the European Central Bank (ECB) Fabio Panetta argued that a genuine Capital Markets Union (CMU) might require the EU to have a standing fiscal capacity with a borrowing function.

Members of the European Parliament’s budget committee criticised EU countries’ cuts to the proposed EU budget for 2024, promising to fight any reductions in the upcoming negotiations.

A UBS report revealed that the number of millionaires worldwide went down in 2022, though the number of French millionaires increased to 2.8 million, drawing heavy criticism from the left of Emmanuel Macron’s ‘pro-wealth’ policies.

Due to having smaller economies than the US or eurozone, venture capital markets in Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary are often overlooked by investors outside of the region, but some angel investors see them as fertile ground for seed investments.

The European Commission presented two proposals for updated rules on payment services, in a bid to combat fraud, increase transparency for consumers, improve the availability of cash, and level the playing field between banks and fintechs.

Europe's defence industries have called on EU institutions to clarify the sector's status in line with the bloc's sustainable finance legislation in order to open doors for more public and private investment.

Heads of states and civil society representatives agreed a joint way forward to “fundamentally reform” the international development framework on Friday (23 June) in Paris, but failed to make hoped-for headways on international taxation.

The Summit for a New Global Financing Pact in Paris on Thursday and Friday (22-23 June) could strengthen France's "green diplomacy" and position President Emmanuel Macron as a key player when it comes to financing international development aid.

Paris will be hosting a one-of-a-kind ‘Summit for a New Global Financing Pact’ on 22-23 June, in an effort to secure financing for Global South development aid and climate transition, and enshrine the need for a review of multilateral institutions.