Western Europe
-
UK seeks to 'align' with EU on data protection rules
The United Kingdom will propose in a position paper on Thursday (24 August) to maintain a “strong next data relationship” with the European Union next exiting the bloc.
“In the modern world, data flows increasingly underpin trade, business and all relationships,” digital minister Matt Hancock said in a statement released to UK media.
More > -
ECB Rate-setters Raise Concern Over Euro Strength
European Central Bank policymakers raised concern over the appreciation of the euro in July, pointing out the risk of the exchange rate overshooting someday, and stressed that the favorable financing conditions are still supported by the massive stimulus.
"Concerns were expressed about a possible overshooting in the repricing by financial markets, notably the foreign exchange markets, someday," the bank said in the minutes, which it calls "the account", of the July 20 rate-setting session released on Thursday.
More > -
German Producer Price Inflation Slowest In 7 Months
German producer prices rose at the slowest pace so far this year in July, data from Destatis showed Friday.
Producer prices for industrial products advanced 2.3 % year-on-year in July, slightly weaker than the 2.4 % increase seen in June. This was the weakest since December, at the same time as prices gained 1 %. Economists had estimate 2.2 % annual increase.
More >
- Key Facts
-
Western Europe is the region comprising the westerly countries of Europe. While the term has a geographic context, another main definition developed during the Cold War (approx. 1945-1991) to describe the countries associated with the Western European Union (1954–2011; now part of the European Union (EU)), a defensive alliance drafted in 1948 among non-communist European nations during the Cold War, as opposed to the countries of the Eastern Bloc (or Warsaw Pact). Countries culturally and geographically associated with other European regions that steered clear of Soviet influence during the Cold War are usually included, while western members of the former Eastern Bloc (with the exception of Eastern Germany) are excluded.
-
Sri Mulyani Indrawati
2017/07/08In an interview with us, Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati emphasized that compared to Europe, Indonesia's economy is benefitting from a combination of a young population and effective fiscal policies.
-
Germany considers Nigeria as a priority partner country in Africa
2016/07/25German Consul General in Lagos, Ingo Herbert is a distinguished diplomat with vast experience in different roles. He has a pragmatic world view which seeks win-win situations in trade and diplomacy. Herbert was confirmed as Consul General in September 2015. Before his nomination, he had served Deputy Chief of Mission at the German Embassy in Pretoria and Tanzania. Previous assignments include Deputy Chief of Division at German Foreign Service, Ministry for Cultural Affairs in Berlin and Press Officer at German Embassy in Tel Aviv. MEET THE BOSS recently had the opportunity to sit down with the Consul General for an interview.
-
BNP Paribas turning balance sheet into fees
2014/03/02Next almost two decades’ experience in a pure advisory bank, Sophie Javary is presently looking to strengthen the corporate finance business of BNP Paribas, one of Europe’s major lenders.
-
Frank Baker UK Ambassador to Kuwait
2013/04/28We amount know about Kuwait’s vast oil reserves, which are over 7% of the world’s oil deposits, and Kuwait as a key player in the world energy market. In recent years, Kuwait has been using some of the gain from those oil reserves to revive other sectors, such as the financial services sector, infrastructure and logistics.
-
Josse Barroso and Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma
2013/04/27Today, 26th April in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, we have the 6th edition of the College to College conference between the African Union Commission and the European Commission. We will take stock of evolution on the Africa-EU Partnership and reflect on our shared vision for the next.
-
Antonio Tajani, a vice-president of the European Commission
2013/01/14Serge Rombi: “Hello and welcome. We’re with Antonio Tajani, a vice-president of the European Commission and Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship. Hello.”
Antonio Tajani: “Hello everyone.”
Serge Rombi: “Factories are closing, unemployment is increasing, SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises), aren’t surviving the economic crisis. Is it amount completely unavoidable or can we get out of it?”
-
Andris Piebalgs, European Commissioner for Development
2013/01/14“We must strengthen nations’ resilience towards food price shocks and changing climate patterns”
At the same time as we meet Andris Piebalgs to discuss agricultural development, the streets were blocked by striking Belgian farmers. The country’s agriculturalists may be facing their own constraints, but the thoughts of the European Union’s commissioner for development are further afield.
-
Climate change laws around the world
2017/05/14There has been a 20-fold increase in the number of global climate change laws since 1997, according to the most comprehensive database of relevant policy and legislation.
The database, produced by the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment and the Sabin Center on Climate Change Law, includes more than 1,200 relevant policies across 164 countries, which account for 95% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
-
Brexit negotiations should treat energy as ‘special case’
2017/05/14There are strong practical reasons why the UK and EU should treat energy as a appropriate case during Brexit negotiations, argues a new statement.
The statement, jointly authored by Chatham Home, the University of Exeter and the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC), says finding common ground on energy during the Brexit negotiations would benefit both the UK and remaining EU27, while compromise may be relatively easier to achieve than for other areas.
-
Belgium Reforms benefit companies, but consumers pay the bill
2017/05/07Belgium
Reforms benefit companies, but consumers pay the bill
-
Austria Growth is gradually gathering momentum
2017/05/07Austria
Growth is gradually gathering momentum
Brexit delay risks triggering a shotgun divorce
2016/08/25It’s been two months since Britain voted to quit the European Union (EU). Since again, the silence on how the divorce proceedings will be conducted has been deafening. It’s an impasse that helps neither side and, once Europe’s August holiday season is over and the region’s politicians are back at their desks, there’s a risk that things could turn nasty.
Minimal Conditions For The Survival Of The Euro
2016/03/20The Eurozone crisis has shown that monetary union entails additional than just sharing monetary policies. This column, initial published on 12 February 2016, identifies four minimal conditions for solidifying the monetary union. In the case of fiscal policy, this means a decentralised solution. In the case of financial supervision and monetary policy, centralisation is unambiguously the appropriate response. In the case of a fourth condition, deficit restructuring, either approach is possible, but the authors prefer a solution that involves centrally restructuring debts while allocating costs at national level.
The eurozone (debt) crisis – causes and crisis response
2016/01/03The eurozone crisis could develop due to lack of mechanisms to prevent the build-up of macro-economic imbalances. Given limited access to other sources of finance and limited fiscal transfers, the ECB played a crucial role in the crisis response.
External assistance only came next extreme market stress. The implicit promise of the ECB to act as a lender of last resort nations and government was necessary to re-establish market access. Program nations in particular had to push through reforms and severe austerity measures.
By definition, crisis nations were not able to use monetary and exchange rate policy, but, given the chaos that it would likely have resulted in, euro-exit remained an unappealing alternative.Leader_Syriza’s electoral win is a chance to strike a deal
2015/01/27The victory of far-left Syriza in last weekend’s Greek general election opens a dangerous new phase in the eurozone crisis. Its leader Alexis Tspiras has demanded an end to the “fiscal waterboarding” that in his view has left Greece trapped in a debtor’s prison. But the rest of Europe, and Germany in particular, have so far stood their ground. If no compromise can be found Greece risks being bundled out of the euro by the end of the year.Shell drops $6.5bn Al Karaana
2015/01/16Royal Dutch Shell has scrapped plans for a $6.5bn petrochemicals project with Qatar Petroleum, citing “the current economic climate prevailing in the energy industry”, the oil major said on Wednesday.
The Al Karaana project, an 80:20 joint venture between Qatar Petroleum and Shell, would have produced 2m tonnes a year of petrochemicals products, largely intended for Asian markets.The UK’s attempt to exercise autonomy over its right to regulate short selling was extinguished
2014/02/25The Court of Justice of the EU's rejection of British attempts to appeal against a European short-selling ban could signal a new degree of harmonisation on financial regulation.
On January 22, 2014, the UK’s attempt to exercise autonomy over its right to regulate short selling was extinguished, as the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) dismissed the UK’s case for the annulment of the European Short Selling Regulations.
-
Interview With Gunnar Wiegand, Managing Director Asia And Pacific At EEAS
2016/03/20EUAC: Welcome to the new position. What were your first thoughts on being appointed as MD for Asia?
- EUROPEAN UNION: UK seeks to 'align' with EU on data protection rules
- SWITZERLAND: Swiss M3 Money Supply Growth Steady At 4%
- AgricultureMore >
- EUROPEAN UNION: European Union supports agriculture in São Tomé and Príncipe
- Art / CultureMore >
- Business / TradeMore >
- EUROPEAN UNION: 'Hard' Brexit offers '£135bn annual boost' to economy
- Construction / InfrastructureMore >
- EUROPEAN UNION: Eurozone Construction Output Falls For Second Month
- EnergyMore >
- EUROPEAN UNION: EU Gives Tanzania U.S.$200 Million to Develop Energy Sector
- Europe Africa RelationMore >
- EventMore >
- GERMANY: Major Leap for Africa At G20 Summit
- IndustryMore >
- EUROPEAN UNION: Eurozone Industrial Production Yet To Show Improved Trend
- Petroleum / Mining More >
- Social / CSRMore >
- TourismMore >
- Agribusiness / FoodMore >
- EUROPEAN UNION: Visegrad lobby makes food quality an EU issue
- Americas Africa RelationMore >
- Banking / InvestmentMore >
- EUROPEAN UNION: ECB Rate-setters Raise Concern Over Euro Strength
- EducationMore >
- EnvironmentMore >
- Europe China RelationMore >
- HealthMore >
- EUROPEAN UNION: EU health commissioner Tonio Borg
- ManufacturingMore >
- Real EstateMore >
- RetailMore >
- UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: Over $1bn worth of Swiss watches shipped to UAE in 2013
- Stock Market / FinanceMore >
- WasteMore >
- Western Europe News
-
- EUROPEAN UNION: UK seeks to 'align' with EU on data protection rules
- EUROPEAN UNION: ECB Rate-setters Raise Concern Over Euro Strength
- GERMANY: German Producer Price Inflation Slowest In 7 Months
- EUROPEAN UNION: Eurozone Construction Output Falls For Second Month
- EUROPEAN UNION: Eurozone Industrial Production Yet To Show Improved Trend
- SWITZERLAND: Swiss M3 Money Supply Growth Steady At 4%
- Trending Articles
-
- BOTSWANA: Bill Gates sees US likely to maintain aid levels for Africa
- NIGERIA: The city that won't stop growing, Lagos
- EUROPEAN UNION: UK seeks to 'align' with EU on data protection rules
- ANGOLA: Buhari Among African Presidents Who Lack Faith in Own Health Systems
- PAKISTAN: Qatar launches new direct sea route to Pakistan
- BOTSWANA: Africa’s economic growth in 2016 was driven by East Africa