This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has today raised €5 billion of EU-Bonds in its 6th syndicated transaction for 2025. The single-tranche transaction concerned a €5 billion tap of the EU-Bond maturing on 4 October 2039. The 15-year bond was priced 99.209% with a re-offer yield of […]European Commission issues €5 billion in its 6th syndicated transaction of 2025
June 18, 2025 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has today raised €5 billion of EU-Bonds in its 6th syndicated transaction for 2025. The single-tranche transaction concerned a €5 billion tap of the EU-Bond maturing on 4 October 2039. The 15-year bond was priced 99.209% with a re-offer yield of […]Commission proposes to postpone by one additional year the market risk prudential requirements under Basel III
June 13, 2025 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has today adopted a delegated act that postpones by one additional year – until 1 January 2027 – the date of application of the one remaining part of the Basel III international standards in the EU – the Fundamental Review of […]The world pledged to end child labour by 2025: So why are 138 million kids still working?
June 12, 2025 by Leave a Comment
This article is published in association with United Nations. Twelve-year-old Tenasoa crawls to work every day at a mine in eastern Madagascar where she collects two kilos of the shiny mineral mica each day. She cannot walk because of a physical disability. There are 10,000 children in Madagascar who, like Tenasoa, work in the largely unregulated […]How to Spur Economic Growth in Africa’s Fragile and Conflict-Affected States
June 9, 2025 by Leave a Comment
This article is published in association with IMF. Wenjie Chen, Michele Fornino, Hamza Mighri, Can Sever More than half of sub-Saharan Africa’s population lives in fragile and conflict-affected states (FCS)—economies that face profound challenges such as stagnant economic growth, weak institutions, inadequate public services, extreme poverty, war, and forced internal displacement. Some countries have transitioned out […]Commission adopts European Ocean Pact for a healthy ocean, a competitive blue economy and thriving coastal communities
June 6, 2025 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, the European Commission adopted a European Ocean Pact, a comprehensive strategy to better protect the ocean, promote a thriving blue economy and support the well-being of people living in coastal areas. The Pact brings together EU ocean policies under one single reference framework, […]New import surveillance tool to help EU prevent harmful trade diversion
June 6, 2025 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has set up a new surveillance tool to help protect the EU against sudden and potentially disruptive surges in imports. This system aims to prevent harmful trade diversion, which occurs when a significant amount of goods that cannot enter other markets […]Bulgaria meets criteria to join the euro area on 1 January 2026
June 5, 2025 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, the European Commission concluded that Bulgaria is ready to adopt the euro as of 1 January 2026 – a key milestone that would make it the twenty-first Member State to join the euro area. This assessment is set out in the 2025 Convergence Report, […]EU budget 2026: Providing crucial funding for EU priorities in times of global volatility
June 5, 2025 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today’s proposal by the European Commission sets the 2026 EU budget at €193.26 billion, complemented by an estimated €105.32 billion in disbursements under NextGenerationEU. Building on the mid-term revision of the EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), next year’s draft budget is designed to support […]Commission endorses positive preliminary assessment of Sweden’s first payment request for €1.6 billion under the Recovery and Resilience Facility
June 3, 2025 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, the Commission has endorsed a positive preliminary assessment of Sweden’s first payment request for €1.6 billion under the Recovery and Resilience Facility, the centrepiece of NextGenerationEU. Following its assessment of the payment request, submitted by Sweden on 20 December 2024, the Commission has preliminarily concluded […]Debt is Higher and Rising Faster in 80 Percent of Global Economy
June 2, 2025 by Leave a Comment
This article is published in association with IMF. Era Dabla-Norris, Davide Furceri Fiscal Policy under mounting uncertainty means government budgets need resilience—particularly in countries whose economic weight makes them influence global trends Global public debt could increase to 100 percent of global gross domestic product by the end of the decade if current trends continue, according […]EIB welcomes new UN Protocol to mobilise investment for a sustainable ocean economy
June 2, 2025 by Leave a Comment
This article is published in association with European Investment Bank. The European Investment Bank (EIB) welcomes the launch of the United Nations Ocean Investment Protocol, a comprehensive new framework to align financial flows and business practices with the transition to a sustainable ocean economy. As a knowledge partner in its development, the EIB recognises the Protocol […]EIB welcomes new UN Protocol to mobilise investment for a sustainable ocean economy
May 30, 2025 by Leave a Comment
This article is published in association with European Investment Bank. The European Investment Bank (EIB) welcomes the launch of the United Nations Ocean Investment Protocol, a comprehensive new framework to align financial flows and business practices with the transition to a sustainable ocean economy. As a knowledge partner in its development, the EIB recognises the Protocol as […]UN searches for solutions to global housing crisis
May 30, 2025 by Leave a Comment
This article is published in association with United Nations. The UN’s urban development agency estimates that an astonishing 2.8 billion people worldwide lack access to adequate housing, secure land, and basic water and sanitation services – that’s around 40 per cent of the global population. This includes more than 1.12 billion people living in slums or informal settlements. An […]Commission cuts red tape and maximises impact of foreign aid investment
May 29, 2025 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission is increasing the efficiency and firepower of its External Action Guarantee (EAG), a key financial tool under the Global Gateway strategy that offers more affordable loans to unlock investments in partner countries around the world. In an increasingly complex geopolitical context, […]EU and UAE launch free trade talks
May 29, 2025 by 1 Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Union and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have formally launched negotiations for a bilateral free trade agreement, opening the possibility of the first comprehensive EU trade deal in the Gulf region. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and His Highness Sheikh […]Fostering Core Government Bond Market Resilience
May 22, 2025 by Leave a Comment
This article is published in association with IMF. Tobias Adrian, Kleopatra Nikolaou, Jason Wu The smooth functioning of government bond markets is important for the safety and soundness of broader capital markets, especially amid heightened financial market volatility. Bond markets recently adjusted sharply to an abrupt re-assessment of the global macroeconomic environment and elevated trade policy […]Commission welcomes European citizens’ recommendations for a stronger EU budget
May 21, 2025 by 1 Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. On 16-18 May, the third and final session of the European Citizens’ Panel on the new EU long-term budget took place in Brussels. For the first time, a group of 150 randomly selected citizens from all 27 EU Member States have brought forward bringing […]Over 60 per cent of the Arab world still outside the banking system
May 16, 2025 by Leave a Comment
This article is published in association with United Nations. Between 2016 and 2024, the number of Egyptians with a bank account – which experts say is essential for financial inclusion – tripled, from 17.1 million to over 51 million. Even more impressively, the number of Egyptian women with an account increased by 260 per cent, though […]Sudden escalation of trade tensions sends shockwaves through global economy
May 16, 2025 by Leave a Comment
This article is published in association with United Nations. Amid escalating trade tensions and growing policy uncertainties, the global economy stands at a fragile turning point, according to a new report on Thursday from the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA). Tariff-driven price pressures are adding to inflation risks, leaving trade-dependent economies particularly […]European Commission issues €7 billion in its 5th syndicated transaction of 2025
May 15, 2025 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has today raised €7 billion of EU-Bonds in its 5th syndicated transaction for 2025. The single-tranche transaction concerned a new €7 billion EU-Bond maturing on 12 October 2045. The new 20-year bond was priced 99.190%, with a re-offer yield of 3.809%, […]EBRD cuts growth forecasts amid surging trade policy uncertainty
May 13, 2025 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with EBRD. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has lowered its regional economic forecast for 2025 by 0.2 percentage points relative to its February 2025 projections. According to the Bank’s Regional Economic Prospects report published today, economies in which the EBRD invests are now projected to […]50 year anniversary of China-EU relations: why the EU should care much more
May 9, 2025 by Leave a Comment
2025 marks 50 years of official diplomatic relations between the European Union and China and the Chinese Mission organized this week in Brussels a large reception to celebrate and meet the European counterparts. The event coincided with the positive news that China lifted the 2021 sanctions against MEPs, an act of reciprocation on the EU’s […]Commission consults on possible countermeasures and readies WTO litigation in response to US tariffs
May 8, 2025 by 1 Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has launched a public consultation on a list of US imports which could become subject to EU countermeasures, if ongoing EU-US negotiations do not result in a mutually beneficial outcome and the removal of the US tariffs. The list put to […]The Hidden Strength of Government Inefficiency: Why Slow Systems Save Us
May 6, 2025 by Leave a Comment
This article is published in association with IMF. Julie Cooper The Efficiency Trap Imagine stepping into a leadership role and feeling like you’ve walked into a swamp. Every step is measured. Every movement is resisted. Progress feels agonizing. Decisions crawl. Approvals get stuck in layers of bureaucracy. It’s frustrating—like trying to run through quicksand. If you’ve […]12 Member States request activation of the national escape clause in a coordinated move to boost defence spending
May 5, 2025 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. To date, 12 Member States have submitted a request in writing to the Commission to activate the national escape clause under the Stability and Growth Pact, as part of the ReArm Europe Plan/Readiness 2030 package presented in March 2025. These are Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, […]Afghanistan’s socioeconomic crisis deepens amid crackdown on women’s rights
May 2, 2025 by Leave a Comment
This article is published in association with United Nations. In Afghanistan, 75 per cent of the population struggles to meet their daily needs; with female-headed households, rural communities and internally displaced persons being most affected, the UN development agency (UNDP) has noted in a new report. As the Afghan economy faces stalled local production and weak […]Stuck in the middle? Indebted nations plot path to growth amid global trade upheaval
April 30, 2025 by Leave a Comment
This article is published in association with United Nations. Faced with mounting debt and economic stagnation, middle-income countries have issued a call for financial reform, sustainable investment, and a roadmap to escape the so-called “middle-income trap,” at a UN-backed international conference held in Manila, Philippines, which concluded on Tuesday. The High-Level Conference of Middle-Income Countries (MICs), […]Where Budgets Meet Gender Equality: Insights from PEFA Data
April 29, 2025 by Leave a Comment
This article is published in association with IMF. Gender inequality is a persistent challenge across countries, regardless of income level. Among various policy tools aimed at addressing these disparities, Gender Responsive Public Financial Management (GRPFM) has gained traction as a promising approach. GRPFM integrates gender considerations into budgetary processes, aiming to allocate public resources in ways […]As budgets shrink, UN Peacekeeping looks to the future
April 28, 2025 by Leave a Comment
This article is published in association with United Nations. With just weeks to go before a key ministerial meeting in Berlin, the UN and Germany have reaffirmed their commitment to peacekeeping – a vital tool for global stability that must now adapt to dwindling resources. “This is a particularly timely meeting,” said Jean-Pierre Lacroix, UN Under-Secretary-General […]Largely eradicated diseases at risk of returning due to budget cuts
April 25, 2025 by Leave a Comment
This article is published in association with United Nations. Vaccines have saved around 150 million lives over the past 50 years, but that progress is now under threat. Cuts to global health funding are leading to a rise in outbreaks of diseases that vaccines had nearly wiped out, the UN health agency, WHO, is warning on […]Budgets Committee sets out priorities for next long-term EU budget
April 24, 2025 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament. MEPs in the Budgets Committee have backed the first report outlining Parliament’s vision for the next long-term EU budget. In the report adopted on Wednesday by 23 votes in favour, 9 against and with 2 abstentions, MEPs emphasise the need for a significantly more […]EU budget set for defence-related boost under new regulation
April 23, 2025 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. New targeted amendments to existing EU funding programmes will support faster, more flexible and coordinated investments in Europe’s defence technological and industrial base (EDTIB). Under a new Regulation to stimulate defence-related investments within the EU budget proposed today by the Commission, the EU will […]Asia’s megacities at a crossroads as climate and population challenges grow
April 22, 2025 by Leave a Comment
This article is published in association with United Nations. Asia’s sprawling megacities – which are driving economic growth – face an uncertain future as rising temperatures, aging populations and unplanned urban development tests their resilience. Seven of the ten most populous cities in the world are in Asia, with Tokyo, Delhi, Shanghai and Dhaka topping the […]
