News

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The EU economic and financial landscape – and especially economic governance – has evolved dramatically since the first issue of ECFIN e-news was published in December 2009.

In December 2018, the Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI) decreased markedly in both the euro area (by 2.2 points to 107.3) and the EU (by 2.0 points to 107.6).

The Commission will begin publishing a revised Consumer Confidence Indicator (CCI), on 23 January 2019. The Commission has published CCIs since the 1970s, and the current CCI, based on four questions of the Harmonised EU-wide Consumer Survey, was designed in 2001.

On 27 December 2018, the European Investment Bank (EIB), European Investment Fund (EIF) and the Instituto de Crédito Oficial (ICO), an entity attached to the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Business, signed an agreement with Grupo Cajamar to provide over EUR 1 billion to SMEs and the self-employed in support of the rural economy.

On 10 January, Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker gave a speech at the Opening Ceremony of the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU in Bucharest.

The Commission has started a debate on reforming decision-making for areas of EU taxation policy, which currently requires unanimity among Member States.

Speaking before a plenary session of the European Parliament on 15 January, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker lauded the success of the single currency.

Twenty years on…the euro has become a symbol of unity, sovereignty and stability.

The euro, Europe's common currency, turned 20 on 1 January 2019 (see dedicated webpage).

The EU economic and financial landscape – and especially economic governance – has evolved dramatically since the first issue of ECFIN e-news was published in December 2009.

Continued expansion and upgrades of Hungary’s main international airport are at the core of the EUR 200 million loan agreement signed on 14 December between the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Budapest Airport, the company operating Liszt Ferenc International Airport.

After a meeting of the College of Commissioners, the European Commission sent a letter on 19 December to the Italian government regarding the fiscal measures set out by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and Finance Minister Giovanni Tria in their letter of 18 December.

With the euro’s 20th anniversary approaching on 1 January 2019, the Commission held a dedicated event on 3 December and also launched a new website that tells the story of the euro.

The Commission published a series of factsheets on issues related to deepening Europe's Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) ahead of the Euro Summit which took place on 14 December 2018.

A year ago, we promised concrete steps to strengthen the Economic and Monetary Union.

At the Euro Summit on 14 December, EU leaders endorsed all the elements of the Eurogroup report to Leaders on EMU deepening.

The EIPP now complements the free service offered by the online platform with the organisation of regular matchmaking events, replicating the EIPP in real life by bringing together EU-based project promoters and investors around the same table. Several EIPP matchmaking events have been organised during 2018, to increase the EIPP´s outreach to investors, namely in Estonia, Slovenia, Bulgaria and Luxembourg – with more to come in 2019.

Three outstanding projects published on the European Investment Project Portal (EIPP) have been selected to be promoted by the European Commission. Take a look at the examples of companies whose projects received financing after being published on the EIPP.

The European Investment Project Portal (EIPP) brings together investors and project promoters by providing an easily-accessible and user-friendly database, giving projects more visibility and enabling investors to find investment opportunities.