Brussels wants to turn out your lights
For the first time in decades, the threat of rationing has returned to Europe.
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Economy
Latest reporting and analysis on economy.
EU talks on tobacco taxation hit a Swedish brick wall
Brussels wants to keep those taxes for its own budget and it is aiming for several billion euros in revenues.
Italian deputies back nuclear power return in boost for Meloni government
The framework provides for an independent Nuclear Safety Authority and a National Programme for Sustainable Nuclear Power.
European firms flee Cuba as US sanctions deadline bites
A wave of departures and suspended operations in recent weeks suggested the warning had worked.
Putin acknowledges contacts with Trump administration over Cuba
"Cuba is a friendly country. Our relations have developed over decades, and the US administration is aware of this".
Illicit tobacco trade surges across Europe as high taxes feed black markets
Countries with the highest taxes and strictest regulations are suffering the most severe black-market problems.
EU digital sovereignty is a grand delusion in a sharper suit
The EU has unveiled its latest digital sovereignty strategy in its bid to loosen dependence on American Big Tech.
Andorra adds business and union bodies to EU association pact
The country, a microstate of about 80,000 people in the Pyrenees between France and Spain, is not an EU member.
European Parliament ditches Google for Qwant as Brussels breaks from Silicon Valley
European policymakers are increasingly questioning the continent’s reliance on American technology giants.
Leading German Union wants to take 10 per cent of assets of the ‘super rich’
Germany faces significant budgetary challenges, including high energy costs, defence spending needs, and the costs of the green transition.
Physical and fiscal reality mean EU ‘green steel’ programme is bonkers
The EU Commission’s proposal to triple data centre capacity over the next five to seven years is intended to help Europe catch up with China and America in the…
Tata Steel sacks ‘turncoat’ sustainability chief after one day over pro-apartheid past
Business director Jessica Mahn has taken over his responsibilities on an interim basis.
‘Protectionist’ EU cloud rules will curb US Big Tech firm’s access to strategic tenders
The proposal aims to reduce Europe’s heavy reliance on American providers and boost EU-based cloud capacity.
The EU’s moral crusade against aircon is forcing you to bake in your home
For the past week, much of Europe sweltered in an unusual May heatwave.
Bulgaria faces EU deficit procedure months after joining euro
The country's deficit reached 3.5 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) last year, above the 3 per cent ceiling set for euro members.
Russia bans jet fuel exports until November
Supplies to countries that maintain active intergovernmental agreements with Russia are exempt from the restriction.
France lands record €93 billion in foreign investment
"This edition of Choose France alone will make it possible to crystallise a record amount of €93 billion in confirmed investments, for more than 15,000 jobs,"…
Tusk government hurriedly signs scores of contracts funded from EU’s defence loan
The contracts followed the government signing an agreement for Poland to borrow €43.7 billion from the €150 billion SAFE programme.
Croatia’s Vujčić takes over as ECB vice-president
Vujčić has led the Croatian National Bank since 2012 and steered his country into the euro in 2023.
Ankara burns the maritime rulebook
Can you vote wishful thoughts into reality?
Temu fined €200 million over sale of illegal goods
The European Commission has fined Chinese online marketplace for violating the EU’s Digital Services Act.
If Europe wants to compete in AI, it needs more than regulation
For years, Europe’s approach to artificial intelligence has centred largely on regulation, governance frameworks and digital policy. Those discussions matter.
Nordic investors urge EU to hold firm on Arctic drilling ban
The appeal has come as the EU weighs revising its stance to prioritise energy supply.
The impossible debt: Europe arrives at the long run Keynes brushed aside
The European Central Bank holds close to 40 per cent of some governments' debt.
German Economic Council slashes growth forecast and warns of soaring social insurance costs
The downgrade is attributed primarily to the economic fallout from the Iran conflict, including sharply higher energy prices.
Meloni says that gigantic EU bureaucracy is smothering industrial development
Italian Prime Minister called for greater competitiveness, simplification and the cutting of red tape.
Netherlands blocks US takeover of Digital ID provider over citing risk to public interest
A coalition of Dutch journalists, technology experts, scientists and the privacy organisation Privacy First sued the government to block renewal of its contract…
EU budget: Germany’s contributions could rise by 80 per cent, Belgian PM warns for ‘dizzying’ bill
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen would like to have more than €2 trillion at her disposal between 2028 and 2034.
Northern EU states reject ‘Friends of Cohesion’ push to expand farm budget and stretch recovery debt repayment
The signatories argued in their statement that the CAP, the Common Fisheries Policy and Cohesion were "the only policies facing cuts in real terms".
Philip Morris International vows to transition to ‘smoke-free’ future
A visit to Philip Morris International’s (PMI) manufacturing and technology hub in Bologna offered Brussels Signal a firsthand look at the company’s ambitious…