Polish court rules some EU energy policy laws ‘unconstitutional’
Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal, a court (TK), has ruled some European Union regulations on energy policy to be incompatible with the Polish Constitution on the…
Economy
Latest reporting and analysis on economy.
‘Strict anti-tobacco legislation has backfired,’ KPMG study indicates
European countries have been struggling with illicit tobacco trade but their own policies were making matters worse, a study has shown.
UK multinational’s boss warns half of Antwerp industry set to vanish
Jim Ratcliffe, the owner of UK multinational chemicals and energy giant INEOS, has warned that half of the industry located in Antwerp, Europe's second-largest port,…
Germany’s Die Linke demands ‘heat holidays’ for workers
German left-wing party Die Linke has demanded a reduction in working hours when workplace temperatures rise above certain levels.
German exports to US drop substantially as global trade shifts
Germany’s exports to the US have slumped, according to the latest data by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis).
EC wants to educate senior citizens in finance
The European Commission said it wanted to boost financial literacy among older Europeans — and saw pensions as the way to approach the issue.
Much-needed critical minerals require ‘investments, not commitment’, IEA warns
Investment in critical minerals has started to fall, just as global demand accelerates, warned the International Energy Agency.
EC funding fuelled ‘green’ NGOs’ litigation against European companies
The European Commission paid activists to target private companies in the courts, expanding Europe's shadow lobbying scandal, according to German news reports.
UK makes solar panels mandatory on most new homes
The “vast majority” of new homes in England will soon be fitted with solar panels as standard, UK energy secretary Ed Miliband has confirmed.
‘Economic liberalism no longer working,’ international officials warn
Japan’s economy minister Minoru Kiuchi has warned that the risks of economic liberalism now rivalled its benefits as a growing number of governments have been…
‘Europe overestimates Ukraine,’ says its ambassador
The European Union has grown accustomed to the war in Ukraine and was overestimating the country’s resilience, Ukraine’s ambassador to the EU in Brussels said.
‘Stop flood of incoming steel,’ EU industry begs Brussels
The steel industry has issued a stark warning in Brussels, urging the European Union to take decisive action against surging imports of cheap metal.
Czechia to build new nuclear reactors after high court overturns ruling
Czechia has joined the European countries in re-embracing nuclear energy.
Activists lobby European Parliament for moratorium on new windmills
A group of activists demanding a stop to the construction of new wind farms and large solar plants in Europe have rallied in front of the European Parliament in…
OECD surprises with predicted return of Germany as Europe’s growth motor
In its new economic outlook, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), an international NGO comprising 38 primarily Western countries, has…
European retirement ages are forced up after decades of political incompetence
On May 22, Denmark’s parliament passed a law raising the retirement age from its current 67 to 70.
US doubles steel, aluminium tariffs as OECD ministers gather
The United States doubled steel and aluminium tariffs Wednesday, casting a pall on a gathering of OECD ministers as President Donald Trump's intensifying trade war…
If Germans invaded Belgium (again), would they use Google Maps?
On 29 May, the national holiday of Ascension Day, Google Maps displayed large swathes of the German autobahn network as closed, prompting widespread detours and…
Secret ‘no-poach’ deal led EC to uncover illegal food delivery cartel
Big food delivery apps Delivery Hero and Glovo have been hit with fines after European Union investigators discovered they worked together instead of competing with…
AI could block fraud before it happens under EU plan, report says
European banks could soon use AI not just to catch fraud — but to stop it before their clients even hit “send”.
Climate warrior Greta Thunberg sets sail to Gaza
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and 11 others have embarked on a mission towards Gaza, aimed at “breaking Israel’s siege”.
Amazon price rules anti-competitive: German regulator
Amazon's pricing rules are an abuse of its market power, Germany's competition watchdog said June 2, paving the way for possible demands for changes to its business…
Regulate, never innovate: EU obsession with ‘ethical AI’ masks suicidal delusion
For centuries, Europe was the epicentre of human ingenuity. That is increasingly a fading memory.
Euro continues decline in share of global payments despite Trump tariff chaos
The US dollar is now used in nearly 50 per cent of global payments, the highest level in over 12 years, according to newly released data.
Czech Justice ministry under investigation for auctioning bitcoin gift from convicted drug dealer
The Czech Ministry of Justice is under investigation for accepting and auctioning a gift of over 480 Bitcoins from a convicted drug trafficker.
Dutch offshore wind boom could trigger huge household bill increases
Dutch consumers could pay three times as much for electricity after an ambitious offshore energy expansion, barring a massive change to the current financing model.
25 suspects in crypto kidnapping plots to face judges in France
Twenty-five people on May 30 were set to appear before French investigating judges as part of several probes into a spate of kidnapping plots targeting cryptocurrency…
‘Wind energy more expensive, less stable and less secure,’ Swedish report finds
A new study by Swedish think-tank the Scandinavian Policy Institute (SPI) has warned that the promotion of wind power as being cost-effective and reliable was misleading…
German industrial giant Thyssenkrupp to be ‘virtually dissolved’
Germany's iconic industrial group Thyssenkrupp will be broken up and turned into a financial holding no longer producing steel.
Euro-champions to be built on subsidies, but where can the EU find markets?
Moving with its usual lightning speed, the European Commission has pencilled in the end of 2027 for new guidelines designed to relax competition rules and permit…