Photo story : Spain and Portugal hit by massive power blackout
Spain and Portugal experienced a major power outage that disrupted public transport, caused heavy traffic congestion, and delayed numerous flights.
Economy
Latest reporting and analysis on economy.
Germany seeks exemption from EU fiscal rule to aid defence spending
Germany’s outgoing finance minister Jörg Kukies has asked the European Commission to allow Germany temporarily to ignore strict European Union rules that limit…
General power blackout leaves Spain, Portugal and part of France in the dark
Southern Europe was hit by a major electricity outage affecting millions of people in the Iberian Peninsula and beyond, paralysing infrastructure, communication…
EU looks to breathe new life into trade talks as US tariffs upend economic world order
The European Union has scrambled to revive long-stalled trade talks amid trade tensions caused by US President Donald Trump's global range of tariffs.
Young Belgians boost property market, except in expat-heavy Brussels
Young Belgians are fuelling a rebound in the property market outside the country's capital Brussels, where rising housing prices and competition from EU officials…
German city of Bonn abandons plan for ‘living-space tax’
The German city of Bonn has abandoned plans for the introduction of a new tax to incentivise people to abandon flats and houses considered “too large” for them.
Austria’s OMV shuts down hydrogen filling station network due to ‘lack of demand’
The Austrian oil and gas company OMV has decided to shut down its network of hydrogen filling stations in the country due to high costs and low demand.
Deforestation rules hamper EU efforts to strike free-trade deal with Malaysia
Trade negotiations between the EU and Malaysia, home to five types of strategic minerals essential for Europe’s high-tech sector, are stumbling over the bloc’s…
US says EC fines for Apple, Meta ‘economic extortion’ as Trump hints at China tariffs deal
The White House has said European Commission fines on Apple and facebook owner Meta Platforms by the European Union were a "novel form of economic extortion" that…
Volvo profits down more than expected
Vehicle manufacturer Volvo has had a bad first quarter, reporting sales that were lower than expected.
Hoteliers set to launch legal claim over ‘billions in losses due to booking.com’
Travel website booking.
Trump ‘100% confident of EU trade deal’ after talks with Italy PM Meloni
US President Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni have each expressed confidence that the US and Europe would be able to negotiate a trade deal…
China’s shifting gas strategy could push up EU imports of US LNG
A shift in China’s gas import strategy is set to push more US LNG towards Europe — potentially tightening a transatlantic energy bond Brussels has been wary…
US tariffs reignite EU free trade agreement talks with India
The European Union has ramped up its push to conclude a free trade agreement (FTA) with India, with pharmaceuticals now in the spotlight.
Tobacco industry ‘not against more tax, but harmonised approach needed’
The tobacco industry was not "against regulation or taxation", according to Philipp Hansen, European affairs director at Japan Tobacco International, "but it has…
Investments in bankrupt green poster child Northvolt could have broken Swedish law
Costly investments in the now-bankrupt Swedish “green” battery manufacturer Northvolt have drawn mounting criticism, with accusations that some pension funds…
‘I was there in 1962’: a reader remembers the start of the German economic miracle
In the early 1960s I had a stroke of luck. Through a Fulbright scholarship in mathematics, I was given the opportunity to study at the University of Freiburg.
‘French defence industry at increasing risk of malicious action,’ warns intelligence agency chief
A rise in both online and physical attacks has threatened France's defence industry, according to Général Philippe Susnjara, director of the French Government’s…
European travel to US collapses amid Trump’s hard-line stance
The number of European travellers going to the US has fallen as political and economic tensions have risen under the administration of US President Donald Trump.
France cautious as EU freezes tariff response
The 90‐day tariffs suspension by US President Donald Trump offers Brussels only a temporary, fragile reprieve – “not good news” but “less-worst news”…
Estonian navy detains Russia-bound oil tanker in Baltic Sea
The Estonian navy detained and boarded a Russia-bound oil tanker on an EU sanctions list on Friday, accusing it of sailing illegally without a valid country…
Gold shines as uncertainty reigns
As global financial markets remained in disarray following US President Donald Trump's tariffs announcements, gold has soared to new heights.
Trump suggests linking tariffs negotiations to US troops in Europe
US President Donald Trump has indicated he is open to connecting tariff negotiations with the presence of US troops in Europe.
Azerbaijan warns EU it could sell its gas elsewhere
Azerbaijan will not sell more gas to the European Union without concrete guarantees, the country's President Ilham Aliyev has said.
China, EU must oppose tariff ‘bullying’, Xi tells Spanish PM
President Xi Jinping told Spain's prime minister on April 11 that China and the European Union must join together in defending globalisation and opposing "unilateral…
Can Europe buy all its energy from the USA? Trump’s pitch meets reality
In the greater picture of his trade wars, Donald Trump pushed a bold idea: Europe should buy all its oil, gas and coal from the USA. It is a loud, daring proposal.
EU and Beijing to seek deal on minimum Chinese electric-car prices, drop tariffs
The European Union and China have agreed to look into setting minimum prices on Chinese-made electric vehicles (EVs) instead of tariffs imposed by the EU last year,…
French court shuts down wind farm over death of golden eagle
A court in the French city of Montpellier has ordered the shutdown of a wind farm for one year following the death of a rare bird.
German defence industry applauds new coalition agreement, but most others are unimpressed
Representatives of Germany’s private sector are doubtful about whether the incoming government would be able to revive the country’s languishing economy.
Trump’s tariff pause focuses trade war on China, markets bounce
US President Donald Trump's stunning decision to pause most of the hefty duties he had just imposed on dozens of countries brought relief for battered global stock…