Euro

Euro set for biggest monthly drop since mid-2019 on economy fear

The euro languished below $1.18 on Monday as the prospect of tougher coronavirus curbs in France and Germany weighed on the short-term outlook for the European economy. The common currency is headed for…

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Germany creates bridge between blockchain and euro

German authorities have developed technology allowing investors to buy and sell securities on the blockchain in return for central bank money, bridging a gap between two worlds that once seemed…

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Euro should be global standard for hydrogen trades, EU says

BRUSSELS, Feb 1 (Reuters) - The European Union will seek to establish the euro as the reference currency for international hydrogen trading as it makes a dash for clean energy…

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Euro zone pledges continued fiscal support against COVID, to work on recovery plans

BRUSSELS, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Euro zone finance ministers pledged continued fiscal support for their economies on Monday and discussed the design of post-pandemic recovery plans as the European Commission…

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Euro zone economy suffering even as infections ease – ECB’s Lagarde

A second wave of coronavirus cases may be slowing down in Europe but the economy is stil bearing the brunt of the containment measures taken to address it, European Central…

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Euro zone banks curtail credit access amid fresh pandemic worries

Euro zone banks are tightening access to corporate credit amid a resurgence of the coronavirus pandemic, fresh data showed on Tuesday, adding to already numerous arguments for the European Central…

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ECB’s Visco says euro’s strength is a worry

A recent strengthening in the euro's exchange rate is a worry and will warrant a reaction from the European Central Bank if it drags inflation farther away from its goal,…

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ECB calls on Croatia, Bulgaria to do more before joining euro

Bulgaria and Croatia still have work to do in fixing their economies and improving their institutions before joining the euro, European Central Bank board member Fabio Panetta said today. The reforms undertaken…

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Bulgaria and Croatia enter last phase pre-Euro zone membership

Bulgaria and Croatia took a big step toward adopting the euro currency, potentially becoming the newest members to the bloc after years of economic crises and shocks. The European Central…

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Paschal Donohoe elected Eurogroup President

The Eurogroup - the intergovernmental EU institutions of all euro area Finance Ministers, elected Paschal Donohoe, Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure & Reform of Ireland, as President of the…

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Spain, Ireland and Luxembourg eyeing Eurogroup leadership

Finance ministers of Spain, Ireland and Luxembourg are in the running to chair meetings of the powerful Eurogroup of euro zone finance ministers, with euro zone officials saying it is…

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Non-euro EU Member States remain far off from reaching convergence criteria

The European Commission has published the 2020 convergence report in which it provides its assessment of the progress non-euro area Member States have made towards adopting the euro. The report…

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European Parliament revises rules to encourage banks to lend to companies and households

The European Parliament has approved new rules to temporarily ensure favourable conditions for banks in order to support credit flows to companies and households and absorb losses, mitigating the severe…

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EU finance ministers review Euro 750 billion plan for post pandemic recovery

European Union finance ministers reviewed the EU's 750 billion euro plan for post-pandemic recovery on Tuesday ahead of what will be fractious negotiations over who should get the cash and…

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Photo Story: Merkel attends presentation of special euro coin in Berlin

German Chancellor Angela Merkel attends the presentation of the two Euro special coin 2020 'Brandenburg' in Berlin, Germany, 14 February 2020. Photo: EPA-EFE/ALEXANDER BECHER

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EU intends to withdraw 1 and 2 cents coins

The European Commission intends to withdraw all coins of 1 and 2 cents from circulation, in due course. The Commission’s 2020 work programme, which will be presented in its entirety…

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Europeans show record support for the euro, majority want to remove 1 and 2 cent coin

More than three in four citizens think that the single currency is good for the European Union, according to the latest Eurobarometer results. This is the highest support since surveys…

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Italy’s Euro Zone membership is irreversible – Matteo Salvini

Matteo Salvini said on Monday that the euro was here to stay and he hoped that nobody in his far-right, eurosceptic party would ever again raise doubts over Italy's membership…

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Leaving euro not an option – Salvini

The leader of Italy’s League Matteo Salvini, said on Saturday leaving the euro was not an option on the table. La Repubblica daily said on Saturday that Salvini was preparing…

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Acting IMF chief backs monetary easing by central banks in view of slow growth and global risks

David Lipton, the acting IMF chief, has backed new monetary stimulus by the world’s top central banks to sustain the flagging global economy — in a thinly veiled nod to…

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Midday Dispatch – Corporate and Financial News

Inbound tourist trips in Malta, for the first five months of 2019 amounted to 929,979, an increase of 2.8 per cent over the same period in 2018. Total tourism expenditure…

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Eurozone Ministers welcome Croatia’s formal bid to join the Euro

The prospects for Croatia’s participation in the European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM II) were discussed in Brussels by the Eurozone finance ministers on 9 July, all of whom welcomed Zagreb’s formal bid to…

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Midday Dispatch – Corporate and Financial News

The euro dropped to a three-week low against a broadly stronger dollar on Tuesday as investors re-assessed their expectations of how much the Federal Reserve may cut interest rates this…

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Croatia officially applies to join Euro

Croatia has officially applied to join the euro. POLITICO reports that Zagreb’s finance ministry and central bank sent a letter of application, it obtained, on Thursday to the European Commission’s euro…

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Midday Corporate Dispatch – Financial and Corporate News

These are the salient financial and corporate news. Provisional figures for Malta’s external transactions show that during January-March 2019, the current account balance recorded a surplus of €48.9 million as…

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Corporate Midday Dispatch – Financial and Corporate News Roundup

Less than 15 per cent of Malta's debt is held by non-residents, in stark contrast with the situation in other member states. Eurostat on Friday reported that there were significant differences…

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Italy emerges from recession as Eurozone registered stronger-than-expected recovery

Italy's economy has emerged from recession as the eurozone enjoyed a stronger-than-expected recovery during the first quarter. The Telegraph reports that the worst of the eurozone’s economic slump may be over as…

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Poland will adopt Euro only when economy reaches German levels – Kaczynski

Poland won’t adopt the euro before its economic wealth reaches the level of Germany, ruling party Chairman Jaroslaw Kaczynski said Saturday, accusing the opposition of a push to abandon the…

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20 years of the Euro

The euro was launched on January 1, 1999, at first only for accounting and financial transactions, and then three years later as notes and coins. On December 31, 1998, on…

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Monday Morning Briefing

Good morning, Your morning briefing with a quick roundup of the main headlines from the various portals, agencies and newspapers from Malta, Europe and the world to start your day…

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Eurozone finance ministers urge Italy to redraft budget plan

Economy Minister Giovanni Tria has "understood" the need to act within the EU rules on Italy's 2019 budget bill, Economic Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici said Monday. ANSA reports Moscovici said "he is…

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Eurozone ministers meet in Brussels to discuss Italy’s budget standoff

Eurozone finance ministers gathering in Brussels on Monday will discuss Italy's escalating budget standoff with the EU as the bloc waits for the government in Rome to respond to the…

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Italy is setting itself up for a monumental fiscal failure (FT)

The short history of the eurozone has taught us that resistance is futile. You cannot extricate yourself from its rules, to which all member states have agreed. Unless the Italian…

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Europe Explained – European Commission’s position on Italian budget

The Commission has issued an opinion on the Italian draft budgetary plan for 2019. It requests that Italy presents a revised draft budgetary plan as soon as possible, and in…

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Eurostat confirms Malta registered biggest budget surplus in EU

In 2017, the government deficit and debt of both the euro area (EA19) and the EU28 decreased in relative terms compared with 2016. In the euro area the government deficit to GDP ratio fell from 1.6%…

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Eu Council Roundup

BREXIT, might have taken up most of the European Council media Agenda, however it was not the only item to be discussed. The EU leaders also discussed the issue of…

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Italy will not change deficit targets, defiant Salvini says

Italy will not change its deficit targets even if the gap between its benchmark 10-year bond yield and the equivalent German bund should widen to 400 basis points, Deputy Prime…

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Tuesday Morning Briefing

Good morning, Malta's newspapers lead with statements delivered by the Chief Justice and Chamber of Advocates President, during the opening of the forensic year. In the world, the news of…

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Luxembourg and Netherlands urge caution on banks’ supervision against money laundering

Luxembourg and the Netherlands are among European Union states that in closed-door meetings urged caution in beefing up the bloc's supervision of banks against money laundering, an EU official familiar…

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New €100 and €200 banknotes unveiled

The European Central Bank (ECB) today unveiled the new €100 and €200 banknotes, which will enter into circulation on 28 May 2019. After the €5, €10, €20 and €50, the…

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The Economic & Monetary Union: how has Malta benefitted and what does the future hold?

The European Commission Representation in Valletta, in collaboration with the Central Bank of Malta, hosted a conference "The Economic & Monetary Union: how has Malta benefitted and what does the…

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Greece exit from crisis – a turnaround and a return to normality

As of today, Greece is now independent of international aid funds. Eight years ago Greece was on the brink of bankruptcy. The Financial Times reports "European leaders have heralded Greece’s…

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EU Summit Agenda- Economy and Finance

EU leaders are expected to adopt conclusions on several issues recently debated under the Leaders' Agenda, such as digital taxation, tax avoidance and evasion. Trade will be discussed in light of…

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Eurozone Deal on Greece

Financial Times: Eurozone governments have brokered a long-awaited debt relief deal for Greece, pushing back repayment deadlines on almost €100bn of bailout loans as the country prepares to exit its…

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Macron to push for eurozone reform

Euronews: Emmanuel Macron is expected to push eurozone reform back on the European agenda when he meets with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin today. Reforming the management of Europe's single…

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Merkel more open to Macron’s plans on migration and defence policy than the Euro

AFP: German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was more open to French President Emmanuel Macron's plans to reform migration and defence policy in Europe than his hopes to bolster the euro.…

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German proposals for strengthening Euro currency union

AP reports that Germany's finance minister is urging bolder steps to strengthen the 19-country euro currency union by setting up a fund to help member states with high unemployment and…

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Juncker invites ‘German-speaking’ countries not to repeat the Greek mistake with Italy and avoid giving lessons to Rome

Deutsche Welle and The Guardian reported that since the new Italian government assumed power, EU President Jean-Claude Juncker seems to have taken a position of respectful distance. In a stark warning to 'Germany'…

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Agreement on the contract for Italy’s new Government. Last hurdle is naming the Prime Minister

After hours of negotiations and discussions on the formation of the new government in Italy, M5s and La Lega has found enough ground to sign an agreement on a plan…

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Renzi satisfied that there was no deal between PD and M5s

Former premier and ex Democratic Party (PD) leader Matteo Renzi said that he was pleased he had intervened to scupper the possibility of the centre-left group striking a government deal…

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EU Spring 2018 Economic Forecast: Expansion to continue amid new risks

"The economic expansion in Europe is set to continue at a solid pace this year and next, supporting further job creation. However, we also see increased risks on the horizon.…

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