Author: Euronews

Ukraine is the favourite candidate country to join the EU for European voters, an exclusive IPSOS/Euronews poll reveals but the bloc’s enlargement is not among citizens’ top priorities ahead of next June’s EU elections Source link

The Eurozone’s private sector growth surges to a ten-month peak, fueled by a robust services sector. Investor confidence remains high, yet further stock market gains depend on continued disinflation and potential ECB rate cuts, with escalating oil prices posing a threat to stability. ADVERTISEMENTThe Eurozone economy is witnessing an upswing, with the latest business surveys indicating the fastest expansion in private sector activity in the last ten months, primarily driven by the services sector’s robust growth.According to the latest Eurozone Composite PMI data, activity expanded to 50.3 in March, the most robust level observed since May 2023. This revision from…

The European Commission has launched two investigations into Chinese manufacturers of solar panels suspected of benefitting from “distortive” state subsidies and gaining an “unfair advantage.” ADVERTISEMENTThe probe, announced on Wednesday, involves a project in Romania to design, build and operate a photovoltaic park of 110 megawatts (MW), partially financed by EU funds.The Commission worries that two Chinese companies that submitted bids to take part in the construction are backed by excessive subsidies to help them defeat competitors and snatch the multi-million public contracts.The first firm is LONGi Solar Technologie GmbH, a newly established subsidiary of LONGi Green Energy Technology, a…

The tech giant is set to lay off workers in its Amazon Web Services unit as part of a restructuring strategy. Source link

A draft seen by Euronews accuses Ursula von der Leyen of political favouritism in selecting Markus Pieper, from her own party, for the lucrative official post. ADVERTISEMENTMEPs from multiple major political parties will call for the European Commission to rethink a controversial official hire next week, accusing its president Ursula von der Leyen of political favouritism, sources have told Euronews.Lawmakers want the appointment of Markus Pieper as Commission envoy for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to be rescinded when they debate the commission’s budget next week, according to a draft amendment seen by Euronews.The amendment “notes with concern that the…

Prices in Switzerland remained unchanged compared to the previous month and rose only slightly in a yearly comparison. ADVERTISEMENTAnnual inflation slowed as prices rose 1% compared to the previous year in Switzerland, the Federal Statistical Office reported on Thursday. The rate of the price increase was less than expected and also slower than the 1.2% measured in the previous month.As a matter of fact, it was the slowest since September 2021, vindicating the surprise rate cut from the Swiss National Bank (SNB) last month.Annual core inflation, excluding volatile items such as food and energy prices, also slowed to 1% from the previous 1.1%. Prices…

In an attempt to improve the reputation of the European institutions, an inter-institutional ethics body has been set up and Parliament’s Rules of Procedure have been amended. However, experts admit that this is not enough. Source link

Avia Solutions Group is the latest to announce expansion into the US, following the likes of other European companies such as Flutter Entertainment, CRH and Smurfit Kappa. ADVERTISEMENTIreland-based Avia Solutions Group, the world’s largest aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance (ACMI) provider has recently taken further steps to enter the US market, through its tie-up with Impact investments.The latter will support Avia Solutions with financial and strategic development counsel. In turn, this is expected to go a long way in helping the group expand further into the US.Avia Solutions already has offices in California, New York and Florida. Apart from these…

The controversial decision to hire Germany’s Markus Pieper may need a second look, fellow Commissioners suggest. Source link

Support for unemployed individuals should be reformed to reduce the government deficit, according to France’s new PM. ADVERTISEMENTThe French government wants to boost workforce numbers by changing the way it financially supports unemployed individuals.This initiative, spearheaded by Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, comes after France gave a downbeat economic update last week.In 2023, France’s budget deficit widened to 5.5%, significantly overshooting the state’s target of 4.9%.Responding to the data, the government claimed it will not increase taxes, but it is instead looking for other means to plug the gap between spending and income.One of the hallmark’s of President Emmanuel Macron’s tenure…