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European economy

ECB night

European economy 22nd July 2021

ECB Meeting: Policy Normalisation Is Likely To Be Slow And Gradual To Enable Ongoing Policy Support

Peter Allen Goves (MFS Investment) | The need to avoid premature tightening by the ECB and the strengthened guidance is supportive for core rates in our view. The strong association of guidance with the inflation outlook will also probably raises the prominence of the projections. Overall, the new guidance reinforces the ECB’s commitment to maintain accommodation to reach its price stability aim. Given that projections remain below target, this means…

Carbon emissions

European economy 13th July 2021

“The Reform Of The Climate Change Act Was Too Hasty”

The German government should make further improvements to the German Climate Change Act in the coming legislative period. This is what Karen Pittel, Director of the ifo Center for Energy, Climate, and Resources, writes in an article for ifo Schnelldienst. “Tomorrow, the EU publishes its Fit for 55 package. As a consequence, it might become necessary to revise the Climate Change Act,” Pittel says. It was only recently, in June…

England Euro2020

European economy 11th July 2021

55 Years Of Hurt: The Connection Between Investing And Football

Duncan Lamont | (Schroders) | The England men’s football team are in their first major final since 1966. 30 years of hurt has become 55 years of hurt. Just one of many unwelcome statistics that have dogged the national team over the years, and which they hope to soon put an end to. The earlier England-Germany match provided a field day for statistical punditry. Every newspaper article and TV presenter trotted out the line that England hadn’t beaten Germany in a knock-out match since 1966. England went on to beat Germany, thereby demonstrating what we are frequently told is true in the investment world – that past performance is not a guide to the future and may not be repeated.

EU regions

European economy 10th July 2021

EU Funding For Cross-Border Regions Needs Better Focus

The European Territorial Cooperation programme (Interreg) is a long-standing instrument of EU cohesion policy aimed at encouraging economic growth in border areas. According to a report from the European Court of Auditors (ECA), the cooperation programmes financed through Interreg had clear strategies for tackling existing cross-border challenges. However, several weaknesses in the implementation of the Interreg programmes and in their monitoring limited the potential to unlock the capacity of the adjacent regions they covered.Interreg’s total budget for the 2014-2020 programme period was €10.1 billion. Over €6 billion was used to finance projects associated with internal borders.

ECB bonds

European economy 8th July 2021

ECB Raises The Bar For Normalisation In The Short-Run, Flexibility Is The Key For Policy

Monex Europe | Today’s announcement by the European Central Bank can be perceived as net dovish in the short-term by markets, as the shift from an asymmetric target to a new symmetric 2% inflation target gives the central bank ample room to run accommodative monetary policy for longer without having to fight markets. Previously, the ECB’s inflation target was set at “below, but close to 2%”, which contributed to the eurozone’s structural issues with low inflation for years. By changing this target to a symmetric target, which means any undershoots and overshoots would be equally undesirable, the central bank moves the bar slightly upwards for inflation before policy is required to tighten.

Emmanuel Macron

European economy 8th July 2021

Macron Should Go Ahead with Pension Reforms

Nick Ottens (Atlantic Sentinel) | Emmanuel Macron is reportedly mulling pension reforms that were put on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic. There are risks: reforms will almost certainly spark protests, including from trade unions, which oppose raising the retirement age. Macron can ill-afford social unrest a year away from the election. But it could also burnish the French president’s reformist credentials after the COVID-19 crisis forced him into a more…

scottish power reuters

European economy 5th July 2021

ScottishPower To Invest £3.2 Billion In The UK Over 5 Years

ScottishPower Energy Networks, Iberdrola’s distribution subsidiary in the UK, unveiled its 2023-2028 network investment plan. The company will invest £3.2 billion – around €3.7 billion – over five years, with the aim of driving the UK’s energy and digital transformation as it transitions to an electrified, carbon-free economy. Frank Mitchell, CEO of ScottishPower Energy Networks, said: “We provide an essential public service: maintaining the electricity supply for 6 million people…

semiconductors osram

European economy 4th July 2021

Europe Is Running Out Of Semiconductors – Here’s What It Can Learn From Tech Survivor Osram

Michael Weinold via The Conversation | The shortage of semiconductor chips has exposed the vulnerability of European high-tech manufacturers that rely heavily on chip imports from Asia. The automotive sector alone, traditionally a European high-tech stronghold, is expected to take a US$110 billion (£79 billion) hit over the coming years as a result. In 2020, high-tech products represented approximately 20% of total exports from the European Union by value, with…