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The European Central Bank is proposing a broader and more proportionate supervisory framework for small and non-complex banks, potentially bringing around 150 additional institutions within the lighter regime. The proposals, outlined by ECB Executive Board member and Supervisory Board Vice-Chair Frank Elderson, would expand the existing framework for small and non-complex institutions (SNCIs) rather than creating a separate regulatory regime for smaller banks. The current SNC

Diesel has become the most expensive fuel at European filling stations, with the average price across the European Union reaching a record €2.226 per litre on 21 September 2026. According to the European Commission’s Weekly Oil Bulletin, the figure represents the highest EU-wide diesel price recorded since the series began in 2005. It is also 13.4 cents per litre higher than the average price of Euro-super 95 petrol. At current prices, filling a 50-litre diesel tank costs

The value of European Union petroleum oil imports increased sharply in the second quarter of 2026, while the volume of oil imported by the bloc remained broadly stable, according to Eurostat data. The value of EU petroleum oil imports increased by 55.8% in the second quarter of 2026 compared with the monthly average recorded in 2025. At the same time, import volumes reached 36.7 million tonnes, representing an increase of 1.2% against the 2025 monthly average. The figures ind

The European Banking Authority (EBA) has issued final guidelines establishing a new framework for the management of third-party risks associated with services supporting critical or important functions at financial institutions. Published on 18 September 2026, the Guidelines on the sound management of third-party risk related to non-ICT services are intended to replace the EBA’s 2019 Guidelines on outsourcing arrangements and create a broader framework covering third-party re

Business activity across the euro zone expanded in September at its fastest pace in more than three years, according to preliminary business surveys, indicating that the region’s economy has remained resilient despite higher energy costs linked to conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine. The S&P Global Flash Euro Zone Composite PMI Output Index rose to 53.1 in September from 52.0 in August. Readings above 50 indicate that activity is expanding. The September result exceeded

Euro area households hold almost €10 trillion in cash and bank deposits, representing around one-third of their financial assets, while approximately 80% do not own stocks or other market-based financial instruments, according to a European Central Bank analysis published on 15 September 2026. The analysis examines household saving and investment patterns across the euro area and compares them with those of US households. It identifies significant differences in the compositi

Nearly half of household expenditure across the European Union was devoted to basic necessities in January 2026, according to official data from Eurostat. The statistical office of the European Union reported that 46.0 per cent of total household consumer spending was allocated to three essential areas: food and non-alcoholic beverages, housing, water and energy, and transport. These three categories have also experienced significant price increases in at least one recent yea

The Dutch central bank has moved billions of dollars' worth of gold from North America to London as part of an effort to strengthen its preparedness for a potential crisis, citing what it described as "increasing geopolitical unrest". De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) confirmed on Wednesday that 86 tonnes of gold had been removed from storage in the United States and Canada during a complicated operation that took several months. The gold has now been placed with the Bank of Englan

European investment firms with assets exceeding €30 billion could face a significantly different regulatory regime under new proposals being developed by the European Banking Authority, as regulators seek to clarify when large investment firms must transition into the banking framework. The EBA has launched a consultation covering three draft regulatory technical standards that would establish clearer rules for calculating an investment firm's total assets, reporting those fi

The euro is set for its first major visual transformation, as the European Central Bank (ECB) moves ahead with plans for a new generation of banknotes designed to look more familiar, strengthen security and create a closer connection with European citizens. The proposals, unveiled by the ECB in July, represent the first substantial visual break from the banknotes that Europeans have carried since the introduction of the single currency. The new designs replace the current abs

Europe’s prolonged spell of extreme summer heat is expected to inflict an economic cost of around €180 billion in 2026, equivalent to roughly 1% of the European Union’s GDP, according to research published by Triodos Bank. The estimated loss is almost as large as the 1.1% growth that the EU had been expected to achieve this year, raising the prospect that the bloc could end the year close to stagnation. The analysis attributes the losses to a combination of extreme temperatur

Eurozone business activity accelerated to its strongest level in eight months during July, supported by a recovery in the services sector alongside continued improvement in manufacturing. However, businesses remained cautious as uncertainty surrounding the ongoing conflict in the Middle East continued to weigh on the economic outlook, according to the latest survey. The S&P Global Eurozone Composite Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), which measures combined activity across the

Banks across the euro area adopted more cautious lending practices during 2025 as heightened trade tensions, particularly those affecting exports to the United States, increased risks for businesses, according to the European Central Bank (ECB). The findings were published in an ECB blog post by economists Anastasia Allayioti, Alessandro Ferrari, Petra Köhler-Ulbrich and Matías Lamas Rodríguez, together with research analyst Wouter Wakker. Their analysis combined corporate lo

European governments are confronting an unprecedented fiscal challenge as mounting expenditure associated with ageing populations, the transition to cleaner energy and increased defence commitments threatens to place significant pressure on public finances, according to a newly released paper by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The IMF's European Department warned that average public spending across the region is projected to rise by nearly 5 per cent of gross domestic

Europe’s illegal online gambling market is no longer a side issue for regulators. New figures presented at the European Parliament suggest that unlicensed operators targeting EU consumers generated €91.6 billion in activity in 2025, costing Member States an estimated €22.9 billion in lost tax revenue. The figures, revealed during a European Casino Association roundtable on illegal online gambling, show a market that is growing faster than enforcement systems can contain it. T

The fight over Russia’s frozen central bank assets has moved deeper into the courts, turning one of Europe’s most important sanctions tools into a complex legal battlefield. Euroclear, the Belgian-based financial market infrastructure group holding a major share of immobilised Russian sovereign assets, has sued Russia’s central bank in Belgium. The aim is to block enforcement of a Moscow arbitration court ruling ordering Euroclear to pay around €220 billion in damages linked

Malta may be sitting at the top of Europe’s growth table, but Cyprus is building the quieter, more balanced story. A new Euronews analysis, based on IMF projections, places Malta as Europe’s leading medium-term growth performer, with the island economy expected to grow by nearly 4% annually over the next five years. The headline is impressive. It reinforces Malta’s image as one of the eurozone’s most dynamic small economies, supported by tourism, online gaming, financial serv

Germany has opened a major confrontation over the European Union’s next long-term budget by demanding a €400 billion reduction to the Commission’s proposed 2028-2034 spending plan. Reuters reported that an internal German government document described the proposed budget of almost €2 trillion as unaffordable and warned that, as it stands, agreement would be impossible. Because the EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework requires unanimity among all 27 member states, Berlin’s pos

A major debate is intensifying within the European Union over the future direction of its emissions trading system (ETS), the bloc’s central tool for pricing carbon since its launch in 2005. The dispute is unfolding as policymakers weigh how to maintain industrial competitiveness while still meeting long-term climate targets, including the EU’s agreed 2040 emissions goal. At the center of the discussion is Swedish steel producer SSAB, which is investing around €6 billion

Austria is moving closer to one of the most important online gambling reforms in Europe, but the transition may be just as important as the final framework. Industry reporting in late June said the country’s online market is expected to open in 2027, with a planned cooling-off period before new licences become available. That structure could create a temporary gap in which existing operators are forced out before the regulated market is ready to absorb players. The reform is