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Binance is facing one of its most serious regulatory setbacks in Europe after failing to secure authorisation under the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation, commonly known as MiCA, before the end of the transitional period. The world’s largest crypto exchange by trading volume has informed users in several EU markets that it will no longer be able to provide certain crypto-asset services from 1 July 2026. The move follows the withdrawal of its licence application in Gr

Portugal has closed the remaining file in the Monte Branco investigation, bringing an end to one of the country’s most prominent and long-running financial-crime cases. The case, which was widely described as one of Portugal’s largest investigations into tax fraud and money laundering, was formally archived on 12 June 2026. Its closure ends a legal process that had stretched across more than a decade and had become a reference point for the challenges involved in pursuing com

The European Commission has proposed a major overhaul of EU tax rules aimed at reducing business compliance costs by nearly €8 billion per year, as Brussels tries to make the Single Market simpler, more competitive and less burdensome for companies operating across borders. The package was presented on 24 June 2026 and includes two main initiatives: a Direct Taxation Omnibus and a recast of the Directive on Administrative Cooperation, commonly known as DAC. Together, the

Europol and INTERPOL have reinforced their collaboration in response to growing global criminal threats, marking a step that highlights how organised crime, cybercrime, fraud, and illicit financial activity are increasingly operating on an international scale. The renewed cooperation framework, announced on 22 June 2026, is designed to enhance coordination between two of the most significant global law-enforcement cooperation institutions. Europol continues to support Eur

The EU’s new Anti-Money Laundering Authority has published a detailed recap of its first major conference, giving fresh insight into how Europe’s financial crime framework is being reshaped ahead of AMLA’s move into direct supervision. The conference itself took place on 9 June 2026 at the Alte Oper in Frankfurt am Main, but AMLA’s official recap was published on 23 June 2026. That makes the update relevant now, not because the event happened yesterday, but because AMLA has

The European Parliament’s Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee has backed the long-awaited digital euro, giving the project fresh political momentum as the EU seeks to strengthen its financial autonomy and reduce reliance on US-dominated payment infrastructure. The vote, reported on 23 June 2026, is not the final approval of the digital euro, but it is an important step in the legislative process. The European Parliament is expected to formalise the committee’s position

France is moving closer to a new debate over sports betting advertising, as the 2026 FIFA World Cup drives a surge in gambling promotion, betting interest and public concern over younger audiences. The issue has become more urgent during the tournament, with French gambling activity expected to rise sharply. Betting stakes linked to the World Cup could reach approximately €1.2 billion in France, while surveys suggest that a significant share of football viewers intend to pl

Ireland has launched a new national initiative to strengthen its response to financial crime, fraud, money laundering and terrorist financing, as authorities warn that criminal networks are becoming more sophisticated, more technology-driven and more capable of exploiting gaps between public agencies, regulators and private-sector businesses. The initiative, launched by Tánaiste and Minister for Finance Simon Harris together with Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migra

The Bank of England has softened key parts of its proposed stablecoin regime, marking an important shift in the United Kingdom’s attempt to regulate digital money without undermining innovation in the payments sector. The central bank published its policy statement and draft rules for sterling-denominated systemic stablecoins on 22 June 2026. The framework is intended to support the use of stablecoins as trusted digital money in the UK, while protecting financial stability,

Europe is seeing a quiet reshuffling of private wealth. For years, the continent’s largest economies — particularly the United Kingdom, France and Germany — were natural magnets for wealthy families, entrepreneurs and investors. Today, however, a different group of countries is gaining ground. Recent private wealth migration analysis, including the 2026 report published by Henley & Partners, suggests that high-net-worth individuals are increasingly looking beyond Europe’s tra

More than one hundred days after the outbreak of the war involving Iran, Europe finds itself confronting a difficult reality that calls into question the foundations of the energy strategy adopted in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. While the continent’s efforts to reduce reliance on Russian natural gas and expand the use of liquefied natural gas (LNG) succeeded in mitigating one major vulnerability, recent developments suggest that a new form of dependence has

Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, is reportedly facing the prospect of losing its ability to provide services to customers across the European Union beginning next month, as its application for regulatory approval in Greece is said to be heading toward rejection. According to information cited by Reuters from two sources familiar with the matter, the outcome could place the future of Binance’s operations in the European market in doubt as

The European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs) have published their inaugural annual report on major information and communication technology (ICT)-related incidents affecting the European Union’s financial sector, warning that cross-border digital disruptions are becoming more frequent and that increasingly sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI) technologies could amplify cybersecurity threats across the industry. The report, jointly released by the European Banking Autho

Wind turbine manufacturing in the European Union experienced a significant recovery in 2024, with production reaching its strongest level in a decade after several years of inconsistent performance, according to newly released figures from Eurostat. The data is included in the 2026 edition of Key figures on European business, a publication that examines a broad range of economic indicators across the EU, including business activity, investment patterns, productivity, technolo

Employment across the European Union’s green economy has continued its strong upward trajectory, growing at an average annual rate of 6 per cent since 2014 and reaching 5.8 million full-time equivalent positions by 2023, according to the latest data released by Eurostat. The findings, based on the European environmental goods and services sector accounts, provide insight into the industries generating the greatest number of green jobs and those recording the most notable gr

The European Union recorded €627.8 billion in imports from countries outside the bloc and €640.5 billion in exports during the first quarter of 2026, according to newly released data from Eurostat. While imports registered modest growth compared with the preceding quarter, exports experienced a slight decline, reflecting emerging weakness in the EU’s external trade performance. Quarterly figures indicate that imports into the European Union increased by 1.7 percent compared w

European Central Bank board member Isabel Schnabel said the ECB should move forward with an interest rate increase in June, arguing that the prolonged conflict involving Iran and the resulting surge in energy prices have created inflationary pressures that can no longer be ignored, even if peace negotiations ultimately succeed. The ECB has left interest rates unchanged over the past year, but policymakers seriously discussed the possibility of tightening policy during last mo

The euro emerged as the most widely used currency for the European Union’s imports of primary goods from outside the bloc in 2025, excluding petroleum products, according to newly released data from Eurostat. The report showed that the single European currency accounted for 47.4 per cent of all extra-EU imports of primary commodities during the year, narrowly surpassing the US dollar, which held a 45.0 per cent share. Currencies belonging to EU member states that have not

Air travellers across Europe are likely to face higher ticket prices in the coming months as airlines struggle to cope with soaring jet fuel costs triggered by ongoing disruption in the Middle East, according to Willie Walsh, head of the International Air Transport Association. Although some European airlines have recently lowered fares in an attempt to encourage bookings amid weaker-than-expected demand, Walsh warned that carriers would not be able to absorb rising operati

European governments are once again facing mounting pressure to impose windfall taxes on oil and gas companies after the continent’s biggest energy firms posted soaring first-quarter profits driven by the Middle East conflict and the resulting spike in global energy prices. Major European energy companies benefited heavily from volatility in oil markets following disruptions linked to the war involving Iran. The instability sent crude prices sharply higher and created luc