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Germany’s Federal Ministry of Finance published a draft bill on 28 October 2026 proposing a comprehensive overhaul of the country’s anti-money laundering framework. The proposed legislation, known as the Money Laundering Combating Act (Geldwäschebekämpfungsgesetz – GwBG), is intended to implement the EU’s 2024 Anti-Money Laundering Package and replace Germany’s existing Money Laundering Act (Geldwäschegesetz – GwG). The reform forms part of the EU-wide transition towards a mo

The European Union has removed three individuals from its sanctions list targeting persons associated with ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida, following corresponding delisting decisions by the United Nations Security Council. The measure was implemented through Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2490 of 3 November 2026, which amends Regulation (EC) No 881/2002 for the 364th time. The individuals removed from the list are Shafi Sultan Mohammed Sultan Al-Ajmi, Bassam Ahmad A

Panama has been removed from the European Union’s list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes, marking a significant milestone in the country’s efforts to improve financial transparency and restore its international reputation a decade after the Panama Papers exposed widespread offshore secrecy. The decision, announced by EU finance ministers in October 2026, recognizes changes to Panama’s tax regulations, corporate reporting requirements and oversight mechanisms

The European Union imported €11.4 billion worth of green energy products in 2025, while exports reached €4.6 billion, according to Eurostat data published in October 2026. The figures cover solar panels, liquid biofuels and wind turbines, revealing contrasting trends across the three categories, with lower import values for solar panels and biofuels offset by a sharp increase in wind turbine imports. Solar panels remained the largest category by import value, accounting for €

The European Commission has issued statements addressing United States sanctions measures adopted in October 2026, expressing concern over their implications for international pressure on Russia and the continued operation of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The statements concern a US executive order waiving sanctions and tariffs required under the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, and US sanctions against the ICC under Executive Order 14203.

Cyprus recorded the European Union’s largest quarterly decline in government debt relative to gross domestic product (GDP) during the second quarter of 2026, as the country’s public debt continued to fall while debt ratios across the EU and the euro area increased. Figures published by Eurostat on Wednesday showed that Cyprus’ general government gross debt-to-GDP ratio dropped to 48.5 per cent at the end of June, down from 51.5 per cent at the end of March. The decrease of

The Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Keve) has highlighted European funding opportunities available to Cypriot small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups through the European Commission’s Cascade Funding mechanism. The initiative is intended to make financial support and other resources more accessible to businesses, particularly those active in technology, innovation and the green transition. Cascade Funding, also known as Financial Support to Third Parti

The European Union strengthened its position in international high-technology trade in 2025, recording a surplus of €32.4 billion as exports continued to expand, supported by strong demand for pharmaceuticals, aerospace equipment and other advanced manufactured products. According to figures released by Eurostat, the EU's statistical office, high-tech exports to markets outside the bloc reached €566.5 billion during the year, exceeding imports of €534.1 billion. The figures

The European Union’s Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA) has identified five areas where amendments or clarifications to the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) could strengthen protections against money laundering and terrorist financing. The recommendations cover staking and crypto-asset lending, decentralised finance, unauthorised stablecoins, certain token issuers and cross-border supervision of crypto-asset service providers. AMLA published its response to the

The European Union’s Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA) has opened a public consultation on draft regulatory technical standards for establishing a central EU-wide database containing anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing supervisory information. The consultation, launched on October 7, 2026, concerns regulatory technical standards required under Article 11(6) of the AMLA Regulation. The proposed framework is intended to create a single system through whic

The European Union’s Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA) has finalised three sets of draft regulatory technical standards designed to establish greater consistency in how companies and professionals apply anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing requirements across the private sector. The standards, announced by AMLA on 1 October 2026, focus on three key areas: identifying business relationships and occasional or linked transactions, customer due diligence,

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

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has urged the European Union to give serious consideration to introducing a gambling tax at EU level as the bloc explores new revenue streams for its next long-term budget. Tusk raised the proposal after a meeting of Visegrad Group leaders in Bratislava, where European Union budget priorities for the 2028–2034 period were discussed. During the talks, the Polish prime minister argued that efforts to secure additional funding for the EU should

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

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

Malta is preparing to challenge plans for a potential European Union-wide levy on online gambling, arguing that imposing a common tax at EU level could undermine national regulatory systems, distort competition and place additional pressure on an industry that is already subject to significant taxation and compliance obligations in individual Member States. The proposal has emerged as part of wider discussions about new sources of revenue for the EU's next long-term budget. T

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