EU - BREXIT - We have an greement with the United Kingdom ..

Press release 24 December 2020 Brussels - EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement: protecting European interests, ensuring fair competition, and continued cooperation in areas of mutual interest

After intensive negotiations, the European Commission has reached today an agreement with the United Kingdom on the terms of its future cooperation with the European Union.

EU - We approved the first safe and effective vaccine against COVID-19...

Press Release - 21 December 2020 Brussels -  European Commission authorises first safe and effective vaccine against COVID-19

Today, the European Commission has granted a conditional marketing authorisation (CMA) for the COVID‑19 vaccine developed by BioNTech and Pfizer, making it the first COVID-19 vaccine authorised in the EU. This authorisation follows a positive scientific recommendation based on a thorough assessment of the safety, effectiveness and quality of the vaccine by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and is endorsed by the Member States.

European Union - €65 million Credit line to Support small and medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the Western Balkans

Press Release - 21 December 2020 - EIB and ProCredit unlock €65 million to speed the recovery of small and medium sized companies in the Western Balkans from the COVID-19 crisis

The EU bank to invest €65 million to support SMEs in the Western Balkans to save jobs and prepare to restart

The loan is extended to the ProCredit banks in Serbia, North Macedonia, Albania and Bosnia & Herzegovina to sustain the recovery and development of the private sector in the Western Balkans despite the pandemic

Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση - 1,8 τρις Ευρώ τα επόμενα χρόνια για την Στήριξη και την Ανάκαμψη από την Πανδημία COVID-19 ..

Δελτίο Τύπου - Συμβούλιο της ΕΕ - 17 Δεκεμβρίου 2020  - Εγκρίθηκε το πολυετές δημοσιονομικό πλαίσιο για την περίοδο 2021-2027

Μετά από την  χθεσινή συγκατάθεση του Ευρωπαϊκού Κοινοβουλίου, το Συμβούλιο εξέδωσε τον κανονισμό για τον καθορισμό του πολυετούς δημοσιονομικού πλαισίου της ΕΕ για την περίοδο 2021-2027.

Ο κανονισμός προβλέπει έναν μακροπρόθεσμο προϋπολογισμό 1 074,3 δισεκατομμυρίων ευρώ για τις τιμές της ΕΕ των 27 στις 2018, συμπεριλαμβανομένης της ολοκλήρωσης του Ευρωπαϊκού Ταμείου Ανάπτυξης. 

Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση - Το Ευρωπαϊκό Συμβούλιο επιβεβαιώνει την πλήρη αλληλεγγύη του προς την Ελλάδα και την Κύπρο ...

Δελτίο Τύπου  - 01 Οκτωβρίου 2020 - Ευρωπαϊκό Συμβούλιο - Συμπεράσματα του Ευρωπαϊκού Συμβουλίου για τις εξωτερικές σχέσεις 

II. Εξωτερικές σχέσεις

Ανατολική Μεσόγειος

15. Στρατηγικό συμφέρον της ΕΕ είναι ένα σταθερό και ασφαλές περιβάλλον στην Ανατολική Μεσόγειο και η ανάπτυξη μιας συνεργατικής και αμοιβαίως επωφελούς σχέσης με την Τουρκία. Στο πλαίσιο αυτό, η επιδίωξη διαλόγου με καλή πίστη και η αποχή από μονομερείς ενέργειες που αντιβαίνουν στα συμφέροντα της ΕΕ και παραβιάζουν το διεθνές δίκαιο και τα κυριαρχικά δικαιώματα των κρατών μελών της ΕΕ αποτελεί απόλυτη προϋπόθεση. Όλες οι διαφορές πρέπει να επιλύονται μέσω ειρηνικού διαλόγου και σύμφωνα με το διεθνές δίκαιο. 

EU - Spring 2020 Economic Forecast : Greece’s economy is expected to be hit severely by the COVID-19 pandemic ...

GREECE

Greece’s economy is expected to be hit severely by the COVID-19 pandemic and the counter measures taken to limit its spread in 2020. The impact of the crisis is expected to be large due to the importance of the hospitality sector in Greece and the high share of micro enterprises, which are particularly vulnerable. 

The Spring 2020 Economic Forecast projects that the Euro Area Economy will contract by a record 7¾% in 2020 and grow by 6¼% in 2021. ....

Press Release 6 May 2020 Brussels  - Spring 2020 Economic Forecast: A deep and uneven recession, an uncertain recovery

The coronavirus pandemic represents a major shock for the global and EU economies, with very severe socio-economic consequences. Despite the swift and comprehensive policy response at both EU and national level, the EU economy will experience a recession of historic proportions this year.

EU / Covid -19 - The EBA called on all lenders to act in the interest of consumers....

NEWS Release - EBA provides clarity to banks and consumers on the application of the prudential framework in light of COVID-19 measures  - 25 March 2020

The EBA calls for flexibility and pragmatism in the application of the prudential framework and clarifies that, in case of debt moratoria, there is no automatic classification in default, forborne, or IFRS9 status.

Germany is facing unprecedented challenges as a result of the rapid spread of the coronavirus pandemic ..

Publication - Corona pandemic causing German economy to slide into pronounced recession -  23.03.2020 DE

Germany is facing unprecedented challenges as a result of the rapid spread of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Bundesbank’s latest Monthly Report. It is the healthcare system that has the key part to play. The measures taken so far have been aimed at containing the number of infections so as not to place too great a strain on the healthcare system. 

EU - Budget for repatriation flights and rescEU stockpile against Covit - 19 ...

NEWS Release - 27 Mar. 2020 -  Coronavirus: Commission boosts budget for repatriation flights and rescEU stockpile

Today, the European Commission has proposed to make €75 million from the EU budget available to help Member States repatriate EU nationals and to increase the budget of the RescEU medical stockpile.

European Council - Liquidity support schemes for firms and workers have been scaled up from 10% to more than 13% of GDP.

Press Release - 24 March 2020 21:45  - Remarks by Mário Centeno following the Eurogroup videoconference of 24 March 2020

We have just finished a videoconference of the Eurogroup together, with non-euro area finance ministers. All our energy and focus is on initiatives to tackle the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus outbreak.

EU Economy - A severe economic downturn in the euro area or the Union as a whole – are fulfilled....

NEWS Release - 23 March 2020  -  Statement of EU ministers of finance on the Stability and Growth Pact in light of the COVID-19 crisis

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a major economic shock that is already having a significant negative impact in the European Union. The consequences for our economies will depend both on the duration of the pandemic and on the measures being taken by national authorities and at European level.

EU - Θα προστατεύσουμε τους πολίτες μας και το νόμισμά μας - 37 δισ. Ευρώ στην μάχη κατά του Covit - 19 - Mário Centeno

Release NEWS - Παρατηρήσεις του Mário Centeno μετά τη συνεδρίαση της Ευρωομάδας της 16ης Μαρτίου 2020

Είχαμε σήμερα μια τηλεδιάσκεψη για την ανταπόκρισή μας στην έκτακτη ανθρώπινη και οικονομική κρίση που προκάλεσε ο Coronavirus. Οι υπουργοί Οικονομικών συχνά αποτελούν πολύ δύσκολες επιλογές, αλλά σπανίως είναι θέματα ζωής και θανάτου. Εκ μέρους όλων των υπουργών που παρευρίσκονται, επιτρέψτε μου να ξεκινήσω εκφράζοντας τη βαθύτατη συμπάθειά μου προς τους πολίτες και τα κράτη μέλη που πλήττονται από αυτή την κρίση και μια βαθιά ευχαρίστηση για όλους εκείνους που διακινδυνεύουν την υγεία τους για να σώσουν ζωές.

EU Economy - ESMA REQUIRES NET SHORT POSITION HOLDERS TO REPORT POSITIONS ..

Press Release -  ESMA REQUIRES NET SHORT POSITION HOLDERS TO REPORT POSITIONS OF 0.1% AND ABOVE  - 16 March 2020

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has issued a decision temporarily requiring the holders of net short positions in shares traded on a European Union (EU) regulated market to notify the relevant national competent authority (NCA) if the position reaches or exceeds 0.1% of the issued share capital after the entry into force of the decision.

EU / COVID-19 - 37 billion EUR to the fight against the Coronavirus crisis ..

Press Release 13 March 2020 Brussels  -  COVID-19: Commission sets out European coordinated response to counter the economic impact of the Coronavirus 

COVID-19 is a severe public health emergency for our citizens, societies and economies with infections in all Member States. It is also a major economic shock to the EU. The Commission therefore presents today an immediate response to mitigate the socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, centred on a European coordinated response.

Today the euro area is better positioned than it was ten years ago - Greece is also on the right track – provided that the country remains willing to continue reforms. - Klaus Regling - ESM

Publication - Klaus Regling, ESM Managing Director  - "What comes after the Euro Summit? The role of the ESM in a deepened monetary union "  -  Representation of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia to the EU  - Brussels, 29 January 2019

Dear Minister Lienenkämper, Ladies and gentlemen,

I am pleased to speak at the representation of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Luxembourg and the ESM are closer to North Rhine-Westphalia than you might think. Only a few meters from the building of the ESM – right in the heart of the European quarter – is the "Boulevard Konrad Adenauer". The first Chancellor of Germany is probably the most known Rhinelander. In 1957, he was awarded the Luxembourg Grand Cross of the Order of the Oak Crown. Already as a chancellor, Adenauer supported European integration.

Brexit Preparedness - The Final set of “no-deal” contingency measures for Erasmus+ students ..

Press Release - Brussels, 30 January 2019  - Brexit Preparedness: European Commission adopts final set of “no-deal” contingency measures for Erasmus+ students, social security coordination rules and the EU budget

Given the increasing risk that the United Kingdom may leave the EU on 30 March this year without a deal (a “no-deal” scenario), the European Commission has today adopted a final set of contingency proposals in the area of the Erasmus+ programme, social security coordination and the EU budget.

EU - Commission fines Mastercard €570 million for obstructing merchants' access to cross-border card payment services ..

Press Release  - Brussels, 22 January 2019 - European Commission   -  Antitrust: Commission fines Mastercard €570 million for obstructing merchants' access to cross-border card payment services

The European Commission has fined the card scheme Mastercard €570 566 000 for limiting the possibility for merchants to benefit from better conditions offered by banks established elsewhere in the Single Market, in breach of EU antitrust rules.

EU Economy - Euro celebrates its 20th birthday ..

Press Release  -  Brussels, 31 December 2018  -  European Commission 

Euro celebrates its 20th birthday

The euro, Europe's common currency, turns 20 on 1 January 2019. Exactly 20 years ago, on 1 January 1999, 11 EU countries launched a common currency, the euro, and introduced a shared monetary policy under the European Central Bank.

EU - Commission approves reductions in renewable electricity in Greece ..

Press release - Brussels, 18 December 2018 - European Commission 

State aid: Commission approves reductions in renewable electricity and cogeneration surcharges for energy-intensive companies in Greece

The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, reductions granted to energy-intensive companies on a surcharge to finance support for renewable electricity production and high-efficient cogeneration in Greece.