The European Investment Bank (EIB) is set to finance the modernisation of Grupo Ruiz’s bus fleet by facilitating €27.5 million for the introduction of 173 safer, less polluting and more modern vehicles. EIB Vice-President Emma Navarro and Grupo Ruiz CEO Gregorio Ruiz signed the agreement in Madrid. The project is supported by the European Fund…
European firms are becoming increasingly pessimistic about the economic outlook according to the new EIB report. The report also finds that investment in climate change mitigation is lower than that of major economies like the US and China. Infrastructure investment is stuck at 1.6% of EU GDP, the lowest in 15 years and Europe is…
The European Commission has announced the composition of a High-Level Forum on the future of the Capital Markets Union (CMU). This group of experts will provide insight and support the Commission’s goal to develop further a Capital Markets Union encompassing all Member States, so they can mobilise capital for businesses, offer better investment opportunities and boost economic…
Nearly 150 of the world’s most promising green start-ups are set to compete in a contest designed to help fast-track their businesses. ClimateLaunchpad, billed as the world’s largest green entrepreneur competition, is hosting the Global Grand Final in Amsterdam on 14 and 15 November. The aim is to identify businesses with the best potential to combat…
A new inquiry published by a widely read digital Spanish paper reveals how Spain came to have the most luxurious gas infrastructure in Europe, with huge overcapacity, largely funded by the consumer. This fight echoes a wider battle across the EU over the role of gas in the energy transition, where EU decision makers are continuing to support…
The European Commission has released the 2019 Eurobarometer survey on citizen attitudes towards international cooperation and development. Among the highlights of the report, 86% of Europeans think it is important to help people in developing countries, which makes development aid one of the most positively perceived EU policies. For the first time a question was…
The European Investment Bank is providing €12.5 million to the Lithuanian Public Investment Development Agency, VIPA. The agreement is backed by the Juncker Plan’s European Fund for Strategic Investments. VIPA will use the financing to create the first national investment platform dedicated to promote and finance energy efficiency projects across Lithuania. The investments will focus…
By Eli Hadzhieva, Guest Contributor. The prominent speakers at this year’s Astana Economic Forum (AEF), organised at the futuristic EXPO Congress Centre of Nur-sultan on 16-17 May, disagreed on many issues, such as the role of the government in managing the economy or the optimal industrialisation path for developing countries but one thing was clear…
A major EU vote and a direct call to action from investors with assets worth $1.7 trillion signals the start of a transformation of the financial sector – which could help in delivering on the Paris climate agreement, and prevent human rights abuses. Last week saw historic moves from across both politics and industry, which…
The European Commission has said that it welcomes the European Parliament’s final votes on legislation putting in place the building blocks of a Capital Markets Union (CMU). It said the adoption of a substantial number of proposals constitutes another step forward in the completion of the CMU, one of the Juncker Commission’s top political priorities. The Capital…
