We study the determinants of bond spreads of euro area sovereigns since the introduction of the euro. We show that an aggregate risk factor is a main driver of spreads. The aggregate risk factor also plays an important role for sovereign risk through its interaction with the size and structure...

The European financial system is plagued at present by two major sources of uncertainty. First, there is still mistrust over the quality of banks" balance sheets. Second, major uncertainty remains about the rules that will apply to bank recapitalisation, bank restructuring and bank resolution in...

This article examines the hydrogen partnerships between Germany, the EU and Egypt in the context of the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). Germany, the largest future hydrogen importer in the EU, and Egypt, a country with an ambitious hydrogen strategy, are developing a partnership...

Russian imports of battlefield goods that are subject to export controls, including from Western producers, have surged since mid-2022 and reached levels close to those prior to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russia thus continues to be able to acquire critical foreign components that...

Ahead of the European Council meeting on 23 October, the author outlines how EU Heads of States should focus on restoring confidence in euro-area policymakers’ ability and determination to put the euro area on a sound footing and restore market credibility. Stress in the interbank market has...

Highlights - Irrespective of the euro crisis, a European banking union makes sense, including for non-euro area countries, because of the extent of European Union financial integration. The Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM) is the first element of the banking union. - From the point of view of...

The eurozone remains in a deep, largely macro-economic crisis. A robust global economy and falling oil prices have supported Europe´s economy for some time, but by now it is clear that the eurozone will only be able to pull itself out of this crisis by means of more decisive action. One...

The success of support measures as COVID-19 lockdowns are relaxed depends on the type of recovery the EU wants to achieve.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the biggest global recession since the Second World War. Forecasts show the European Union underperforming economically relative to the United States and China during 2019-2023. Southern European countries have been particularly strongly affected. While the ICT...

The additional public investment need required to meet the European Union's climate goals is between 0.5 percent and 1 percent of GDP annually during this decade. Increasing green public investment while consolidating deficits will be a major challenge. While our simulations show that budget...