ECFIN E-news 328: EU Economy and Finance departments launch Bluesky account - EUROPE SAYS
EU Economy and Finance departments launch Bluesky accountWe are pleased to announce that theEU Economy and Finance Bluesky accountwas launched yesterday. Our account, shared between the economics departments. . .
EU Economy and Finance departments launch Bluesky accountWe are pleased to announce that theEU Economy and Finance Bluesky accountwas launched yesterday. Our account, shared between the economics departments of the Commission, will serve as a channel to share news, analyses, new initiatives and publications on all things EU economy, finance, budget, taxation, customs, reforms and investments. Hit the follow button and join our Bluesky community!NewsCommission supports the EU’s eastern regions bordering Russia, Belarus and UkraineThe European Commission has adopted a comprehensive strategy to step up support for the EU eastern regions bordering Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. Strengthening the prosperity and resilience of these regions is not only an expression of EU solidarity in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but also a strategic investment in Europe’s security, competitiveness, and future stability. Several regions from nine Member States – Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria – have been particularly affected by hybrid warfare, weaponised migration, economic and trade disruption, and demographic decline. Ukraine: Europe on the front lineThe second episode of DG ECFIN and France 24’s media partnership was broadcast on 21 and 24 February. In the run up to another grim anniversary of Russia’s war of aggression, France 24 travelled to Ukraine to see EU financial aid in action. How is EU funding being used on the ground to rebuild and reform while fighting the war?Commission greenlights Slovenia’s fifth payment request for €266. 8 million under NextGenerationEUOn 2 March, the European Commission positively assessed Slovenia’s fifth payment request for €266. 8 million under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), the centrepiece of NextGenerationEU. This is an important step in the delivery of the reforms and investments tied to this payment request, in the areas of pensions, healthcare, sustainable transport, water management as well as preparedness and response to climate-driven disasters. The Commission found that Slovenia has satisfactorily completed eight milestones and eight targets set out in the Council Implementing Decision. Flagship measures in this payment request include:• Healthcare and pension system reform: improving the quality, accessibility, and financial sustainability of Slovenia’s healthcare system. The reforms improve service accessibility and implement better management practices in public health institutions to ensure long-term affordability. At the same time, the pension system is being reformed, securing the system’s long-term sustainability while ensuring fair pension levels. • Civil protection training hub: establishing a dedicated training facility to enhance the preparedness of civil protection and disaster response teams, with a specialised focus on wildfire management. SpeechesKeynote speech by Commissioner Dombrovskis on the digital euro at Masters of Digital 2026Euro coins and banknotes are not going anywhere. In fact, we are going to protect and preserve their role. Our Single Currency Package will ensure individuals and businesses can continue to access and pay with euro banknotes and coins across the euro area. But we do need a system complementing physical cash with its digital equivalent. We must ensure that public money satisfies the evolving needs of Europeans. This is not just about convenience for European consumers. The digital euro guarantees central bank money remains available and usable in today’s digital world. It reinforces the euro’s role as the trusted anchor of our monetary system. The digital euro will also reinforce the EU’s strategic autonomy. We are continually adapting to a less stable and more challenging geopolitical environment where dependencies are becoming vulnerabilities. This is evident, for example, in our determined push to derisk, diversify and strengthen our trade network. We must also limit our exposure in other domains. No area is more critical than our financial and payments infrastructure. It is the circulatory system of the European economy. Today, our payments landscape is highly dominated by non-European providers. Almost two-thirds of card-based transactions in the euro area are carried out by non-European companies. Thirteen euro area countries rely entirely on international card schemes for card transactions. The annual transaction volume represents trillions of euro. So, we are highly dependent on foreign-owned companies. European payments systems may become subject to threats to withdraw or changes to the services provided by these international providers. This imposes real constraints on our capacity to defend our interests and values. The EU must act to ensure its citizens and businesses have access to a resilient payment infrastructure. When it comes to services of such critical strategic importance, there simply must be a European alternative. And the digital euro is part of the solution. Events and noticesTh 2727 yyyyEU Tax Symposium, 16-17 March, BrusselsCo-organised by the European Parliament and the European Commission, the EU Tax Symposium returns to Brussels, under the headline “The future of taxation: inequality and growth in the global economy”. Ministers, senior policy makers, academics and Nobel Prize winners will come together in Brussels on 16 and 17 March to explore the link between tax, prosperity and fairness. How can taxation boost competitiveness and unlock economic potential? What does fairness look like in a changing world?Tags:EconomyEconomy of EUEconomy of the EUEU economyEurope