January 2012: Economic sentiment increases in both the EU and the euro area
In January, the Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI) rose by 1.2 points in the EU and by 0.6 points in the euro area, to 92.8 and 93.4, respectively - the first pick-up in sentiment since March 2011....
03 February 2012 - Read more
January 2012: Business climate indicator improves in the euro area
In January 2012, the Business Climate Indicator (BCI) for the euro area rose for the second month in a row.
The improvement in the BCI was mainly driven by a more positive assessment of production...
03 February 2012 - Read more
US group says China ‘subsidising’ auto part makers
A US trade group has accused China of providing "illegal government subsidies" to car part makers, a practice it says was hurting US firms.
The Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM) said China'...
02 February 2012 - Read more
European SME envoys make life of small enterprises easier
European Commission Vice-President Antonio Tajani welcomed the progress on access to credits and simplification initiatives in the Member States. At the second meeting of the Network of SME Envoys i...
02 February 2012 - Read more
WTO rules in favour of EU against China’s export restraints on raw materials
The Appellate Body of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) today confirmed the findings made by a Panel in July 2011 that China's export restrictions on several industrial raw materials are in breac...
01 February 2012 - Read more
Consultation on ERA finds opportunities and challenges for EU research landscape
Making Europe more attractive for top scientists and globally-mobile private R&D investment; increasing transnationally-coordinated research; achieving higher scientific excellence; moving, wo...
01 February 2012 - Read more
US fines Japan car parts makers $548m
Two of Japan’s biggest car parts makers, Denso and Yazaki, have agreed to pay fines totalling $548m to the US government as part of a widening global price-fixing probe.
The Department of Justice...
31 January 2012 - Read more
Europe’s carmakers hit out at India trade deal
Europe’s carmakers are crying foul over a proposed trade agreement between the European Union and India, which they say would restrict access to one of their most important but highly protected ma...
31 January 2012 - Read more
Gigaliners “an advantage for the climate,” says Danish minister
Danish Transport Minister Henrik Dam Kristensen is a proponent of gigaliners, giant trucks of up to 25 metres long and weighing 60 tonnes. He made this perfectly clear at a meeting of the European...
30 January 2012 - Read more
EU highlights trade-led growth as central to modern development agenda
A range of proposals to make trade and development instruments work hand-in-hand to ensure real poverty reduction across the world are presented by the European Commission today. The proposals aim a...
27 January 2012 - Read more
The ERC supports another 294 senior top researchers in Europe
With a budget of just over €660 million, the European Research Council (ERC) is funding 294 top researchers in the fourth competition for its coveted Advanced Grants.
These established scie...
26 January 2012 - Read more
Internet amplifies the potential of the Single Market for SMEs
European Commission Vice President Antonio Tajani, responsible for Industry and Entrepreneurship will be keynote speaker at the event "The Single Market Opportunity: Getting Europe’s SMEs Online...
25 January 2012 - Read more
UK hydrogen cars project launched
An initiative to try to make hydrogen-powered cars a commercial success has been launched by the UK government and 13 companies.
"Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles are increasingly being...
24 January 2012 - Read more
Hydrogen cell cars move to fast lane
Hydrogen-powered cars – frequently derided as the perpetual technology of the future – are to receive the support of ministers in an initiative, backed by industry, that aims to make the technol...
23 January 2012 - Read more
Communication on e-commerce – frequently asked questions
1. Why is the European Commission adopting this Communication?
The Internet in general, and electronic commerce - or e-commerce - in particular have enormous potential for boosting growth and creat...
20 January 2012 - Read more
Business Climate Indicator improves in the euro area
In December 2011, the Business Climate Indicator (BCI) for the euro area increased for the first time in ten months.
The improvement in the BCI in December was mainly driven by increased optimism a...
19 January 2012 - Read more
Europe’s car market shrinks by 6%
Europe’s car market shrank by 6 per cent in December, according to data published on Tuesday, capping a difficult year for the industry in which the EU’s car market contracted by nearly 2 per ce...
18 January 2012 - Read more
Commission clears the creation of an electric car sharing joint venture
The European Commission has granted clearance under the EU Merger Regulation to the acquisition of joint control of a newly-created joint venture by the Austrian REWE International AG (belonging to...
18 January 2012 - Read more
Martin Schulz elected President of the European Parliament
MEPs elected Martin Schulz to be the new European Parliament president with 387 votes in favour out of 670 cast. The 56-year old German MEP will lead the European parliament for two and half years,...
17 January 2012 - Read more
Do SMEs create more and better jobs?
The European Commission published today a study analyzing the important role small and medium sized enterprises play in creating more and better jobs. SMEs provide a vital contribution to the Europe...
17 January 2012 - Read more
Small companies create 85% of new jobs
85% of net new jobs1 in the EU between 2002 and 2010 were created by small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). This figure is considerably higher than the 67%-share of SMEs in total employment. Dur...
17 January 2012 - Read more
US carmakers sparkle in feel-good Detroit
Renascent American industry wins praise at auto show
Detroit, for so long a rusty symbol of America’s industrial decline, was looking unusually shiny this week as host of the North American Inter...
16 January 2012 - Read more
Europe’s carmakers face discounting pain
Europe’s weakening car market is unleashing a wave of competitive discounting that is putting growing pressure on the global industry’s profit margins, carmakers and analysts say.
General Motor...
11 January 2012 - Read more
US carmakers in record China sales, despite market fall
General Motors and Ford reported record car sales in China for 2011, despite a slowdown in the market in that country.
GM said sales of its vehicles and those of its Chinese partners rose 8.3% duri...
10 January 2012 - Read more
Detroit auto show to highlight US revival
In 2009 Chrysler’s display comprised a dimly lit row of vehicles on a nondescript brown carpet at Detroit’s Cobo Hall.
This year’s show will feature a much more confident domestic industry th...
09 January 2012 - Read more