Between values and interests: drivers of EU aid
EU aid is still more poverty-focused than peers, but external policy drivers are growing and reshaping development cooperation after Global Gateway. This paper examines whether
Making sense of conflicting labour market signals
Can policymakers rely on traditional labour market indicators when unemployment, vacancies, wages, and payroll growth appear to send conflicting signals? This column presents a new
What Three Decades of Advancing Clean Air Taught Us—and Where We Go from Here
In 1990, facing a public health crisis, Mexico City initiated its first multiyear air quality management strategy, significantly reducing lead and sulfur emissions. These results
Blue finance: Making waves for sustainable oceans and freshwater resources
Water is a key pillar of life and livelihoods — but it is massively underfinanced. From oceans and rivers to water supply and sanitation systems,
Financial regulation: Catalyst for sustainable economic development
The real objective should be to transform the insurance sector into one with real economic and developmental impact. There is a pivotal role for supervisory
Making AI work: From promise to practice
AI is here. Over 3 billion people globally use generative AI (genAI) like ChatGPT or Baidu’s Erni Bot monthly. AI helped researchers discover new proteins (and get
Size versus allocation in capital market development: evidence from pension funds and insurance companies
EU capital markets stay small as savings sit in deposits, making insurers and pension funds pivotal if portfolios shift into productive assets. The European Union’s
New coins on the block: Digital currencies and the financial system
The crypto system is no longer a sideshow. Dollar stablecoins now put dollar claims into circulation well beyond the regulated US banking perimeter, and cryptoisation
The transatlantic divide in labour’s share of income
Across advanced economies, workers have been receiving a smaller share of national incomes. This column compares the evolution of labour’s share of income in Europe
The impact of geopolitical risk on the euro area economy: Past experience and future prospects
Geopolitical risk has become a key driver of macroeconomic fluctuations. This column analyses the macroeconomic costs of the Russo-Ukrainian war for the euro area, and
