EU ministers agree on unity, more competitive economy, need for deeper US ties
European Union finance ministers agreed on Monday to stay united in their approach to the new U.S. administration and that a more competitive EU economy was the best protection from potential transatlantic economic challenges,
EU considers 'staged approach' to suspending Syria sanctions
The European Union is considering a step-by-step suspension of multiple economic sanctions targeting Syria as it seeks to support the country’s transition, while retaining some leverage, according to two internal documents seen by Reuters.
Stormont brake move may indicate Westminster approach to EU rules
The government may be signalling that its rules on goods may closely align with the EU's in the future, writes BBC News NI's economics editor.

Spain, European Union and Non-EU Buyers

Spain's PM Sanchez floats ban on non-EU citizens buying properties
Spain Premier Aims to Ban Non-EU Citizens From Buying Homes
Spain PM Proposes To Ban Home Purchases By Non-EU Buyers
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez proposed on Sunday to ban people outside the EU from buying housing in the country, as part of his drive to ease an affordable-homes crisis.
Facebook, X, YouTube to do more against online hate speech, EU says
Meta's Facebook, Elon Musk's X, Google's YouTube and other tech companies have agreed to do more to tackle online hate speech under an updated code of conduct that will now be integrated into EU tech rules,
EU Says "Ready To Defend" Interests After Trump Tariff Vow
The European Union stands "ready" to defend its interests, the bloc's economy commissioner said Monday, after US President Donald Trump promised a policy of tariffs and taxes on other countries in his inaugural address.
New EU deal could ‘pave the way’ for Scottish independence
A new government was installed in Iceland on December 21 under Social Democrat Prime Minister Kristrun Frostadottir. Its stated aims were to cut inflation and interest rates and hold a referendum on EU membership before 2027, according to Reuters.
X, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube sign EU pledge to tackle hate speech
Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitch, X, YouTube, Snapchat, LinkedIn, Dailymotion, Jeuxvideo.com, Rakuten Viber, and Microsoft-hosted consumer services have all signed the “Code
EU regulator urges firms to restrict non-MiCA-compliant stablecoins
Non-MiCA-compliant stablecoins should be delisted by March 31, 2025, while “sell-only” mode is allowed until Jan. 31, according to the EU’s ESMA regulator.
Spanish PM proposes to outright ban home purchases by people outside the EU—as part of efforts to tackle the housing crisis
Following the success of the socialist party's proposal last week to slap a tax of up to 100 percent on non-EU property purchases.
EU should welcome Chinese car factories, says Mercedes chief
The EU should encourage Chinese carmakers to open more plants in the bloc as part of a deal to drop punitive tariffs on imported Chinese electric vehicles, the boss of Mercedes-Benz has said.
Innovation Gap: How the EU and U.K.’s regulatory maze is holding back AI adoption
A region once at the forefront of technological innovation now grapples with an innovation gap that could have far-reaching consequences.