Romania
Nato chief downplays US troop withdrawal, reaffirms commitment to Romania
Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte sought to ease concerns over the recent withdrawal of a US infantry brigade from Romania.
Ukraine gets a B grade from EU: good, but more work needed
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy rejected a two-tier solution proposed by Brussels to accelerate Ukraine’s EU accession bid, after the European Commission (EC) released a progress report on November 4.
Romania’s manufacturing PMI drops to 47.6 in October as output and orders weaken
Decline driven by falling output and weaker new orders erases gains made over the past six months.
Emerging Asia overtakes the UK per-capita benchmark
For the first time since the Industrial Revolution, the major emerging economies including China, India and Indonesia have seen GDP as a percentage of the UK’s GDP increase as the leading BRICS countries start to overtake the Developed Markets.
Rheinmetall invests €400mn in propellant powders joint venture in Romania
Partnership is part of Bucharest’s effort to attract defence investment and expand its domestic industrial capacity.
CEE needs a new growth model as FDI plunges
wiiw economist Richard Grieveson says the CEE region’s long-standing model of attracting FDI through low labour costs no longer works.
Estonia has the world’s most competitive tax systems for the 11th year in a row – STATISTA
The Tax Foundation has released its International Tax Competitiveness Index which highlights the most competitive tax rates in different countries around the world. For the 11th consecutive year, Estonia had the highest score in the index.
EU rare earth supply dominated by China and Russia - Eurostat
The European Union remains heavily dependent on China and Russia for rare earth imports, with nearly three-quarters of its supply sourced from the two countries in 2024, according to data published by Eurostat and reported by Statista.
COMMENT: Europe’s “fake it till you make it” war approach cannot hold off Russia’s trillion dollar war machine
In their speeches on the war in Ukraine, European leaders appear like a video clip looped on repeat. Standing before the cameras they declare new packages of support for Kyiv and threaten new measures to pressure Russia as if it was still 2022.
Draghi urges ‘pragmatic federalism’ as EU faces defeat in Ukraine and economic crises
The European Union must embrace “pragmatic federalism” to respond to mounting global and internal challenges, said former Italian prime minister Mario Draghi of Europe’s failure to face an accelerating slide into irrelevance.
Emerging Europe’s growth holds up but risks loom, says wiiw
Fiscal fragility, weakening industrial demand from Germany, and the prolonged fallout from Russia’s war in Ukraine threaten to undermine growth momentum in parts of the region.
Romanian startup .lumen wins €11mn EU grant to develop autonomous delivery robots
Funds to back project aimed at developing a new generation of humanoid and quadruped robots capable of navigating pavements and crowded urban areas autonomously.
Minsk asks for talks with Kyiv, as Lukashenko seeks to end Belarus’ isolation
Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko has opened the door to direct dialogue with Kyiv as part of negotiations to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, as he launches a diplomatic drive to break the republic’s isolation and dependence on Russia.
EXPLAINER: What is the EU’s CBAM and how will it affect global trade from 2026?
The European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) will enter its full operational phase on January 1, 2026, marking a major shift in global climate and trade policy.
Global renewables to double by 2030, but IEA warns momentum must accelerate
Global renewable energy capacity is on course to double by 2030, reaching 4,600 GW—comparable to the current combined total of China, the European Union and Japan—according to the International Energy Agency’s Renewables 2025 report.
Romania's Electrica seeks shareholder approval to borrow €1bn for acquisitions
State-controlled electricity utility group is eyeing acquisitions including Distribuție Energie Oltenia, currently owned by Macquarie.
Romania’s manufacturing PMI reaches 15-month high in September
Latest PMI reading follows a period of gradual recovery in Romania’s industrial sector.
Econergy acquires full ownership of Romania’s largest solar power plant
After taking over the 155 MWp Rătești PV plant, Israel's Ecoenergy plans to add a 120 MW BESS facility.
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EU presses ahead with December signing of divisive Mercosur deal
The European Commission is gearing up to sign its contentious trade agreement with South American bloc Mercosur on December 5 in Brazil, possibly sealing the fate of an accord that has languished in negotiations for more than a quarter-century.
EBRD warns CEE competitiveness at risk as China’s export power grows
China's exports have become more similar to those from Central Europe and Turkey, as its share in global manufacturing exports surges.