Bruegel

The Bruegel think tank argues that the European Union should lift its prohibition on paying interest on digital money, including any future digital euro. The piece contends that banning interest undermines the attractiveness of digital cash compared with bank deposits and hampers monetary policy transmission. The debate touches on how a central bank digital currency could coexist with commercial banking without draining deposits.

Bruegel argues that well-designed climate policies can accelerate the decarbonisation of manufacturing across the Western Balkans, rather than hindering industry. The analysis suggests the region could align its industrial base with EU climate standards, turning regulation into a driver of modernisation. The discussion feeds into wider European debates on how enlargement countries should meet green transition requirements while keeping their economies competitive.

Bruegel, the Brussels-based economics think tank, argues that the European Union must enlarge and refocus its budget to finance future priorities such as defence, climate transition and competitiveness. It calls for spending that is both larger in scale and more sharply targeted at shared European goals rather than scattered national interests. The proposal feeds into ongoing debate over the next long-term EU budget.

Bruegel has published an assessment of the 2028-2034 EU budget, examining how far the European Union's next multiannual financial framework would go toward closing Europe's investment gap. The analysis comes as EU institutions and member states begin negotiating the size and priorities of the post-2027 budget, with debates over defence, competitiveness and green investment shaping the discussion.