Economy

European equity markets traded mixed on Wednesday 27 May 2026 as Brent crude plunged 4-5% on news that Iranian state television had seen a draft framework deal with Washington. CAC 40 closed up 0.43% at 8,207.89, FTSE 100 finished up 0.13% at 10,505.01, while the DAX edged 0.03% lower amid divergent sector reactions.

While Wall Street and the London Stock Exchange remained closed on Monday 25 May 2026 for Memorial Day and Spring Bank Holiday respectively, the Paris Stock Exchange operated normally despite the Whit Monday public holiday in France. Brent crude fell about 5% to under $99 a barrel as President Trump described US-Iran talks as proceeding in a ‘constructive manner’.

The European Union has taken a significant step towards harmonising pet welfare standards across the bloc, with new rules mandating identification and registration for all cats and dogs set to take effect from January 2027. The legislation, which entered its formal adoption stage in late May, represents the first EU-wide framework establishing common standards for…

The European Union has formally endorsed a new permanent safeguard regime for steel imports that will establish tariff-free quotas totalling 18.3 million tonnes annually, whilst imposing a 50 per cent duty on volumes exceeding that threshold. The framework, which takes effect from 1 July 2026, represents a landmark shift from temporary protection measures to a…

Industrial production across the eurozone fell by 0.8 per cent in March compared with the previous month, according to figures published by Eurostat on 22 May, marking a deepening contraction in the bloc’s manufacturing sector as energy-intensive industries grapple with surging costs triggered by geopolitical instability in the Middle East. The European statistics office confirmed…

The European Commission on 22 May unveiled a comprehensive Fertilisers Action Plan designed to reduce the bloc’s reliance on Russian imports and accelerate the transition towards more sustainable agricultural production, marking a significant shift in EU agricultural and industrial policy following geopolitical tensions with Moscow. The strategy addresses the EU’s current dependence on Russian-origin fertilisers,…

European Parliament has moved this week to tighten the EU’s foreign investment screening regime, addressing growing concerns about strategic acquisitions in defence, semiconductors, AI and critical raw materials by non-EU investors with state backing.

The European Parliament has placed the question of joint EU medicines procurement at the centre of its May plenary, as pressure from Washington and Beijing on pharmaceutical supply chains reaches what liberals describe as a decisive moment for the Union’s negotiating leverage.

The European Parliament has begun a critical debate over whether Brussels should consolidate its purchasing power for essential medicines or allow Member States to continue negotiating independently with major pharmaceutical suppliers, a decision that could reshape how 450 million Europeans access vital treatments. Karin Karlsbro, the lead negotiator for the centrist Renew Europe group, opened…

European Union gas storage levels stood at 36% on 13 May 2026, the lowest mid-injection-season reading since 2018, as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz tightens LNG supply. The Commission has formally relaxed the mandatory November filling target from 90% to 80% for the 2026 winter season.