Italy and the EU

Latest business news about Italy and the European Union.

Time to move on from euro crisis: Portuguese president — 11 February 2012, 13:02 CET

European leaders need to move on from the current focus on the eurozone financial crisis and take aim at other issues important to the region, Portuguese President Anibal Cavaco Silva said Saturday.

Obama hails Italian PM in talks on euro crisis — 10 February 2012, 10:47 CET

US President Barack Obama praised Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti on Thursday, saying he was boosting confidence across Europe and world markets with his economic rescue program.

US's Boehner, Italy's Monti discuss EU debt crisis — 09 February 2012, 20:00 CET

US House Speaker John Boehner and visiting Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti on Thursday discussed spurring economic growth and efforts to fight Europe's debt woes, the Republican's office said.

Obama to meet Italian PM on euro crisis — 09 February 2012, 22:29 CET

Barack Obama turns his focus Thursday to a crisis that could conceivably end his presidency, but over which he has little control, welcoming Italy's Prime Minister Mario Monti for Europe debt talks.

Italian PM says euro crisis nearing end, has raised tensions — 04 February 2012, 22:41 CET

Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti said on Saturday the eurozone crisis had reopened old European wounds and tensions, although he saw a light at the end of the tunnel of the financial turmoil.

Monti asks Somali PM's help in freeing ship — 01 February 2012, 13:59 CET

Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti on Wednesday asked his Somali counterpart Abdiweli Mohamed Ali for help in freeing an Italian ship hijacked by pirates in December with 18 crew members on board.

Italy 'optimistic' bailout fund to grow in size: Monti — 31 January 2012, 10:08 CET

Italian Premier Mario Monti said Monday he was confident the EU's permanent bailout fund would grow in size with fresh funds, seeing a softening in German opposition.

EU experts rebuke Hungary, France, Italy over media rules — 25 January 2012, 21:07 CET

A high-level panel of experts reviewing the state of press freedom in Europe voiced concerns Wednesday over Hungary's controversial media laws, but also took Italy and France to task.

Novelist Umberto Eco to be awarded Dutch city honour — 23 January 2012, 22:51 CET

Italian master novelist Umberto Eco has been awarded the second Nijmegen Medal of Peace for his role in the debate on the past and future of Europe, the Dutch city announced Monday.

Italy planning 50-billion-euro asset sale — 23 January 2012, 11:16 CET

Italy's government is planning to sell assets worth up to 50 billion euros ($65 billion) to the Cassa Depositi e Prestiti to reduce the country's huge public debt, an Italian daily reported on Monday.

Italy wants to double size of eurozone bailout fund: report — 22 January 2012, 11:42 CET

Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti is pushing to double the size of Europe's permanent bailout fund to one billion euros ($1.3 billion), a German media report to be published Monday said.

Inadequate governance to blame for rating downgrade: Monti — 16 January 2012, 22:17 CET

Insufficient governance in the eurozone led the ratings agency Standard and Poor's to downgrade the creditworthiness of nine countries including Italy, Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti said Monday.

Vatican raises 'suspicious timing' of S&P downgrade — 14 January 2012, 23:47 CET

The Vatican raised doubts Saturday about the timing chosen by ratings agency Standard and Poor's to downgrade nine EU countries' credit-worthiness.

Van Rompuy to meet Monti for talks in Rome — 13 January 2012, 16:42 CET

EU president Herman Van Rompuy will meet Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti in Rome on Monday, at the start of a week of talks aimed at tackling the eurozone debt crisis, the Italian government said Friday.

Europe auto must cut capacity by 10-20%: Fiat chief — 12 January 2012, 11:04 CET

The European car industry needs to cut its capacity by 10 to 20 per cent in response to slack consumer demand that will likely continue through 2014, Fiat chief Sergio Marchionne said.

Italy violated human rights in garbage crisis: court — 10 January 2012, 17:45 CET

The Italian government violated residents' human rights by allowing festering heaps of garbage to go uncollected from the streets for months, a European high court said Tuesday.

EU trade chief faces tax probe over Italian home: reports — 10 January 2012, 14:12 CET

Belgian tax authorities are investigating European Union trade chief Karel De Gucht over his purchase of a second home in Italy's Tuscany region, Belgian media reported on Tuesday.

Euro 'not in crisis': Italian PM — 08 January 2012, 23:07 CET

Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti on Sunday rejected talk of a euro crisis and said Rome was open to the idea of a tax on financial transactions championed by France -- but only if the measure was part of an EU-wide effort.

Merkel, Sarkozy kick off year of eurozone wrangling — 08 January 2012, 21:31 CET

German Chancellor Angela Merkel hosts French President Nicolas Sarkozy Monday, kicking off a week of high-level talks to lay the groundwork for a crunch EU summit on taming the eurozone crisis.

Iran state firm says it owes no oil to Italy — 07 January 2012, 09:07 CET

The state-owned National Iranian Oil Company said on Saturday that it does not owe some $2 billion in oil shipments as claimed by Italy, in remarks that could be aimed at undermining EU unity over banning oil purchases from Iran.

UniCredit warns investors EU could abandon euro — 05 January 2012, 20:43 CET

Italy's top bank UniCredit has warned investors that if the eurozone crisis worsens the euro may be abandoned, though bank head Federico Ghizzoni Thursday said the scenario remained unrealistic.

Italy's PM Monti on surprise trip to Brussels — 05 January 2012, 20:51 CET

Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti travelled to Brussels on Thursday for an unscheduled visit, his spokeswoman said, though the European Commission said no talks had been scheduled with top officials.

Monti to meet with Sarkozy and Cameron — 03 January 2012, 12:27 CET

Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti will travel to Paris on Friday for eurozone debt crisis talks with French President Nicholas Sarkozy, a government spokeswoman in Rome said Tuesday.

Italy scrapes through key bond auction test — 29 December 2011, 17:59 CET

Italy scraped through a key bond auction test on Thursday, but Prime Minister Mario Monti called for a European-wide response to the debt crisis that has pushed the eurozone to the brink.

Relief in Italy as short-term borrowing rates plunge — 28 December 2011, 22:19 CET

Italy's borrowing costs plunged in an auction of six-month bonds following government measures to cut the deficit and boost growth, with a second crucial sale of longer-term debt set for Thursday.