Weekly report
ECB raises its three key interest rates by 25 basis points; deposit rate goes to 2.50 percent · Euro area GDP grew 0.6 percent in the second quarter, the EU 0.7 percent · Audit competition (EPSO/AD/428/26): testing on Wednesday 30 September · EPSO/AD/430/26 is open: AI and cybersecurity experts at AD 8, deadline 13 October at noon
Decided 10 September, effective 16 September: the deposit facility rises to 2.50 percent, main refinancing operations to 2.65 percent and the marginal lending facility to 2.90 percent. New staff projections see inflation averaging 3.0 percent in 2026, 2.5 percent in 2027 and 2.1 percent in 2028, and growth of 0.9, 1.4 and 1.5 percent.
European Central BankEurostat, 7 September: on the year, GDP was up 1.2 percent in the euro area and 1.4 percent in the EU, while employment grew 0.1 percent on the quarter. Ireland posted the strongest quarterly growth at 10.2 percent and Austria the weakest at −0.1 percent. Employment rose most in Portugal (+1.0 percent) and fell most in Finland (−0.8 percent).
EurostatEurostat, 7 September: the EU figure was −0.2 percent, though both areas were 1.5 percent above June 2025. Latvia (−3.7 percent) and Germany recorded the largest monthly falls, Luxembourg (+7.8 percent) and Portugal (+3.1 percent) the largest rises. On the year Greece led at +9.3 percent and Denmark trailed at −6.5 percent.
Eurostat9 September: public buyers in energy, water, railways, ports, airports and postal services could favour European companies and exclude bidders from countries that do not open their own procurement markets. At least 30 percent of the evaluation would rest on quality rather than price. Public procurement is worth about EUR 2 trillion a year, 15 percent of EU GDP. The proposal still needs Parliament and Council.
EuronewsUnveiled 9 September: local authorities may designate stressed areas under a common EU method and limit short-term rentals there, if the measures are targeted and proportionate. House prices rose 64.9 percent between 2015 and 2025 and rents 21.8 percent. Short-term rentals are 1.2 percent of EU housing but up to 20 percent in tourist hotspots. Housing Commissioner Jørgensen called the crisis an 'emergency'.
EuronewsEuropean Court of Auditors, reported 9 September: REPowerEU's own measures added only negligible renewable capacity against a 103 GW target, and grid and cross-border links are its weakest point. Member states committed EUR 54.3 billion of the EUR 300 billion available. Russian gas imports fell from 152 bcm in 2021 to 36 bcm in 2025; the Russian LNG ban starts 1 January 2027.
EuronewsReported 11 September, from NGO Urgewald using Kpler data: European ports took 156 Yamal LNG cargoes (11.39 million tonnes) from January to August, against 142 a year earlier, and absorbed 88.9 percent of Yamal's exports. The 2025 full-year bill was EUR 7.3 billion. France imported most (4.4 million tonnes), ahead of Belgium and Spain.
Euronews9 September: Budapest kept its veto on opening the internal market and competition cluster, despite backing from other member states and the Commission, and ties progress to Ukraine's protection of the Hungarian minority's education and language rights. Hungary did not block Moldova, but other capitals oppose decoupling the two candidates.
Euronews9 September: EUR 82.7 million from the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund and EUR 32 million from the Border Management and Visa Instrument, for surveillance equipment, extra staff, screening, reception of unaccompanied minors and returns. Frontex, Europol and the EU Asylum Agency are providing operational support.
Euronews11 September: to meet von der Leyen's pledge to finish ratification this year, the text went to member states untranslated. Paris argues translation into all 24 official languages is a binding obligation. The Commission says full translations will exist before the European Parliament votes and before publication in the Official Journal.
EuronewsAnnounced 9 September: all testing takes place on a single day. Invitation letters go out in the Single Candidate Portal by 14 September and preparation material appears on the competition page on 15 September. Candidates should check their EPSO account now rather than wait for an email.
EPSO / EU CareersOpen since 8 September, and the only competition taking applications. Candidates pick one field. Eligibility pairs degree length with experience: a three-year degree plus seven years, four years plus six, or five plus five. Tests are online reasoning, a field-related test and a free-text essay on EU matters; supporting documents are due by 14 January 2027.
EPSO / EU CareersAll dates provisional: EPSO/AST/158/26 (data management, AST 3) 6 October to 11 November; EPSO/AD/431/26 (lawyer-linguists, Court of Justice, AD 7) 21 October to 25 November; EPSO/AD/432/26 (lawyer-linguists, Parliament, Council, Commission) 4 November to 8 December; EPSO/AD/433/26 (lawyers, four fields) 9 December to 20 January.
EPSO / EU Careers (planner)Fields and months are subject to confirmation: law (February), assistants in parliamentary work, AST (March), security, defence and international affairs (April), Luxembourg proofreaders in eight languages (May), translators (June), lawyer-linguists (July), financial management (September) and ICT at AST level (November).
EPSO / EU Careers (planner)Reported 11 September: the capture of Mocha, Dhubab and Mayyun (Perim) island in the strait gives the Houthis some 5,400 square kilometres and leverage over the route to Suez — the main alternative while Hormuz is closed. The UN migration agency counts at least 46,000 people displaced and says the figure is rising by the hour.
Al JazeeraAnnounced 11 September, for Monday 14 September: talks on shipping routes, mine clearance and short-term management of the waterway, which Iran has blockaded since late February after US-Israeli strikes. About a fifth of the world's oil normally passes through it; crude was above $100 a barrel earlier this week.
Al Jazeera8 September: Khalilur Rahman of Bangladesh took over the presidency from Annalena Baerbock under the theme 'Restoring trust, managing transformation'. Secretary-General Guterres called rebuilding trust in the multilateral system 'the defining challenge of our time'.
UN NewsPublished 11 September: Copernicus puts the global average surface air temperature 1.65°C above pre-industrial levels, and global sea surface temperature reached an all-time observed high. All ten of the warmest Augusts on record have occurred since 2016.
UN NewsReported 11 September: consumer prices were up 3.4 percent on the year, unchanged from July, with petrol 27.4 percent dearer than a year ago and accounting for about a third of the monthly rise. Futures markets now price an 86.7 percent chance that the Federal Reserve raises rates to 3.75–4.0 percent.
Al JazeeraReported 11 September: a case in South-Ubangi, bordering the Central African Republic and Congo-Brazzaville. As of 9 September there were 6,942 cases since the outbreak was declared on 15 May. It is the Bundibugyo variant, for which no vaccine or treatment is approved, and the WHO warns it is on track to surpass the 2014–2016 West African epidemic.
Al Jazeera9 September: Volker Türk said 21.9 million people, about 45 percent of the population, need humanitarian aid, and more than 400,000 Afghans have been forcibly returned, mainly from Iran and Pakistan. At least 449 people were subjected to corporal punishment in the first half of 2026.
UN News11 September: two fuel stations in the Obolonskyi and Dniprovskyi districts were struck within ten minutes of each other, and six people were hospitalised. Drone strikes near a shopping centre in Pavlohrad killed five and injured 67. Russia says it downed 777 Ukrainian drones over 16 regions.
Al JazeeraThe M/V June Aster, sailing from Manila with 134 people aboard, caught fire off Coron on 10 September near the end of its voyage; 43 were rescued. Survivors reported two explosions inside the ship before the blaze. Heat and smoke hampered recovery on 11 September.
Al Jazeera11 September: the ban covers lawmakers, committees and staff, including virtual engagements. Nigeria counts at least 98 citizens killed in South Africa since 2022. Pretoria says nearly 90,000 people have been repatriated or deported since the tensions began; migrants' home countries put it at about 178,000.
Al JazeeraPreliminary results, published 7 September: AfD 43.8 percent (20.8 in 2021) and 39 seats, short of a majority. CDU 17.2 percent (37.1), SPD 9.3, Greens 8.9, Left 8.6, BSW 5.2; the FDP drops out with 2.6. Turnout rose to 77.8 percent from 60.3. The only majority without the AfD would need every other party, and the CDU rules out working with the Left.
deutschland.deDestatis final figures, 10 September, confirming the flash estimate: +0.2 percent on the month. Energy was up 10.5 percent on the year, driven by the Iran conflict's effect on crude, while food was almost flat at +0.1 percent. Core inflation stood at 2.4 percent, services at 2.8 percent and goods at 3.0 percent.
DestatisDestatis, 7 September: excluding energy and construction the drop was 2.2 percent, and production was 1.6 percent lower than a year earlier. Energy production rose 4.7 percent and construction 0.9 percent. June was revised down to 0.0 percent from +0.2 percent. The May–July quarter was still 0.4 percent above the previous three months.
DestatisDestatis, 8 September: exports were EUR 138.2 billion, 6.1 percent above July 2025; imports fell 5.7 percent on the month to EUR 116.9 billion, leaving a EUR 21.3 billion surplus. Sales to the US reached EUR 14.4 billion (+28.3 percent on the year), while exports to China fell 9.5 percent and to the UK 7.2 percent.
DestatisDestatis, 9 September: distance driven by trucks with four or more axles on German toll roads rose 0.6 percent on July after seasonal adjustment and was 2.0 percent higher than in August 2025. Destatis publishes the index as an early indicator of industrial production.
Destatis10 September, on the ECB's 25-basis-point increase: 'Given that the economy remains quite weak despite some rays of hope, the interest rate hike comes at an inopportune time for Germany.' With euro area inflation above 3 percent, Fuest said, the ECB has to set policy for the whole currency union, where inflation is higher than in Germany.
ifo Instituteifo, 8 September: the sector's business climate rose to 16.0 points from 10.0 in July, and export expectations swung from −7.6 to +24.7. Capacity utilisation reached 81.2 percent. ifo calls it one of the few industrial sectors where business is going well — though a third of firms report material shortages.
ifo Instituteifo, 9 September: the Jimdo-ifo business climate index for the self-employed rose to −19.7 points from −22.6 in July, mainly on less gloomy expectations. The share finding it hard to judge their business outlook fell to 32.2 percent from 38.8 percent in April, when the Middle East crisis intensified. ifo says the situation remains challenging.
ifo Instituteifo, 8 September, after the new PISA results: the decline in maths and reading implies an average long-term earnings loss of 3 to 4 percent, and 9 to 10 percent against pre-COVID 2018 levels. 'Teaching basic skills must have top priority,' said education economist Ludger Woessmann.
ifo Institute9 September, at the Ukraine Defence Contact Group: Defence Minister Boris Pistorius confirmed large-scale arms deliveries and said Russia's intimidation attempts 'did not have the desired effect'. The additional IRIS-T guided missiles will be financed through the EU's defence loan to Ukraine.
deutschland.deSegundo o IBGE, o IPCA acumula 4,22% em 12 meses, o menor nível desde março. Habitação caiu 1,87%, a maior queda do grupo desde o Plano Real, puxada pelo Bônus de Itaipu, que reduziu a conta de luz em 7,63% em média. Passagens aéreas recuaram 13,17% e a batata 19,89%; despesas pessoais subiram 1,30%.
IBGE / Agência BrasilAnunciado em 9 de setembro: redução de R$ 0,63 por litro de PIS/Cofins na gasolina, alíquota zerada no etanol e subvenção inicial de R$ 1 por litro no diesel, com valor ajustável. Gasolina e etanol ficam mais baratos de 10 de setembro a 5 de outubro. Crédito extraordinário de R$ 6,6 bilhões, dos quais R$ 5,6 bilhões para o diesel — mais de 25% do diesel consumido no país é importado.
Governo Federal / Agência BrasilPublicado em 10 de setembro: o presidente Lula sancionou o PLV 13/2026, que zera o imposto de importação de 20% nas compras internacionais de até US$ 50 por remessa postal e reduz de 60% para 30% a alíquota até R$ 3 mil por remessa. O governo poderá limitar a frequência de compras para impedir o fracionamento de encomendas. Os setores têxtil, calçadista e de brinquedos criticam a medida.
Presidência da República / Agência BrasilDivulgado em 10 de setembro pelo IBGE: variação nula frente a junho, 1,9% no acumulado do ano e 2,4% em 12 meses, abaixo dos 2,6% registrados até junho. Informação e comunicação caiu 2,5% no mês; o índice de atividades turísticas subiu 2,7%.
IBGE / Agência BrasilDivulgado em 10 de setembro: no ano, o faturamento acumula queda de 0,5% e as horas trabalhadas, de 1%. A utilização da capacidade instalada ficou em 77,4%. Segundo a CNI, os juros altos e o endividamento das famílias vêm reduzindo a demanda por bens industriais.
CNI / Agência BrasilDados do Banco Central divulgados em 10 de setembro: foram R$ 357,7 bilhões em depósitos e R$ 368,2 bilhões em saques. No ano, a retirada líquida chega a R$ 57,1 bilhões. Com a Selic em 14% ao ano, outras aplicações rendem mais do que a caderneta, cujo saldo está pouco acima de R$ 1 trilhão.
Banco Central / Agência BrasilPublicado em 10 de setembro: as maiores quedas foram em Rio Branco (−4,68%), Manaus (−4,55%) e Boa Vista (−4,47%), puxadas por batata, tomate, café e feijão — o café em pó ficou mais barato em 23 capitais. São Paulo tem a cesta mais cara (R$ 900,59) e Aracaju a mais barata (R$ 570,98). Em 12 meses, porém, a cesta subiu em 25 capitais.
Agência BrasilPublicado em 10 de setembro: mais de 90% das bases sindicais da Caixa rejeitaram a proposta, e o Banco do Brasil tem paralisação parcial. Estão em disputa o plano Saúde Caixa, as normas de segurança do trabalho (NR-1) e as metas. A convenção coletiva do setor prevê reposição do INPC mais 0,6% de aumento real em 2026 e 2027, para cerca de 414 mil bancários.
Agência BrasilA greve começou às 22h de 10 de setembro, após o fracasso das negociações salariais; o principal ponto é o plano de saúde. A empresa perdeu R$ 8,5 bilhões em 2025, o quarto prejuízo anual seguido, e mais R$ 5,55 bilhões no primeiro semestre de 2026. Seu plano de reestruturação prevê cortar R$ 4,2 bilhões em despesas por ano.
CNN BrasilDecidido em 10 de setembro: o orçamento de subsídios de 2026 passa de R$ 12,5 bilhões para R$ 13 bilhões, para as faixas 1 e 2 do programa (renda familiar de até R$ 5 mil). O aumento vale só para este ano; o plano plurianual de 2027 a 2029 será discutido na reunião do fim de outubro.
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