Chaos and control: Europe's debt crisis from two perspectives

(Reuters) - Perhaps the darkest moment of the euro zone debt crisis came in the middle of 2012 when Greece stood on the brink of being forced out of the currency bloc and a question mark hung over whether Cyprus would remain in if Athens left.

ECB's Constancio watching more than just April inflation data

(Reuters) - The European Central Bank's vice president said on Monday that April's inflation figures due later this week should not alone trigger a policy change because "it's not just one or two numbers that matter".

Deflation, emerging market fears set scene for tough EU bank tests

(Reuters) - Fears of euro zone deflation, emerging markets turmoil and a determination not to repeat past mistakes mean European regulators are likely to come up with the toughest set of tests for the region's banks that they have ever faced.

Euro Zone Budget Deficit Hits Post-Crisis Low

The combined budget deficit of the euro zone's 17 governments fell below the currency area's target in the final quarter of last year, for the first time since the onset of the financial crisis in 2008.

Exclusive: UK business lobby makes U-turn over Scottish anti-independence campaign

(Reuters) - Britain's most prominent business lobby group wants to reverse its decision to be an official campaigner against Scottish independence, after some of its members quit over its stance.

EU in slow progress on deficit cuts

New figures from the European Commission show that EU governments are gradually making progress with their financial problems.

M&A talk lifts European shares, euro dips to two-week low

LONDON (Reuters) - M&A talk in the pharmaceutical sector lifted European shares on Tuesday, but failed to support the euro, which dipped to a two-week low against the dollar as ECB policymakers renewed efforts to weaken it.

German growth to slow after strong first quarter: finance ministry

(Reuters) - German economic growth will slow in the second quarter after an unusually mild winter gave Europe's largest economy a boost in the first three months of 2014, the Finance Ministry monthly report said on Tuesday.

Germany's Merkel Gets Tough on Russia

Angela Merkel wasn’t in a hurry to inflict economic pain on Moscow. Cautious, pragmatic, and mindful of her country’s business ties to Russia, the German chancellor doggedly tried to defuse the Ukraine crisis through back-channel diplomacy and frequent phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Bankers win friends again in Europe with lure of easy money

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Jacques de Larosiere says he is an isolated and modest man. Yet the 84-year-old former head of the International Monetary Fund is one of the most influential voices in European and global finance.

Euro zone inflation sticks in 'danger zone', keeps ECB under pressure

(Reuters) - A drop in March euro zone inflation to its lowest level since November 2009 was confirmed on Wednesday, keeping pressure on the European Central Bank to intervene if prices do not rebound.

Did Europe misdiagnose debt crisis and make it worse?

(Reuters) - At the height of the euro zone debt crisis, with Portugal's economy nearing collapse, the European Commission told the government in Lisbon that it had to slash wages if it was ever going to boost competitiveness and grow again.

Russia woos French business elite as sanctions loom

(Reuters) - Russia sought to woo the French business elite on Wednesday as the threat of tougher sanctions over the Ukraine crisis loom with a Franco-Russian association warning of job cuts in France as a result of restrictions.

Euro strength here to stay, unless ECB steps in

LONDON/FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Many of the factors driving the euro exchange rate to levels that have set off alarm bells at the European Central Bank are unlikely to go away on their own, part of the reason the bank has been threatening action.

UK inflation falls to 1.6% in March

The UK inflation rate as measured by the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) fell to 1.6% in March from 1.7% in February, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Eurozone industrial output grows 0.2% in February

Industrial output in the 18-nation eurozone grew by 0.2% in February, in line with analysts' expectations.

Tax dodging: George Osborne plans to strengthen criminal law

George Osborne is planning to make it easier to impose jail terms or heavy fines on British residents using offshore tax havens to cheat the exchequer out of billions in revenue.

France's odd couple push Europe to re-think growth

PARIS (Reuters) - One is a balding, bespectacled safe-pair-of-hands known for his negotiating skills; the other a firebrand orator of the French left who made his name riling big business, Brussels and Berlin.

Tax burden on wages in rich countries rose again in 2013: OECD

(Reuters) - Taxes on wages rose across industrialized countries last year, as governments sought to reduce budget deficits blown out by efforts to tackle years of economic weakness following the financial crash.

Greece returns to bond markets, says end of bailout nears

LONDON/ATHENS, April 10 (IFR/Reuters) - Two years after nearly crashing out of the euro zone, Greece returned to the bond market on Thursday with investors hungry for high returns scooping up its debt in a 3-billion euro deal that could mark the beginning of the end of its bailout.

Euro-Area Bonds Rise on Fed Minutes as Greece, Ireland Sell Debt

European government bonds advanced after Federal Reserve minutes damped speculation U.S. policy makers are moving toward raising interest rates, and as Greece returned to debt markets for the first time since 2010.

Independent Scotland would face immediate $38.52 billion debt: report

(Reuters) - An independent Scotland would face an immediate debt repayment of 23 billion pounds ($38.52 billion) to the UK Treasury, British media reported, citing a leading economics research body's estimate.

Greek Crisis Legacy Tests Samaras Bid to End Market Exile

Antonis Samaras’s mission to end Greece’s exile from bond markets faces a reality check this week as data shows how deeply the economy remains mired in deflation with the worst jobless rate in the euro area.

Race for top EU jobs turns murkier before elections

PARIS (Reuters) - The race for the European Union's top leadership jobs has turned murkier with news that Finland's prime minister is stepping down to seek a European role while France is touting its former finance minister as its nominee for a European Commission post.

GLOBAL MARKETS-Asia tense before US jobs test, euro nurses losses

SYDNEY, April 4 (Reuters) - Asian markets put discretion before valour on Friday as investors counted down the final hours to the U.S. jobs report, while the euro nursed a grudge after the European Central Bank opened the door to more aggressive easing, albeit not just yet.

ECB models trillion euro asset purchase program: newspaper

(Reuters) - The European Central Bank has modelled the effects of buying a trillion Euros of assets to ward off deflation, a German newspaper reported on Friday, a day after the ECB's president said radical policy action might be needed.

OECD Warns Euro Area of Higher Deflation Risks

BRUSSELS--Deflation risks in the euro area have risen and the European Central Bank should keep its interest rates at near zero over the medium term to tackle them, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said in a report Thursday.

German unemployment falls by more than expected in March

German unemployment fell by more than expected in March as the economy was boosted by the mild winter weather.

UK mortgage lending falls in February

Mortgage lending saw a surprise decline in February but credit conditions brightened for Britain’s smaller businesses, Bank of England figures showed today.

Euro zone inflation drops to lowest since 2009

(Reuters) - Euro zone inflation hit its lowest level since November 2009 in March, a shock drop that raises expectations the European Central Bank will take radical action to stop the threat of deflation in the currency bloc.