First UK poll after Juncker battle shows rising support for EU exit

(Reuters) - Public support for Britain to leave the EU is growing again after falling to a multi-year low, according to the first survey published since EU leaders nominated Jean-Claude Juncker to become the next president of the European Commission.

Euro-Area Bonds Drop as German CPI Data Quells Deflation Concern

Euro-area government bonds fell, with most securities paring a weekly gain, as reports showing German inflation quickened more than economists forecast allayed concern the euro bloc may slip into deflation.

EU leaders signal shift from austerity of euro crisis

(Reuters) - In the latest shift away from the austerity of the euro zone crisis, European Union leaders signaled at a summit that they were ready to give member states extra time to consolidate their budgets as long as they pressed ahead with economic reforms.

Dawdling on law change, Italy may miss out on cheap foreign funding

LONDON, June 26 (Reuters) - Italy, the euro zone's biggest debtor, risks missing out on cheap foreign funding unless the Treasury can win approval to use controversial derivatives to protect itself against currency swings.

S&P's Kraemer: euro zone has much to do to cut debt, boost growth

(Reuters) - Euro zone countries still have much work to do to cut debt and boost growth and their credit ratings are unlikely to rise until they get their economies into better shape, a senior Standard & Poor’s official said on Tuesday.

German Ifo business morale in June hit by Ukraine, Iraq

BERLIN (Reuters) - German business sentiment weakened more than expected in June as concern grew among companies in Europe's largest economy that tensions in Ukraine and Iraq would hurt their business.

'HS3' high-speed rail link needed to boost north - Osborne

A so-called HS3 high-speed rail link in the north of England between Manchester and Leeds could help to create an economic area to rival London, Chancellor George Osborne is to say.

European Union cracks down on corporate tax avoidance scheme

BRUSSELS: The European Union is closing a loophole that allows companies to shift some of their profits between different country divisions to avoid taxation.

EU can be flexible on fiscal consolidation, but reforms first: officials

(Reuters) - The European Union could be flexible about the time members need to fix their budgets if they reform to boost growth, but it must first have proof such efforts are taking place, EU policymakers said on Thursday.

Euro-Zone Consumption Gap Widens

The gap between individual consumption in Germany and those euro-zone countries pursuing austerity programs continued to widen last year, according to figures from the European Union's official statistics agency Wednesday.

Irish finance minister says new EU calculation could add over 1 percent to GDP

(Reuters) - New EU rules on calculating economic output could boost Ireland's gross domestic product by over 1 percent and mean a little less austerity next year, Finance Minister Michael Noonan said on Wednesday.

No wage rises until jobless rate falls to 5% says MPC member

Average wages may not rise until the jobless rate has fallen to 5%, a Bank of England policymaker has suggested.

Germany, France Seek Eased Euro Deficit Rule Amid Austerity

Germany and France are seeking to ease the euro area’s deficit rules to reflect efforts by governments to fix their economies, German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel said.

Funds keep faith with euro money markets as rates dwindle

LONDON (Reuters) - The European Central Bank's decision to cut its deposit rate below zero is unlikely to cause a stampede out of euro zone money market funds, with some investors expecting yields to stay positive in the near term.

Iraq crisis, UK rate warnings hit European shares

LONDON, June 13 (Reuters) - Major European stock indexes ended lower on Friday, with British equities slipping on the possibility of an early rate hike and travel stocks hurt by concern the Iraq conflict will raise oil prices.

Banks to return 3.7 billion euros in crisis loans to ECB next week

(Reuters) - Banks will return 3.712 billion euros ($5.05 billion) in long-term crisis loans to the European Central Bank next week, ECB data showed, after the ECB started to charge banks for holding their excess cash overnight and promised more long-term loans.

UK business minister urges BoE to clamp down on risky mortgages

(Reuters) - British business minister Vince Cable on Thursday urged the Bank of England on clamp down on mortgages with high loan-to-income ratios to stop booming house prices from harming the economy.

Euro zone countries agree direct bank recapitalisation framework

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Euro zone governments agreed on Tuesday that the bloc's bailout fund will be able later this year to help to recapitalise failing banks which have written off 8 percent of their liabilities.

ECB policymakers say can do more if needed

(Reuters) - European Central Bank policymakers stressed on Tuesday that they could still do more to support the euro zone economy after last week announcing a package of measures to ward off the threat of deflation.

Politics poses biggest risk to euro zone endurance

PARIS (Reuters) - With the euro zone bond market back to irrational exuberance and economic growth returning slowly if unevenly, politics rather than economics now poses the biggest threat to the long-term endurance of Europe's single currency.

Russian companies prepare to pay for trade in renminbi

Russian companies are preparing to switch contracts to renminbi and other Asian currencies amid fears that western sanctions may freeze them out of the US dollar market, according to two top bankers.

Euro Bonds Surge on ECB Shock Waves

Euro-area government bonds surged this week, propelling yields across the currency bloc to record lows, as an unprecedented package of European Central Bank stimulus measures added fuel to this year’s rally.

Greek economy shrinks at slowest pace since 2008

(Reuters) - Greece's economy shrank in the first quarter at its slowest annual pace since late 2008 when its protracted recession began, data showed on Friday, supporting projections that Athens will emerge from a crippling six-year slump this year.

Euro-Zone Retail Sales Rose in April

Retail sales across the 18 countries that share the euro rose for the fourth straight month in April, and at the fastest year-to-year pace since early 2007.

Euro-Zone Business Activity Slows

Business activity in the euro zone slowed more sharply in May than first estimated, a sign that weak prices are undermining the area's recovery from its debt crisis.

Ukraine Bond Repayment Belies Gutted Economy: East Europe Credit

As Ukraine repays its $1 billion dollar bond, sentiment for the nation’s notes is souring with the economy withering amid fighting between government forces and pro-Russia separatists.

Eurozone inflation fall raises prospects of damaging deflationary spiral

The European Central Bank will almost certainly act this week to breathe life into the eurozone's struggling economy after a shock fall in inflation, economists said.

EU asks Italy for tighter 2014 budget to curb debt

(Reuters) - The European Commission asked Italy on Monday to tighten its budget this year to rein in an excessive public debt but fell short of opening a disciplinary procedure against the euro zone's third largest economy.

Draghi Gets Ready to Go Negative as Inflation Sinks

Mario Draghi is preparing to lead the European Central Bank into the unknown. From negative interest rates to conditional liquidity for banks, the ECB president and his fellow policy makers have signaled all options are up for discussion when they meet on June 5.

Rebound in euro zone credit ratings: overdue or overshoot?

(Reuters) - Rating agencies are falling over each other to upgrade the euro zone's crisis countries, but with debt levels in most still rising and growth and reforms slow, the question is whether the new-found optimism has swung too far.