This Week in Finance — Brussels (#29, 2026)
von der Leyen addresses EU competitiveness, investment union; new Angola investment facilitation rules; sanctions updated for ISIL/Al-Qaida.
August 24, 2026 to August 30, 2026
von der Leyen addresses EU competitiveness, investment union; new Angola investment facilitation rules; sanctions updated for ISIL/Al-Qaida.
📋 In This Week's Newsletter
• 🇪🇺 European Commission
• ⚖️ EU Legislation
• 🤝 EU Council
European Commission
President von der Leyen outlines EU strategy for growth, investment, and competitiveness
On 26 August 2026, President Ursula von der Leyen delivered a speech at the ‘La Rencontre des Entrepreneurs de France 2026’ conference, addressing key challenges facing EU industry and finance. She cited rising energy costs, single market fragmentation, and complex regulatory environments, noting the Commission’s target to reduce administrative burden by 25% for all companies and 35% for SMEs by 2029. von der Leyen referenced ongoing negotiations on the 'savings and investment union', including proposals for bank and insurance investment and capital markets integration, which could unlock up to EUR 470 billion in additional investment. The upcoming EU budget, with over EUR 450 billion planned for competitiveness and innovation, is positioned as central to economic independence. The Commission is advancing the Electrification Action Plan and proposing modernisation of the EU carbon market, with new investment accelerators and decarbonisation banks. Measures for scaling up AI, including EUR 20 billion for gigafactories and new legislative acts, were also announced. The speech highlighted the need to complete the single market for financial services and outlined steps for fair competition, trade defence, and resilience in supply chains.
EU Legislation (Official Journal)
EU-Angola Committee adopts investment facilitation rules
Decision No 1/2026 of the Committee on Investment Facilitation, published on 26 August 2026 (CELEX: 32026D1957), sets out the Rules of Procedure for the Committee under the Sustainable Investment Facilitation Agreement between the EU and Angola, signed on 17 November 2023. The decision was co-chaired by Victor Hugo Guilherme (Angola) and Joanna Szychowska (EU), and entered into force on the adoption date. Article 44(2) of the agreement provides the legal basis.
Sanctions updated for ISIL (Da'esh) and Al-Qaida entities
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1965, published on 27 August 2026 (CELEX: 32026R1965), amends Council Regulation (EC) No 881/2002 for the 360th time to update identifying data for 21 entries on the sanctions list. The changes follow decisions by the UN Sanctions Committee on 18 August 2026 under Resolutions 1267(1999), 1989(2011), and 2253(2015). The updated regulation is binding and directly applicable across all Member States.
EU Council
General Affairs Council informal meeting scheduled
An informal meeting of the General Affairs Council is set for 3 September 2026.
