Following the new European Banking Authority (EBA) guidelines, there have been various media reports on the supposed need to arrange a survey when applying for a mortgage loan. The National Bank wants to provide some important clarification on this subject.

Households are more optimistic about the outlook for the general economic situation in Belgium and the prospects for the jobs market. Concerns about rising unemployment are at their lowest since the beginning of 2019 and consumers’ personal predictions concerning their financial situation have improved.

Over the last decade, the debt of Belgian companies has increased, supported by an increase in debt securities such as corporate bonds. Companies issuing these securities are generally large and financially sound. However, a limited number of them carry risks.

Identifying and estimating the effects of monetary policy shocks is not straightforward. The introduction of new monetary policy tools (such as forward guidance and asset purchases) has even added new issues to the list. The article intends to shed light on the complexities at hand.

This article provides an economic reading of the EU budget and the NGEU Recovery Plan with a focus on the Belgian perspective. It examines in particular whether the new fiscal programme is a game changer for the EU or not. To what extent does the Recovery Plan boost growth, does it promote convergence between economies and cohesion between regions that have taken a bashing from the pandemic, and will it answer today’s environmental and digital challenges?

Belgian economic activity continues to recover swiftly. According to revised statistics Belgian GDP increased by 1.7 % in the second quarter. This is even better than the estimate in the previous Business Cycle Monitor (+1.3 %).

In the autumn, the European Commission will publish a proposal for updated capital requirements for banks in the EU. The NBB, as well as a large number of other national central banks and supervisory authorities in the EU, call on the European Commission to respect the letter and spirit of this global agreement.

This latest NBB study examines and maps the implicit transfers between Brussels, Flanders and Wallonia. Flanders and Brussels are net contributors, Wallonia the recipient. Are interregional transfers in Belgium high or low compared to other EU countries?