Frankfurt, 18 March 2026 – Regarding the vote in European Parliament’s Trade Committee on the EU-U.S. trade deal, VDMA President Bertram Kawlath says:

• “It is very important for the European machinery industry that trade relations between the EU and the U.S. finally enter calmer waters. The European Parliament should therefore now approve the agreement concluded between the EU and the U.S. last summer. In return, however, the U.S. must finally ease the steel and aluminum tariffs.”

The proposed EU steel trade measure, intended to strengthen Europe’s steel sector, could have significant consequences for downstream industries. Fast revision of the scope after adoption is urgently needed.

Many European manufacturing industries depend on stable and competitive access to steel inputs. Restrictions on imports risk tightening supply and increasing costs across the EU, with implications for industrial competitiveness and consumer prices.

Women’s ambitions to become entrepreneurs are rising, according to early findings from ACCA’s forthcoming Global talent trends 2026 report.

y data shows that 48% of women working in finance and accountancy now aspire to become entrepreneurs, up from 45% last year. The findings are drawn from early insights from ACCA’s global survey of over 11,000 finance professionals across 175 countries, with the full report due for publication in May 2026.

Leading global accountancy body calls on the European Commission to facilitate greater professional recognition across the EU as part of its skills portability initiative

The European Union’s (EU’s) member states’ legal and regulatory frameworks for the accountancy profession is a major roadblock to the European Commission’s (EC) Skills Portability Initiative (SPI).