Latest news with #NextGenerationEU
Globe and Mail
4 days ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Manaslu Adventures digital transformation with support from EU's Última Milla program
The adventure travel company specializing in trekking and nature-based experiences overhauls its technology infrastructure to scale internationally and enhance customer experience. Madrid, Spain - 25 Jul, 2025 - Manaslu Adventures, a leading Spanish travel agency specializing in trekking and nature-focused adventures, has launched a major digital transformation initiative with support from the European Union's Última Milla grant program (Next Generation EU). The project marks a strategic move to expand internationally—particularly into the U.S. and U.K. markets—by leveraging cutting-edge technology to streamline operations and personalize the travel experience. Backed by an investment of more than €280,000, the initiative includes the launch of a next-generation website, mobile app, AI-powered tools, CRM integration, and a revamped booking system. The digital transformation is designed to position Manaslu Adventures as a premier provider in the growing global market for sustainable and immersive outdoor travel. 'We're building a connected and intelligent digital ecosystem that enhances how we create and deliver adventures,' said Sandra Amenedo, co-founder and Marketing Director of Manaslu Adventures. 'From remote treks in the Himalayas to tailor-made hiking experiences in the Andes, our travelers will benefit from a faster, smarter, and more personalized service—without losing the human touch.' Technology Enhancements Include: All-New Website & eCommerce Platform Built by creative agency Brandoon, the new website will feature a fully transactional booking engine, smart filters, and a catalog of curated experiences worldwide—all designed with mobile responsiveness in mind. Custom Back Office & API Integrations Developed by Envolvedge, the platform centralizes management of itineraries, suppliers, clients, and bookings in real time, while enabling seamless API connectivity between the website, CRM, and third-party channels. Traveler Mobile App (Vamoos-style) A branded mobile app will provide travelers with personalized itineraries, maps, documents, and notifications—even while offline. The app is fully synced with the company's internal systems for real-time updates. AI-Driven Personalization & Automation Manaslu is integrating artificial intelligence to automate itinerary planning, content generation, and customer service workflows—boosting scalability while maintaining operational excellence. CRM & Marketing Automation In partnership with digital consultancy The Roi Makers, Manaslu is implementing advanced CRM tools for customer segmentation, analytics, and automated remarketing. The company plans to invest €36,000 annually in digital campaigns across Google Ads and Meta platforms. Scaling Adventure Travel for the Global Market With English-language support, localized campaigns, and scalable systems, Manaslu Adventures is set to expand its reach across North America and the U.K.—two key markets where demand for active, nature-based travel continues to rise. 'Outdoor adventure travel isn't just a niche—it's a movement,' said Amenedo. 'This transformation allows us to lead that movement by combining modern tech, environmental responsibility, and deep local knowledge to craft life-changing trekking experiences.' About Manaslu Adventures Founded in 2016, Manaslu Adventures specializes in tailor-made trekking and nature-based journeys in more than 50 countries. From the Alps to the Himalayas, the agency offers group and private expeditions focused on sustainability, cultural immersion, and active discovery. Its mission is to connect people to the mountains through transformative, expertly guided travel experiences. Media Contact Company Name: Manaslu Adventures Contact Person: Press Office Email: Send Email Country: United States Website:
Business Times
20-07-2025
- Business
- Business Times
ABN Amro analysts see ESG bond issuance dropping ‘considerably'
ISSUANCE of euro-denominated environmental, social and governance (ESG) bonds is likely to see a pronounced decline in 2025, as negative sentiment fanned by political backlash weighs on the market, according to analysts at ABN Amro. ESG issuance is 'expected to considerably lag in 2025', amid 'a noticeable surge in negative news related to ESG in the first half of the year', analysts Marta Ferro Teixeira and Filipa de Carvalho Tomas wrote in a note on Friday (Jul 18). They now see issuance of 247 billion euros (S$369 billion), down from an earlier forecast of 266 billion euros. In 2024, issuance reached 272 billion euros, they said. Interest in financial products claiming to target environmental, social and governance goals is flagging amid politically motivated attacks on so-called 'woke' capitalism, combined with evidence of greenwashing. The global market for ESG funds saw its worst quarter on record in the three months through March, as the broad-based backlash against the investment strategy gains ground. The ABN Amro analysts pointed to US President Donald Trump's decision to declare a national energy emergency as a key reason for the decline, with policies in the world's largest economy now 'prioritising fossil fuels over clean energy initiatives', they wrote. The shift in sentiment has led oil producers such as BP to cut back on their renewable energy programmes, while major banks have been turning their backs on the world's biggest climate alliance for the industry. Such developments raise 'concerns about waning climate commitments', Teixeira and Tomas wrote. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 12.30 pm ESG Insights An exclusive weekly report on the latest environmental, social and governance issues. Sign Up Sign Up At the same time, efforts in Europe to simplify ESG rules 'suggest that both regulators and companies worldwide might be scaling back their climate ambitions', the analysts said. ABN Amro's analysis shows that ESG issuance from utilities has fallen short, while sovereign issuance has taken a small hit in part as bond sales under Europe's NextGenerationEU programme lag behind earlier expectations, they wrote. The overall effect is one that the analysts said they 'consider not as negative, given the significant policy shifts in some other Western countries'. Finally, the ABN Amro analysts noted that 'there is a lengthy process for ESG bond issuances, and timing for issuance becomes a key factor during volatile markets, which might have been an additional contributing factor for why issuers have given preference to non-ESG labelled debt'. BLOOMBERG
Saudi Gazette
17-07-2025
- Business
- Saudi Gazette
EU budget: Parliament revolts against Commission proposal
BRUSSELS — The European Parliament's members are deeply unsatisfied with the proposal for a seven-year budget, the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) put forward by the European Commission on Wednesday and have threatened at the outset not to enter into negotiations on the paper. The level of information provided by Budget Commissioner Piotr Serafin in a briefing to MEPs from the Parliament's Committee on Budgets (BUDG) on Wednesday was deemed unsatisfactory by most. 'Commission President's Ursula von der Leyen is giving a press conference and she is giving to the press more information than you to us,' lamented Belgian MEP Johan Van Overtveldt, the committee's chair. Some of his colleagues underlined the lack of figures, official documents, and explanatory materials from the Commission to prepare for the discussion with the Commissioner. Commissioner Serafin, who acknowledged the discontent, said that he had left the decision-making meeting of the Commission early to be present at the Parliament and to present the proposal there first, "in recognition of [Parliament's] role". MEPs were also very critical of the content of the proposal, which amounts to almost €2 trillion, or 1.26% of the EU's gross national income. 'For sure, this is not a 'historic budget' as the European Commission is attempting to present it. It is at the same level as the budget of the EU in the previous seven years,' Siegfried Mureșan, one of the rapporteurs for the MFF in the Parliament, from the European People's Party (EPP), said during a press conference.'The attempt of the Commission to convince us that this budget is a significant increase is misleading. The increase is coming only for the adjustment to the inflation rate and it is only coming because we have to pay back the Next Generation EU fund,' he said, referring to the extraordinary funding lines furnished to recover following the COVID-19 many of his colleagues, Mureșan also believes that key demands from the Parliament have been ignored. One of the most contentious points concerns the so-called 'National and Regional Partnership Plans', under which the EU funds will be disbursed. 'This proposal is an attempt to renationalise the EU,' he told Commissioner Serafin and repeated in the press opposition to national plans was reiterated in a statement from the leaders of the Parliament's so-called centrist majority groups—EPP, Socialists and Democrats, Renew Europe, and Greens/EFA. They believe that the national plans would give more power to the member states to deal directly with the Commission, bypassing the Parliament's role.'The European Parliament will not accept any reduction of Parliamentary oversight and the legitimate democratic control and scrutiny over the EU spending,' read the problematic issue is the merging of cohesion and agricultural funds, which most MEPs would like to see funded under a separate budget line and legal received was the proposal on 'own resources'—taxes imposed at the EU level that should generate €58.5 billion per year, according to the Commission. Several MEPs endorsed the idea of increasing revenues by imposing duties on tobacco products and taxing companies with a net annual turnover of at least €100 MFF requires the regulatory consent of the European Parliament in addition to the unanimous consent of the EU member states to be approved: a majority of MEPs must therefore approve the final text for it to enter into this stage, the Parliament may also refuse to enter into talks, the rapporteurs have threatened. MEPs could approve a resolution asking the Commission to withdraw its proposal and present a new basis for this would be a last resort, as co-rapporteur Carla Tavares from the Socialists and Democrats told Euronews. 'We want to put pressure and work with the Commission in order to find a compromise acceptable to all.' — Euronews
Euronews
17-07-2025
- Business
- Euronews
Brussels targets tobacco products with a new set of eurotaxes
On Wednesday, the European Commission unveiled two major proposals: a long-awaited revision of the Tobacco Taxation Directive and a brand new measure known as the Tobacco Excise Duty Own Resource (TEDOR). The revision of the Tobacco Taxation Directive aims to raise minimum excise duty rates—taxes levied on specific goods, such as tobacco, typically at the point of production or import. Under the new rules, the scope of the directive would also be broadened to include e-cigarette liquids, chewing and nasal tobacco, nicotine pouches, other nicotine products, and raw tobacco. The TEDOR proposal, presented separately as part of the EU's new €2 trillion long-term budget framework, would introduce a fresh stream of EU revenue independent of contributions from member states. Under TEDOR, a uniform 15% call rate would apply to the quantities of manufactured tobacco and related products released for consumption, based on the minimum excise rate applicable in each country. The Commission expects TEDOR to generate approximately €11.2 billion annually. However, it remains unclear whether the revenue will be used to repay borrowing under the NextGenerationEU fund or to reduce national contributions to the EU budget for new priorities. 'Own resources have no specific dedication. They always enter the yearly budget without being earmarked,' an EU official said. The official added that the revised tobacco taxation directive is "complementary but independent" from the TEDOR proposal. First major tobacco legislative tweaks in years These two proposals mark the first significant EU tobacco taxation legislation in years. A broader update of EU tobacco rules—once anticipated during Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's previous term—has been delayed and is currently on hold. The "Europe's Beating Cancer Plan", a flagship health initiative of the von der Leyen Commission, underscored the importance of taxation in reducing tobacco use, particularly among young people. However, repeated delays have raised questions about the influence of the tobacco industry on policymaking. The revised Tobacco Excise Directive will adjust minimum excise duties for traditional tobacco products, which currently date back to 2010. Under EU law, member states must impose a minimum rate on cigarette excise duties, though they are allowed to exceed that rate based on national priorities. With the new revised rules, the Commission wants to set excise duty on cigarettes at no less than 7.5% and no more than 76.5% of the total tax burden. The revision also aims to tighten controls on raw tobacco, which is often diverted into illicit markets. Cross-border shopping—when tobacco is bought in one country but consumed in another—would now be better tracked and accounted for. The EU plans to expand the current electronic system used to monitor excise goods movement to also include raw tobacco under its monitoring. Next steps: challenging path ahead Both the revised Tobacco Taxation Directive and TEDOR face significant political hurdles. In the EU, tax legislation can only be adopted by unanimous agreement in the Council of the European Union, where all member states are represented. The European Parliament is consulted but does not have legislative power in this area. Countries such as Italy and Greece have already voiced opposition to any tax-driven price increases on tobacco products. However, momentum may be building: in March 2025, health ministers from 12 member states sent a letter to EU health Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi urging more decisive action on tobacco and novel nicotine products. Despite growing support, reaching unanimity remains a major challenge, especially for revenue-generating measures like TEDOR, which also require approval by all member states in line with their national constitutional procedures.
Euronews
17-07-2025
- Business
- Euronews
EU budget: Parliament revolts against Commission proposal
The European Parliament's members are deeply unsatisfied with the proposal for a seven-year budget, the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) put forward by the European Commission on Wednesday and have threatened at the outset not to enter into negotiations on the paper. The level of information provided by Budget Commissioner Piotr Serafin in a briefing to MEPs from the Parliament's Committee on Budgets (BUDG) on Wednesday was deemed unsatisfactory by most. 'Commission President's Ursula von der Leyen is giving a press conference and she is giving to the press more information than you to us,' lamented Belgian MEP Johan Van Overtveldt, the committee's chair. Some of his colleagues underlined the lack of figures, official documents, and explanatory materials from the Commission to prepare for the discussion with the Commissioner. Commissioner Serafin, who acknowledged the discontent, said that he had left the decision-making meeting of the Commission early to be present at the Parliament and to present the proposal there first, "in recognition of [Parliament's] role". MEPs were also very critical of the content of the proposal, which amounts to almost €2 trillion, or 1.26% of the EU's gross national income. 'For sure, this is not a 'historic budget' as the European Commission is attempting to present it. It is at the same level as the budget of the EU in the previous seven years,' Siegfried Mureșan, one of the rapporteurs for the MFF in the Parliament, from the European People's Party (EPP), said during a press conference. 'The attempt of the Commission to convince us that this budget is a significant increase is misleading. The increase is coming only for the adjustment to the inflation rate and it is only coming because we have to pay back the Next Generation EU fund,' he said, referring to the extraordinary funding lines furnished to recover following the COVID-19 pandemic. Like many of his colleagues, Mureșan also believes that key demands from the Parliament have been ignored. One of the most contentious points concerns the so-called 'National and Regional Partnership Plans', under which the EU funds will be disbursed. 'This proposal is an attempt to renationalise the EU,' he told Commissioner Serafin and repeated in the press conference. This opposition to national plans was reiterated in a statement from the leaders of the Parliament's so-called centrist majority groups—EPP, Socialists and Democrats, Renew Europe, and Greens/EFA. They believe that the national plans would give more power to the member states to deal directly with the Commission, bypassing the Parliament's role. 'The European Parliament will not accept any reduction of Parliamentary oversight and the legitimate democratic control and scrutiny over the EU spending,' read the statement. Another problematic issue is the merging of cohesion and agricultural funds, which most MEPs would like to see funded under a separate budget line and legal base. Better received was the proposal on 'own resources'—taxes imposed at the EU level that should generate €58.5 billion per year, according to the Commission. Several MEPs endorsed the idea of increasing revenues by imposing duties on tobacco products and taxing companies with a net annual turnover of at least €100 million. The MFF requires the regulatory consent of the European Parliament in addition to the unanimous consent of the EU member states to be approved: a majority of MEPs must therefore approve the final text for it to enter into force. At this stage, the Parliament may also refuse to enter into talks, the rapporteurs have threatened. MEPs could approve a resolution asking the Commission to withdraw its proposal and present a new basis for negotiations. But this would be a last resort, as co-rapporteur Carla Tavares from the Socialists and Democrats told Euronews. 'We want to put pressure and work with the Commission in order to find a compromise acceptable to all.'
