This article examines how financial technology determines bank performance in different EU countries. The answer to that question would allow banks to choose their development policy. The paper focuses  on the main and most popular bank services that are linked to financial technology. A SWOT analysis of FinTech is also presented to show the benefits and drawbacks of FinTech. FinTech-based services are very diverse and are provided by financial  firms and banks alike. This paper looks at the financial technology provided by banks: internet usage (internet banking), number of ATMs, credit transfers in a country, percentage of the population in a country holding a debit or credit card and whether that population has received or made a digital payment. Using the multi-criteria assessment methods of CRITIC and EDAS, the authors analysed and compared the countries of the European Union and the financial technology used in them. As a result of the application of these methods, the EU countries under consideration were ranked in terms of the use of financial technology. Subsequently, three banks from different countries with different levels of the use of financial technology were selected for the study. For these banks, financial ratios of profitability were calculated to characterise their performance. Correlation and pairwise regression analyses between the banks’ profitability ratios and financial technology were used to assess the relationship and influence between these ratios. The main conclusion of the study focuses on the extent to which financial technology influences the performance of banks in the selected countries. It is likely that further research will try to take into account the size of the country’s population when analysing all financial technologies. Researchers also needed to find out what influence financial technologies have on the such financial indicators as operational efficiency (costs), financial stability, and capital adequacy.

In June 2023, the European Union (EU) enacted the Regulation on Deforestation-Free Products (EUDR), which requires agricultural products to enter and leave its territory free from deforestation. The regulations apply to seven commodities: cattle, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, rubber, soya, wood, and their derivate products grown or raised on land subject to deforestation or forest degradation will be banned from entering the EU market. EUDR will have a significant impact on Vietnam’s Exports of Agricultural Products. Coffee, rubber, wood, and wood products are the main industries in Vietnam affected by this regulation, as the country exports a substantial portion of these products to EU markets. This article examines the impacts of the European Union Deforestation Regulation on Vietnam’s coffee supply chains, discusses possible unintended effects on coffee farmers and farming households, and explores strategies to mitigate these negative impacts while highlighting specific challenges that may arise. The results of this study contribute to a better understanding and management of Vietnam’s agricultural exports, particularly in the coffee sector. Additionally, the article gives some recommendations for improving Vietnam’s laws and policies on deforestation-free products.

European commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton, told Le Journal du Dimanche in January 2022, “Existing nuclear plants alone will need 50 billion euros of investment from now until 2030. And new generation ones will need 500 billion”. This paper considers whether these values are realistic. Further, it asks whether these investments would yield an internationally competitive European nuclear power infrastructure given that the nuclear power industries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development member countries have lost global nuclear market share to Russian and Chinese firms since 1995.The paper investigates whether the European nuclear industry even with massive investment can compete with the Chinese nuclear industries. It concludes that the European (in particular, the French) nuclear power industry will be unlikely to be cost competitive with the Chinese nuclear power industry unless financing and new plant orders are immediately forthcoming. To achieve carbon neutrality, the issue becomes whether European Union countries can afford indigenous nuclear technologies or will need to import nuclear power plants from Asia.

This study aims to examine the evolution of the system of support sources in Hungary, focusing on the specific goals supporting higher education in the development programs Széchenyi 2020 (2014–2020) and Széchenyi Plan Plus (2021–2027). The study provides insights into development program evolution and changes, aiming to inform EU funding opportunities for Hungarian higher education institutions over a nearly 10-year period. By focusing on the operational programs that are the basis for the upcoming tenders, the study will display the target system of EU funds that can be utilized to bolster higher education institutions in Hungary. The study is based on document analysis, examining the Hungarian policy tools of the development programs and the operational program strategies of the ten-year time period from 2014 to 2024. By analyzing the support landscape for higher education institutions in Hungary, this study contributes to a better understanding of how the key objectives and criteria of strategic programs have evolved. It also examines the aspects and elements defined in two different development programs over the last ten years. The result of the study can contribute to anticipate the types of funding opportunities that may be available in the future and inform future decision-making processes.

The global climate governance process will have a profound impact on geopolitical relations, and, at the same time, these will determine the direction of cooperation in international climate governance. The European Union and the United States are the most important players in the global governance of climate change, and their competing policy orientations and dynamics have a major impact on trends in this field. In this context, Africa is the region most vulnerable to climate change, and the climate issue in Africa has become one of the frontiers of competition between major powers. Indeed, major powers are increasingly competing in Africa, primarily in the areas of climate leadership, program provision, and capacity building. The study is based on the review of articles and research works regarding the global climate change strategies, especially in AFRICA (2020–2024); it also collected information and statistics from the websites and reports of world banks. In the future, the European Union and Africa should work together to build a new era of strategic partnerships to fight climate change. To do this, they should strengthen their strategic collaboration in global climate governance, look for new ways to work together in old ways, and make their cooperation more effective and efficient.