The EU IFI Network Conference 2026, titled 'Fiscal management in changing times: The initial responses', was successfully held on 10 and 11 February 2026 in Nicosia (360 Nicosia Building).
The conference was organised by the Cyprus Fiscal Council and the EU IFI Network. It brought together representatives of the national Independent Fiscal Institutions (IFIs) of EU Member States, as well as government officials, academics, and representatives of financial sector organisations. The aim of the conference was to exchange experiences, reflections, and proposals on addressing the new challenges of fiscal governance and the enhanced role of Europe’s Fiscal Councils.
At the opening of the conference, welcome addresses were delivered by the Deputy Minister to the President, Irene Piki, the President of the Cyprus Fiscal Council, Michalis Persianis, and the Governor of the Central Bank of Cyprus, Christodoulos Patsalides. The keynote address was delivered by Hugo Dixon, outlining the broader European and international fiscal landscape.
Over the course of the two days, discussions covered critical issues such as the session “Quantifying new risks”, focusing on climate and geopolitical risks and their integration into fiscal planning, as well as the session “Communicating difficult ideas to the public”, which highlighted the challenge of communicating complex fiscal issues in an environment of social pressure and digital information overload.
Particular interest was drawn to the session “Digital Transformation of Public Finance”, which focused on central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), the use of artificial intelligence in tax administration and expenditure monitoring, and the potential fiscal implications of technological developments.
The thematic session “Emerging trends in sovereign debt: A view from the markets” also generated strong interest, analysing new market trends, increased pressure on debt servicing costs, and shifting investor preferences.
The second day of the conference focused on the role of IFIs one year after the implementation of the revised European Economic Governance Framework, through the discussion “IFIs a year into EGR: What are the first impressions?”, while the session “AI for fiscal institutions” examined how artificial intelligence is transforming analytical, forecasting, and decision-support tools, as well as the overall functioning of fiscal institutions.
The conference concluded with closing remarks by Lilia Cavallari, Chair of the Board of the EU IFI Network, reaffirming the importance of strengthening cooperation and the exchange of experiences, expertise, and reflections among European fiscal institutions, at a time of heightened uncertainty and rapid economic transition.
