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Euro Area Services Output Picks Up In April As Transport And Professional Services Lead Gains

Services production in the euro area rose 0.7% in April 2026 from the previous month, while output across the European Union increased 0.3%, according to Eurostat.

The figures follow gains of 0.1% in the euro area and 0.4% in the EU in March. Compared with April 2025, services production increased 1.8% in both regions.

Transport And Professional Services Lead Growth

In the euro area, transportation and storage recorded the strongest monthly increase, rising 1.5%. Professional, scientific and technical activities followed with a 1.3% gain, while information and communication increased 0.6% and accommodation and food services edged up 0.1%.

Real estate activities declined 0.2%, while administrative and support services fell 0.3%.

European Union Shows Similar Pattern

Across the EU, transportation and storage increased 1.0%, while professional, scientific and technical activities rose 1.1%. Accommodation and food services declined 0.1%, real estate activities fell 0.6%, and administrative and support services slipped 0.2%.

Member States Show Mixed Results

Belgium recorded the strongest monthly increase in services production at 2.1%, followed by Greece at 1.6% and Bulgaria at 1.5%. Hungary posted the sharpest decline at 13.9%, ahead of Denmark at 3.2% and the Netherlands at 1.9%.

On an annual basis, information and communication recorded the strongest growth in the euro area, rising 5.9%.

Among EU member states, Bulgaria led annual growth with a 9.3% increase, followed by Estonia at 6.4% and Poland at 6.0%. Romania recorded the steepest annual decline at 5.8%, followed by Denmark at 5.3% and Luxembourg at 2.9%.

A New Twitter-Inspired Social Network Is Taking Shape

A new social network called Twitter.now is entering the market, with a founding team that includes former Twitter trademark counsel Stephen Coates. The service is being developed by startup Operation Bluebird.

As Ars Technica reported, X sued the company last year and asked a Delaware judge to block the launch. Operation Bluebird argued in a petition that X had abandoned trademarks including “Twitter” and “Tweet.”

Coates has said the project is not an attempt to recreate the original Twitter. In a LinkedIn post, he described the platform as a new public space focused on trust, transparency and user choice.

AI System To Rate Posts

Twitter.now is currently being tested, with early access priced at $20. Its main feature is VERA, an AI system designed to evaluate posts, verify claims and provide sources and context.

Posts receive a trust score, with users eventually able to set a minimum score to filter their feeds. The company says this approach will give people more control over what they see instead of leaving those decisions entirely to an algorithm.

Moderation Remains A Challenge

Scaling moderation will be one of the platform’s biggest tests. Social networks have repeatedly struggled with content moderation as their communities grow, and newer platforms such as Bluesky have faced similar criticism.

Operation Bluebird says VERA will form the basis of its moderation and verification system. A second version is already planned, with expanded tools that would let users set a specific trust threshold for the posts appearing in their feeds.

For now, Twitter.now remains in an early testing phase, combining the familiarity of the Twitter name with an AI-driven approach to evaluating online information.

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