Finance & Trade

UK Faces Fines for Misspent EU Funds

April 27, 2016

A report from the UK House of Commons Public Accounts Committee states that, over the last decade, the European Commission has forced the UK to pay back at least £650 million in EU funds it alleged were misspent by British government agencies.
EU Leaders Seek Clampdown on Aviation, Shipping Emissions

April 22, 2016

The rotating EU Presidency, currently held by the Netherlands, recently held a meeting of the Transport and Environment Council in Amsterdam where ministers of EU member states discussed strategies to work collectively to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the aviation and shipping industries in line with the UN climate deal agreed in December.
EU Charges Google with Antitrust Violations

April 20, 2016

Politico reports that, in the latest legal feud between the EU and an American tech giant, the European Commission has announced that it has charged Google with antitrust violations stemming from the apps the Commission says Google requires manufacturers to install on the company's Android operating system.
MEPs Call for EU Tax "Crackdown"

April 20, 2016

In a recent debate, Members of the European Parliament ("MEPs") called on the European Commission to clamp down on "tax and secrecy havens" in light of the revelations from the so-called Panama Papers that European individuals and businesses have been using such havens to store large amounts of wealth.
Italian PM Proposes EU Migration Bonds

April 18, 2016

Prime Minister of Italy Matteo Renzi has proposed the issuance of common bonds by the EU to fund the bloc's response to waves of migration from the Middle East and North Africa.
Dutch Petition Seeks Vote on TTIP

April 15, 2016

EurActiv reports that, following a recent referendum in which a majority of Dutch participants voted against an association agreement with Ukraine, a new Dutch petition for a referendum on the EU-US Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership ("TTIP") deal, which is under negotiation, has garnered a third of the necessary signatures to trigger a vote.
MEP Seeks Single EU Deposit Guarantee

March 23, 2016

As legislators in Brussels continue to push for EU "banking union," Member of the European Parliament ("MEP") and chairman of its economic affairs committee Roberto Gualtieri has issued a report calling for the creation of a single deposit guarantee scheme to protect bank deposits in the EU.
CPS Warns of EU Regulation of British Ports

March 04, 2016

The Centre for Policy Studies ("CPS") has published a report warning of the potential effects of a proposed EU Ports Services Regulation that would establish a new regulator that could impose "price proportionality" and other controls on UK ports, which, unlike those in Continental Europe, are for the most part privately run.
Head of EU Banking Body Backs Sovereign Debt Limits

March 03, 2016

The head of the EU Single Resolution Board Elke Koenig has voiced support for limitations on the exposure of European banks to public debt, a proposal that could raise the costs of borrowing money for EU governments.
Lyons: London's Success Is "Immune" to Brexit Decision

March 02, 2016

In a new report, economic adviser to the Mayor of London Gerard Lyons writes that, with "no real competitor in Europe," London is on track to continue its sustained economic growth whether or not the UK decides to leave the EU.