Finance & Trade

Bromund: TTIP Does Not Spur Free Enterprise

April 13, 2015

Theodore Bromund of the Heritage Foundation argues that the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership ("TTIP") currently in negotiation between the U.S. and the EU would reduce regulatory competition and fail to encourage economic freedom.
ECB, U.K. Reach Deal on Clearing Houses

April 09, 2015

Reuters reports that following a pro-U.K. ruling at the Court of Justice of the EU, the Bank of England and the European Central Bank ("ECB") have reached a deal that will permit U.K. clearing houses to continue handling euro-denominated securities transactions.
German Bank Challenges ECB Regulatory Authority

April 08, 2015

The Wall Street Journal reports that a small German lender has filed suit at the European Court of Justice against the European Central Bank ("ECB"), challenging the ECB's assumption of authority from national governments to monitor and regulate banks within the EU.
EU Seeks to Integrate "Digital Economy"

April 08, 2015

Draft proposals recently released by the European Commission would reduce national government control over managing mobile telephone frequencies and would seek to overcome limitations within the EU to cross-border access of online markets.
MEP Calls for EU Parliament to Cut Red Tape

April 01, 2015

U.K. Member of the European Parliament ("MEP") Vicky Ford, head of the Parliament's internal market and consumer protection committee, has called for the body to back new reforms, including a "one in, one out" policy, to cut Brussels red tape that she argues is burdening European businesses.
MEPs Criticize Inefficient Spending of EU Money

April 01, 2015

Members of the European Parliament's ("MEPs") budgetary control committee warned in two recent votes that EU member states are not spending the bloc's money effectively.
EU Leaders Proceed with Energy Union Plans

March 25, 2015

EurActiv reports that government leaders in the European Council broadly agreed to proceed with developing an "energy union" in the EU, though specific details of such a union remain undecided.
EIB Faces Accusations of Lack of Transparency

March 20, 2015

According to The Guardian, a report from the European ombudsman on the European Investment Bank ("EIB"), owned by EU member states, criticizes the EIB for "maladministration" for refusing to make public a report on the alleged evasion of millions in taxes by an African mining firm.
EU Seeks New Rules on Tax Governance

March 20, 2015

The Irish Times reports that following the European Commission's proposal to require EU member states to publicly disclose information on corporate tax rulings each quarter, the Commission plans to advance a proposal to establish a single set of rules for calculating corporations' taxable profits in the EU.
ECB President Calls for "Quantum Leap" in Integration

March 19, 2015

Arguing that the eurozone countries had "integrated too much to even entertain reversing the process," President of the European Central Bank ("ECB") Mario Draghi has called for a "quantum leap" forward in the convergence of eurozone institutions.