Economy & Jobs

Nothing is more blah-blah-blah than the EU’s ‘sustainable’ trade policy

You can put all the sustainability principles you like in trade deals but without means for control, monitoring, enforcement or legal consequences for a failure to comply, they aren’t worth a thing, writes Adélaïde Charlier and Deborah Osei-Mensah.

The Brief, powered by EPRA — A yellow traffic light for fiscal integration

“Generating energy from friction,” “focusing on the joint big picture,” — the parties likely to form Germany’s new government are competing for the blandest metaphors in an effort to signal love, peace, and harmony within the budding three-way alliance.

Fiscal reform and why it matters for climate

The EU's economic governance must drive climate action for a just transition, not austerity, writes Isabelle Brachet.

The Brief, powered by APPLiA — A tax needs global defence

Global agreements on tax and international finance are so rare that it is tough to begrudge politicians for leaping on them. No surprise, then, that last week’s OECD tax deal was followed by a collective round of back–slapping and self–congratulation. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described it as “a historic moment”.

The global tax marathon: Winners and losers

Aspects of the global tax reform agreement which have largely gone unnoticed are likely to come in for closer scrutiny in national parliaments of EU countries and in the European Parliament where some pushback can be expected, writes Dick Roche.

How the US got the upper hand in the OECD tax reform proposals

One of the more intriguing aspects of the negotiations on the OECD proposals to reform international corporate tax rules, which come up for decision this month, is the role played by the Biden administration, writes Dick Roche.

Europe must seize its chance to lead the world in cleantech

EU member states are insufficiently engaged in the regulations and funding that will promote clean technologies necessary to deliver on its climate ambitions. Now is the time to course correct, argue Peter Sweatman and Thomas Pellerin-Carlin.

Provenance and heritage in the EU: why we should preserve European products of origin

The EU should ensure that our continent’s craft heritage is protected and easily identifiable internationally, writes Sebastiano Costalonga.

The EU taxonomy can strengthen SMEs in the green transition

Small and medium-sized companies stay exempt from the new disclosure rules on the EU’s sustainable finance taxonomy starting in 2022. However corporate leaders would be well-advised to follow its implications, including SMEs, writes Finn Wendland.

A chance for a transatlantic reset

The Trade and Technology Council marks an opportunity for de-escalation and bridge-building in the troubled transatlantic relationship, writes Anna Michelle Asimakopoulos.

Defending Europe starts with defending and strengthening European competitiveness

As EU leaders looks towards economy recovery in the wake of the pandemic, they need to give businesses the environment needed to thrive, writes Stefano Mallia.

Banking and fintech: not a zero sum game

By working together, and with policymakers, banks and fintech businesses can speed up the EU's economic recovery, writes Ellen Moeller

The Brief, powered by EPRA — The politics of the pact

The EU’s fiscal rule book was an early victim of the COVID pandemic, correctly, pushed aside by the need to keep businesses afloat as lockdowns derailed economies. But it has not been forgotten.

The new crusade for fiscal prudence

The frugal alliance stands to gain very little if their campaign for premature fiscal consolidation following the pandemic succeeds, but they risk exposing the entire EU to serious political and economic consequences, writes Anna Peychev.

Can President Biden deliver on global tax reform?

On global tax reform, the key question is whether US President Joe Biden will be able to persuade Congress to support the changes needed to implement a global plan to tax multinationals more fairly, writes Dick Roche.