Euro & Finance
A ”facelift” to the EIB: the EU financial arm needs forward-looking reforms
The European Investment Bank (EIB) celebrates this year its 60th anniversary. But the 1958-founded EU body and bank should now look forward and commit to becoming a more sustainable, accountable and transparent institution, writes Xavier Sol.Promoted content
Role of investment hubs in global FDI flows: unknown, unloved?
On May 22, the Investment Facilitation Forum (IFF) holds an event that seeks to clarify the role of investment hubs and explore how their activities are linked to the EU tax agenda, financial regulation and the assistance to developing countries. Ahead of the event, the IFF president shares his view on the importance of distinguishing between investment hubs and tax havens.
Member states should renew fiscal vows
In 2012, all but two EU member states committed themselves to strengthening the rules and institutions that govern their national budget preparation processes by signing the European Fiscal Compact. However, little has been done since, writes Michal Horvath.
Making the most of the European Values Instrument
The European Values Instrument can provide a much-needed boost to the weakened resilience of European democracies. However, the details of its structure will determine whether this opportunity will be grasped, write Jan Jakub Chromiec and Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz.
European Parliament sounds the alarm over developing world debt crisis
The number of poor countries facing major debt crises has doubled since 2013, and only 1 in 5 are now considered to be at low risk of crisis. With some countries in the midst of crisis and others on the brink, meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) remains a pipe dream, writes Mark Perera.
What kind of budget do Europeans need?
The EU's new multiannual budget must reflect its new ambitions. Europe must assert itself as a geopolitical entity, as a democratic power with not only an economic dimension but social and cultural as well, writes MEP Maria João Rodrigues.
No more excuses: The EIB needs a responsible policy against tax abuses
The EIB is a public institution and supports projects in the name of EU policies. Therefore it is high time for the EU bank to ask for more than what commercial banks do for the sake of justice and broader public interest, write Xavier Sol andAntonio Tricarico.
Brexit financial services deal will be difficult
The industry has accepted that so-called “passporting” rights will not be possible after Britain leaves the EU. The concept of “equivalence” has been mooted as a solution but even agreeing to that will be difficult, writes Mark Boleat.
AI and robots should not be attributed legal personhood
Technology has revolutionised the financial industry, but we’re long overdue a revolution in the way we think about its future role and the policies that should govern it, write Daniel Schlaepfer and Hugo Kruyne.
A specific Brexit finance deal benefits the EU
By not embracing the UK financial sector in a future trade deal, the EU might chase global capital markets away from Europe. The idea that Europe will win by keeping London at arm’s length is naïve at best, writes Georges Ugeux.
Debt: A measure of EU democracies illness
In discussions over the EU's next multi-annual budget, EU institutions need to pursue their efforts to decrease the burden of debt, write Cécile Philippe and Diego Sanchez de la Cruz.
AI: The future of renewable energy investment
Companies like Google and Amazon, as well as investment funds, are pouring millions of dollars into renewable energy. The use of predictive management tools and Artificial Intelligence is becoming more and more common in this process, writes Rodrigo Villamizar.
Reinvigorating Europe by investing in its people – vital role of EU budget
The EU has set itself an ambitious social agenda in the shape of the European Pillar of Social Rights, but the biggest test will be whether decision-makers will put their money where their mouths are by providing the necessary funds, writes Jana Hainsworth.
EU lobbying rules must apply at the ECB
The European Central Bank should meet the same demands as the Commission when it comes to lobbyists in its advisory structure, insists the Corporate Europe Observatory.
On finance, ‘Think Sustainability First’
‘Think Sustainability First’ must be a principle that guides financial policymaking through this decade and the next if Europe is to have the means to match its global ambitions, writes Arlene McCarthy.
Europe is recovering but needs to confront lingering dangers to its unity
Europe is on the road to recovery which means now is the time for it to take the lead on a global scale and tackle the concerns and needs of its citizens, write Martina Larkin and Eckart Windhagen.
Moving the payment landscape forward at speed
The way we pay and shop continues to evolve at speed but the vision of a safe, secure and simple digital payments landscape is happening all around us, writes Ann Cairns.
In 2018, expect the euro area economy to put on the brakes – but not for the reason you may think
The euro area economy has at last started to begin recovering convincingly from the past decade’s two recessions. But two big factors will moderate growth in 2018, writes Ilaria Maselli, citing the ageing workforce in Germany as being of particular concern.
A three-step plan for a better European Monetary Fund
The European Commission's ESM reform plans are so one-sided that they can only exacerbate the Eurozone’s existing problems and deepen the gulf between creditor and debtor states, writes Clemens Fuest.
Tackle the discrepancies of enlargement to build a genuine social model
To put vigour back into its social model, the discrepancies and contradictions which are the byproducts of the enlargement and deepening of the Union during the last twenty years need to be addressed, writes Alfred Sant.
Does return of EU growth weaken case for Brexit?
One of the more powerful arguments advanced in Britain by Eurosceptics – from hardline Brexit ideologues to polite rationalists who disliked many aspects of European integration - was that the European Union had a dreadful economic tale to tell this century, writes Denis MacShane.
After Paradise Papers, it is high time for the EU to act
The Paradise Papers showed once again that anonymous companies are being used as a ‘getaway vehicle’ for criminality, writes Nienke Palstra.
Sustainable finance requires a change in incentives
Hurricane Harvey’s trail of carnage through Houston, the oil capital of the US, was a stark reminder of the effect that climate change can have on our economy, writes Peter Blom.