Finance & Trade

Brzezinski: U.S. Should Increase Investment in Central Europe's Three Seas Initiative

January 08, 2020

Writing in The National Interest, Ian Brzezinski urges the United States to increase its investment in the Three Seas Initiative, a coalition of Central European countries dedicated to accelerating the development of cross border energy, transport, and digital infrastructure in the region between the Baltic, Black and Adriatic Seas.
Krause-Jackson: Socialism Declining in Europe as Support for Populism Grows

January 01, 2020

As reported by Flavia Krause-Jackson, In 2019, the long decline in socialism continued in 2019, with its popularity reaching new depths and raising questions over whether reinvention can lead to a revival.
European Parliament Adopts "Plan B" In Case of OECD Failure on Digital Tax Governance

December 23, 2019

On December 18, the European Parliament advanced a resolution to adopt an EU standard to tax digital companies in case the OECD fails to find consensus on its global approach.
European Auditors Call for Strengthening of Legal Requirements for National Budgetary Frameworks

December 10, 2019

A recent report of the European Court of Auditors concludes that the European Union needs to strengthen and better monitor its legal requirements for national budgetary frameworks, highlighting the inconsistency between the European Commission's and independent bodies' assessment of member states' compliance with EU fiscal rules.
EU Antitrust Regulators Investigate Google Data Collection Practices

December 04, 2019

In addition to imposing records fines in recent years, EU antitrust regulators are investigating Google's collection of data, focusing on how dominant tech companies use and monetize data.
European Commission Refers Poland to ECJ

December 04, 2019

The European Commission is referring Poland to the Court of Justice for allowing energy intensive businesses to be exempted from excise duty on coal and gas.
EU Commission President-Elect Signals Increased Regulation of Digital World

November 12, 2019

In a speech honoring Shoshana Zuboff, author of the book The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, European Commission President-elect, Ursula von der Leyen, explained that Europeans need to shape their own approach to regulating the digital world, building on measures such as the so-called right to be forgotten and data protection regulations like the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) to balance the power of government and market, while prioritizing the individual.
OECD Releases Guidance to Promote Tax Haven-Country Information Exchanges

November 06, 2019

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development ("OECD") has released guidance for low-tax countries on standards for exchanging information with other countries to meet 2018 reporting standards.
EU Auditor Report Evidences Lack of Adequate Controls Over Monitoring Payments

October 08, 2019

The European Court of Auditors, which is responsible for assessing the annual 155 billion euro European Union budget, has reported that more than 4 billion euros ($4.3 billion) of European Union funds were misspent last year.
WTO Green Lights US Tariffs on $7.5 Billion of European Goods

October 02, 2019

The World Trade Organization has backed a U.S. request to impose tariffs on $7.5 billion of European goods as compensation for illegal subsidies granted to airplane manufacturer Airbus by the governments of Germany, France, Spain, and the United Kingdom.