Finance & Trade

EU Brexit Guidelines Open Door for Trade Deal

April 05, 2017

The think tank Open Europe has published an analysis of draft Brexit negotiation guidelines from EU Council President Donald Tusk indicating that, while "the door is wide open" for negotiations on departure terms to run alongside talks on a future free trade deal, the UK may balk at demands such as those giving the Court of Justice of the EU a role in dispute settlement.
Newman: EU Members Can Achieve Trade Deal with UK

April 05, 2017

Henry Newman of the British think tank Open Europe outlines a number of major considerations and potential pitfalls in the upcoming negotiations between the UK and the EU and predicts that Britain stands a better chance at achieving a post-Brexit trade deal with the EU if it can coax other EU member states into taking on a muscular role in negotiations.
EU Pushes for Financial Services Integration

April 05, 2017

The European Commission has released a Consumer Financial Services Action Plan that will seek to further centralize EU financial services regulation to "prise open national barriers" preventin cross-border access to financial services across the bloc.
UK, Gulf States Eye Post-Brexit Trade Deal

March 31, 2017

Reuters reports that officials in a number of Gulf Arab states, including those in the Gulf Cooperation Council, are preparing proposals for free trade deals with Britain to be agreed immediately after the country leaves the EU.
French Regulator: EU Must Maintain Ties to UK Finance

March 30, 2017

At a recent conference, Gerard Rameix, the chairman of a French financial regulatory agency, called for the EU to assess the prospect of establishing a special financial "equivalence" regime for the UK market to maintain close ties after Brexit and asserted that the EU should maintain supervision over the clearing of euro-denominated transactions in London.
ESAs Welcome Push Toward EU Financial Union

March 30, 2017

A press release from the European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs), which help oversee the harmonization of European financial regulations, welcomes the European Commission's planned review of their frameworks in an effort, in part, to strengthen their authority to contribute to the establishment of a full-fledged EU Capital Markets Union.
Dutch Report Calls for Special UK-EU Trade Deal upon Brexit

March 30, 2017

Reuters reports that an analysis commissioned by the Dutch Parliament calls on negotiators of the post-Brexit EU-UK relationship to maintain strong economic ties between the EU and Britain in the form of a special free trade deal that would take effect upon the UK leaving the bloc.
Hungary Warns EU to Maintain Trade with UK

March 21, 2017

In a recent interview, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto cautioned the EU against "alienating" the UK through an unfavorable post-Brexit trade deal, arguing that a low-tariff agreement keeping the UK in the European orbit would be much preferred to a situation where the UK finds better deals elsewhere.
Banking Initiative Pushes for CEE Finance Union

March 17, 2017

The Vienna Initiative, a framework developed by European bank authorities to maintain financial stability in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), has announced the establishment of a working group to investigate obstacles, including domestic regulation, to the development of a cross-border capital markets union in the CEE region.
UK Official Pledges to "Fight Back" If EU Refuses Deal

March 17, 2017

In a recent interview, UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond asserted that he expects to negotiate a comprehensive free trade deal with the EU during Brexit talks but warned that his government will take any steps necessary to "fight back," including with trade deals and potentially other measures, if the bloc refuses such a deal.