Finance & Trade

Italy Fines Google $123 million for Blocking an App from Android Auto

May 17, 2021

Italy's competition regulator has ordered Google to pay over €100 million ($123 million) for abuse of its dominant position, citing that Google has shut out an electric vehicle recharging app from its Android Auto infotainment platform for cars for over two years.
VOA: EU Suspends China Trade Deal over Human Rights Concerns

May 12, 2021

EU Commission Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis announced that efforts to get the trade deal with China ratified by lawmakers in the European Parliament has been halted, citing that the EU sanctions against China and the Chinese counter-sanctions create an environment that is not conducive to the ratification of the agreement.
Politico: How will the EU Repay the Recovery Fund?

May 04, 2021

Following the €750 billion recovery fund EU leaders passed last July, discussions of repayment were limited, until recently, as the European Commission readies a proposal to raise at least three new levies at the EU level, including a digital tax, to repay the hundreds of billions over the next three decades.
EU’s Influence Over Financial Rules Eroded by Brexit

April 05, 2021

Brexit has created a shift in the EU’s rule-making power over London, the world’s second-largest financial center, weakening Brussels ability to use the influence to set global standards and pressure other countries to align with the bloc.
Facebook Business Model to Face EU Supreme Court

March 29, 2021

In a decision that will be closely watched from both sides of the Atlantic, Germany has requested that the supreme court of the European Union decide whether Facebook’s broad collection of user data is in breach of competition rules.
EU Deal Gives China Advantage in Media War

March 16, 2021

As concerns grow about Chinese disinformation and propaganda in Europe, the EU’s trade deal with Beijing gives China the advantage in media, allowing China to set extreme restrictions on foreign investment in news media and the entertainment industry while in Europe, Chinese investors continue to be largely free to buy news services, broadcasters, cinemas and film-making ventures.
Politico: EU’s Green Finance Agenda May Backfire

March 16, 2021

The EU’s effort to drive more money into green finance risks backfiring as the political agenda turns into a legislative muddle, making it extremely complicated for companies to follow guidelines.
German Employers Upset at Supply Chain Act

March 08, 2021

In a decision German employers decry as unfair, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Supply Chain Act obliges companies to take action against human rights violations at their foreign suppliers and will force large companies to pay fines of up to 2% of their annual global turnover if they violate the rules.
U.S. and EU Need Eachother as China Moves on AI

March 03, 2021

Politico reports that China’s move to dominate artificial intelligence and authoritarian behavior has politicians in the U.S. and EU deeply concerned, but the two powers must find a way to work together to counterbalance Beijing’s technological ambitions.
China’s Eastern Europe Strategy Takes a Hit

February 24, 2021

Politico reports that the “17+1” platform created by Beijing in 2012 to build ties with 17 Central and Eastern European countries took a hit when half of the 12 EU national leaders invited did not show.