Finance & Trade

Lawfare: China and EU Finalize Investment Agreement

January 08, 2021

Lawfareblog.com examines the possible consequences should the European Parliament ratify a new agreement on direct investment between China and the European Union.
Council on Foreign Relations Explains the Brexit Deal

December 30, 2020

The United Kingdom and European Union finalized negotiations for the Brexit Trade and Cooperation Agreement on Christmas Eve, respecting the major lines for both parties but still leaving much uncertainty to be addressed in the future.
EU Parliament and Council Reach Agreement on Budget

December 08, 2020

The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union have agreed on the 2021 Budget but will postpone the adoption pending the lifting of Hungary and Polands blockade of the Multi-annual Financial Framework 2021-2027.
Brexit: UK Prime Minister Johnson to meet with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen

December 08, 2020

BBC reports that, after a 90 minute phone conversation between UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen failed to advance negotiations for Brexit, the two leaders plan to meet in order to move the process forward.
New EU financing Instrument to Support EU AI companies

December 08, 2020

To support the growth of artificial intelligence companies across Europe. the European Investment Bank (EIB), together with the European Investment Fund (EIF), launched a new financing instrument at the Web Summit in Lisbon, which will take the form of a co-investment facility of up to €150 million.
Pfizer and Biontech Reach an Agreement to Supply EU with 200 Million Doses of Their Covid-19 Vaccine

November 16, 2020

Pfizer and BioNTech SE announced that they have reached an agreement with the European Commission to supply 200 million doses of their investigational BNT162b2 mRNA-based vaccine candidate against SARS-CoV-2 to European Union (EU) Member States starting by the end of 2020 depending on the clinical success and regulatory authority.
EU Charges Amazon with Misuse of Data

November 12, 2020

Following an inquiry which included the procurement of a massive data set from Amazon, European Union regulators filed antitrust charges against the company, saying the online retail giant broke competition laws by using its access to data from companies that sell products on its platform to gain an unfair advantage over them.
Washington Examiner: German Defense Minister Takes a Stance on Huawei

November 04, 2020

According to Germany Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, Chinese telecommunications giants, including Huawei, are facing a regulatory framework under which Germany will only work with trustworthy companies, thereby acknowledging that Chinese-made 5G wireless technology represents an intelligence crisis.
China and EU to Launch Pilot Program on International Patent Searches

October 24, 2020

The China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) and the European Patent Office (EPO) are set to launch a two-year pilot program enabling Chinese patent applicants to designate the EPO as an additional option for international searches creating a comprehensive strategic partnership between the two intellectual property (IP) offices helping Chinese applicants acquire IP protection in Europe.
Europe and Africa join forces for Global Tech Tax

October 13, 2020

In an effort to push for a global tech tax rate, Europe and Africa are joining forces through The Organization for Economic and Development to publish technical blueprints on how to tax digital companies across borders to compete with American skepticism and to aid in Covid economic recovery.