EU Rejects Biden plan to Waive COVID-19 Vaccine Patents

May 19, 2021

At a European Council summit in Porto, Portugal, top EU officials pushed back at U.S. President Joe Biden’s proposal to suspend intellectual property rights for coronavirus vaccines, citing that Washington has not put forward a specific plan.

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.

Biedermann: The Decline of European Social Democracies

May 17, 2021

Ferry Biedermann writing in The New European analyses the gradual death of European social democracies despite the fact that left leaning parties have headed governments at most about one third of the time since 1945.

Amazon Wins Appeal over €250m EU Tax Bill

May 13, 2021

In a blow to the EU’s fight against big multinational tech companies avoiding taxes, Amazon has won a court battle over allegations that the US technology company received €250m in “illegal state aid” tax benefits from Luxembourg, overturning the 2017 decision.

Germany Bans Facebook from Using WhatsApp Data over Privacy Concerns

May 12, 2021