The Future of European Democracy

The Conference on the Future of the Europe seeks to tackle the long-criticised ‘democratic deficit’ of the European Union with its emphasis on citizen …

The Price Women Pay

Political classes on both sides of the Channel were waiting patiently for the end of the EU Parliament’s recess, and for Brexit negotiations to …

Fair and efficient? On the EC’s proposals for corporate tax reform in the digital single market

In the wake of the Ecofin meeting that took place in Tallinn on September 15-16, the European Commission published a communication on “A Fair …

The Air Berlin-Lufthansa deal breaches EU competition laws and hurts Germans consumers

On 15 August, Air Berlin was forced to file for bankruptcy after the withdrawal of funding from Abu-Dhabi based Etihad Airways, which holds 29 …

A Response to EU Public Consultation on the Most Effective Methods in Formal and Informal Teaching and Learning

The European Commission sought public opinion on the importance of equipping young people with shared values and on how education and non-formal learning can …

The EU Capital Markets Union: will progress finally accelerate?

The Capital Markets Union (CMU) was launched in 2014 by the European Commission to lower barriers to cross-border investment in the EU and to …

The European battle for London’s euro clearing market

London’s overwhelming dominance over the euro clearing market yields significant importance towards the UK’s economic performance and standing. The lucrative business is a major …

Position on EU Initiative on Restrictions on Payments in Cash

The European Commission has launched a legislative initiative on cash payment restrictions aimed at exploring the rationale for the introduction of upper limits on …

CCCTB round 2: an exercise in unification or polarisation?

Originally suggested and then subsequently shelved in 2011, the Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base is a policy designed to create a unified set of …

How has Erdogan’s referendum affected Turkey’s prospects for accession?

“We don’t care about the opinions of any Hans, George or Helga…” Erdogan proclaimed to the crowds at his presidential palace in Ankara, “…all …

Why the EU’s public image problem cannot cloud the discussions on our future

Attempting to start a debate ahead of the EU’s summit commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, the European Commission published a …

The precautionary principle and the GMO paradox

 
Since the adoption of the 1990 Directive 90/220/EEC the EU has “de facto” imposed a moratorium on cultivating GM crops.
As the European …

Beware the Commission’s rotten Apple ruling

The European Commission has ordered Ireland to recover €13bn worth of allegedly unpaid taxes from Apple. Reception of the decision has been mixed, with …

Beware the Commission’s rotten Apple ruling

7 September 2016
The European Commission has ordered Ireland to recover €13bn worth of allegedly unpaid taxes from Apple. Reception of the decision has …

Radical, but not equal: assessing corporate tax reforms

27 July 2016
A tax on turnover would tax profitable and loss-making firms equally, potentially posing an insurmountable hurdle to struggling firms, and eliminating …

The invisible effects of commission fee caps

François Bethaz and Michele Pisano // 16.06.2016
As of 9 June 2016, the new European rules on inter-bank commission fees for card-based payment transactions …

The EU goes digital (sort of)

01 June 2016
While entrepreneurship and innovation are flourishing across much of the EU’s private sector, public policy has lagged behind most recent technological …

TTIP: a pre-mortem

Diego Zuluaga // 11.05.2016
To say that negotiations for an EU-U.S. trade deal, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), have lost momentum since …

Regulatory inertia is holding back the digital economy in Europe

Diego Zuluaga // 23.03.2016
It is a cliché to observe that digital technology is changing the way we work and interact with each other. …

German judges slam EC proposals to reform ISDS

Diego Zuluaga // 05.02.2016
The German Association of Judges has rejected the European Commission’s proposals for a separate public court to handle investment disputes. …

EU Antitrust vs. Google

Istituto Bruno Leoni, 20 January 2016
The extent of market power enjoyed by Google is a debatable question. The antitrust literature emphasises the importance …

The Effect of Harmonisation of the Corporate Tax Base in the EU

Lithuanian Free Market Institute, November 2015
The European Commission has re-launched the Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base (CCCTB) initiative. CCCTB refers to a proposal …

Some cautionary notes on platform regulation

Diego Zuluaga // 03.11.2015
In a post last week, I welcomed Competition and Markets Authority chief Alex Chisholm’s plea for regulatory prudence on online …

A breath of fresh air in digital competition policy

Diego Zuluaga // 27.10.2015
Let’s say it loud and clear: There is hope for EU competition policy! After months of negative headlines and high-profile …

Euro Puppets: The European Commission’s remaking of civil society

Christopher Snowdon, March 2013
With public confidence in the European project waning, the idea of initiating a ‘civil dialogue’ with the public emerged in …