MEPs will be weighing up the benefits of growth versus austerity when they vote on 13 June on legislation that will give more power to the Commission to police national budgets. As the political climate in Europe changes, many have questioned the wisdom of pushing forward with austerity at the expense of growth. Yet there is broad agreement that public finances have to be consolidated. It remains to be seen whether MEPs agree the latest budget proposals fit in...

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Shared by ALFI: The European Commission published last week a Roadmap outlining the next steps it plans to take towards the adoption of a Communication on the Action Plan: European Company Law and Corporate Governance. The Commission hopes to adopt this Communication by October 2012. It will among others announce measures intended to address several reasons the Commission has identified for the lack of shareholder engagement. The Commission names in this context among other problems arising from the principal-agent relationship between...

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Planned €80 billion EU research programme sharpens focus on converting research results into products and services.   The 2014-20 programme – known as Horizon 2020– would bring all of the EU’s research and innovation funding programmes under a single umbrella. This will make it easier to turn scientific breakthroughs into innovative products and services that improve people's daily lives and create business opportunities.The proposals earmark funding for three key objectives: €24.6 billion to keep Europe a world leader in science. The...

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The Plan for a coordinated EU approach would establish common rules for intervening when a bank is in financial trouble – and help make taxpayer-funded bailouts unnecessary. The global financial crisis has demonstrated that a problem with one bank can quickly spread to the rest of the economy and to other countries. It has also become clear that EU countries don't have the right rules in place to properly manage failing banks. The global financial crisis has demonstrated that a problem...

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"President Barroso welcomed today the results of the Irish referendum on the Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance." 01/06/2012 "This Treaty is a key component of the EU's response to the current economic crisis. Restoring sustainability to public finances remains an important objective" he said. He called on Ireland's support to the Commission's proposals for boosting growth published earlier this week. The President added that today's vote is a significant step towards Ireland's economic recovery. Read the message Watch the video

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"Yesterday President Barroso met Chancellor Merkel for a working dinner in Berlin." 05/06/2012 They took this opportunity to discuss and prepare for the next European Council and to talk about further steps on how to enhance growth and stability in Europe. They both agree that beyond immediate actions for growth and stability, a political vision for the future of Europe is needed and that the monetary union should be supported by the creation of an economic union. Therefore they are both...

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The European American Chamber of Commerce (EACC) and the International Property Tax Institute (IPTI) are pleased to announce they have exchanged memberships with one another and are planning to develop joint programs and educational seminars to the benefit of their respective members and others who use their services. IPTI is an independent, not-for-profit organization which utilizes the expertise of its world wide network of members to assist governments, taxpayers, professionals and academics in obtaining better knowledge and understanding of the...

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Multi-year research effort to improve supply, efficient use, and recycling of rare earths and other critical materials to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign sources May 31, 2012, U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu today announced plans to invest up to $120 million over five years to launch a new Energy Innovation Hub, establishing a multidisciplinary and sustained effort to identify problems and develop solutions across the lifecycle of critical materials. Rare earth elements and other critical materials have unique chemical...

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The financial crisis highlighted that public authorities are ill-equipped to deal with ailing banks operating in today's global markets. In order to maintain essential financial services for citizens and businesses, governments have had to inject public money into banks and issue guarantees on an unprecedented scale: between October 2008 and October 2011, the European Commission approved €4.5 trillion (equivalent to 37% of EU GDP) of state aid measures to financial institutions1. This averted massive banking failure and economic disruption,...

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