Member News

MJV | What is the Product-Service System and what is its relationship to sustainability?

Have you considered rethinking your business model with a more sustainable mindset? In the ESG era, this is the mission of many managers. The Product-Service System represents a new way of relating to products. How about the fact that the energy efficiency of many processes domestic and industrial does not reach 50%? A large part of the resources we use ends up as garbage, without reuse. The key factor to this problem is in the way we deal with our...

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Member News

Europe’s Halfway Banking Reforms Have Run Out of Time

Previously published in Bloomberg Politics & Policy | Scandals and failures will continue to plague the sector until it completes the unified regulation it promised more than a decade ago, including deposit insurance similar to that of the U.S. Europe’s banking sector continues to be shaken by scandals and failures. German public prosecutors are facing demands to bring charges against the German banking arm of Greensill Capital. Germany's financial regulator, BaFin, has been humiliated by the 3.5 billion euro Wirecard scandal. Serious...

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Member News

Orrick | Supreme Court Narrows Reach of Telephone Consumer Protection Act

Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision that, at least in the short run, is likely to dramatically reduce litigation under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”). In Facebook, Inc. v. Duguid, the Court held that only a narrow set of telephone equipment meets the definition of “an automatic telephone dialing system” (“ATDS”) for purposes of the statute’s ban on making certain types of calls with an ATDS.  The TCPA’s prohibition on using an ATDS to call a cell...

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Chapter News

The European American Chamber of Commerce Welcomes Texas to its Growing Network

Erin McKelvey, Executive Director, EACCTX The European American Chamber of Commerce Welcomes Texas to its Growing Network Ruth Baron, President, EACCTX The European American Chamber of Commerce is delighted to announce the addition of Texas to our network. The EACC Texas Chapter was transitioned from the 41 yr. old French-American Chamber of Commerce DFW, whose Board agreed unanimously that including Europe as a whole is the Future especially when it comes to building fruitful Transatlantic Business connections. The newly formed EACC Texas brings an additional...

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Member News

Troutman Pepper | SEC Has Its Eye on SPACs

SPACs — short for “special purpose acquisition companies” — recently have drawn significant interest by companies and executives as a more seamless method to conduct an initial public offering. Often referred to as “blank check” companies, SPACs provide a vehicle by which companies may raise funds from public markets through initial public offerings (IPOs) that take a company from private to publicly listed. Unlike traditional IPOs, which often involve private companies that have developed over time, SPACs are shell...

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Chapter News

Speech | Navigating the Digital Transition, Maintaining a Stable Payment System

France Payments Forum – Les Rencontres Digitales Conference 2021 – Crypto-payments, 8 April 2021; Opening address by Denis Beau, First Deputy Governor | Introduction The health crisis that we have all been living through for a year now has affected people's day-to-day habits, changing not only how we consume but also how we like to pay. This has sped up the transition towards more digital approaches. This acceleration raises major challenges for Europe’s payment ecosystem, but also for payment regulators and supervisors....

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Member News

NautaDutilh | Belgium Employment – Are you ready for a Covid-19 inspection?

The Social Inspectorate is responsible for monitoring compliance with the rules on teleworking enacted to combat the spread of Covid-19. Criminal or administrative fines may be imposed for noncompliance with these rules. In the event of a Covid-19 inspection by the Social Inspectorate, the following information/documents should be made available. 1.    Covid-19 risk analysis Although teleworking is mandatory, measures should still be taken to protect employees who cannot telework due to the nature of their position or for business continuity reasons....

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Member News

Ogletree Deakins | A Review of U.S. Immigration Policies Implemented by Presidents Trump and Biden Before, During, and After the COVID-19 Pandemic

Written on March 30, 2021 | With the new President, we expect a less restrictive approach toward immigration, however, the COVID-19 virus has significantly impacted global travel and immigration since March 2020.  As such, the current and past Administrations have implemented travel and immigration restrictions in the name of safety.  These measures have ranged from simple travel restrictions, to outright travel bans, medical testing requirements, and even the suspension of certain nonimmigrant work visas and immigrant visas issued by consulates...

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Chapter News, COVID-19 News

Coronavirus: EU Commission mobilises €123 million for research and innovation to combat the threat of variants

The EU Commission is mobilising €123 million from Horizon Europe, the new EU research and innovation programme, for urgent research into coronavirus variants. This first emergency funding under Horizon Europe adds to a range of EU-funded research and innovation actions to fight the coronavirus and contributes to the Commission's overall action to prevent, mitigate and respond to the impact of coronavirus variants, in line with the new European bio-defence preparedness plan HERA Incubator. Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth,...

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Chapter News

ECB | What are targeted longer-term refinancing operations (TLTROs)?

Targeted longer-term refinancing operations (TLTROs) are central to making sure that our monetary policy reaches people. Through TLTROs, the ECB offers longer-term loans to banks at favourable costs and encourages them to lend to businesses and consumers in the euro area. This keeps borrowing costs low and supports spending and investments. How does it work? TLTROs are different from our main refinancing operations in three distinctive ways: TLTROs are specifically targeted – as the name says – at maintaining or...

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