Chapter News

Eurosystem agrees on common stance for climate change-related sustainable investments in non-monetary policy portfolios

Eurosystem agrees on common stance for climate change-related sustainable and responsible investment principles for euro-denominated non-monetary policy portfolios Common stance promotes disclosures and understanding of climate-related risks Eurosystem aims to start climate-related disclosures for these types of portfolios within two years The Eurosystem central banks – the 19 national central banks of the euro area countries and the European Central Bank (ECB) – have defined a common stance for applying sustainable and responsible investment principles in the euro-denominated non-monetary...

Read more

Member News

Marks Paneth | Biden tax proposals: What you should know

With Democrats now in control of Congress, it is increasingly likely that President Biden will be able to get at least some of his tax proposals passed. However, as the details of these proposals are still fluid, it is important to be mindful of the potential changes and to keep up with any new information. Income/Payroll Tax President Biden’s proposals aim to increase tax rates and limit deductions for taxpayers with income above $400,000. It is uncertain whether the $400,000 amount...

Read more

Brexit News, Member News

Arendt | Clarifications on the validity of insurance contracts concluded by UK insurance undertakings in a post-Brexit context

Validity of insurance contracts concluded by UK insurance undertakings in a post-Brexit context – Clarifications by the Luxembourg legislator The Luxembourg legislator recently amended the law of 27 July 1997 on insurance contracts, as amended (the “1997 Law”) in adopting the law of 19 December 2020 on the budget of State revenue and expenditure for the financial year 2021. In particular, this amendment clarifies the post-Brexit validity of insurance contracts concluded by UK insurance undertakings prior to the end of...

Read more

Member News

Houthoff | Remuneration policy, cross-border distribution of investment firms and UCITS, climate change and more

In this News Update, we discuss the amended Regulation on Sound Remuneration Policy Wft 2017, the consultation on the Act Implementing the Directive on Cross-Border Distribution of investment firms and UCITS, the ECB's new climate change centre, and the AFM's supervision agenda for 2021 and research agenda for 2020-2021. Finally, we highlight some other important financial regulatory publications. If you wish to stay informed, you can subscribe to the News Update Financial Regulatory. DNB – Amended regulation on Sound Remuneration Policy Wft...

Read more

Member News

Steptoe | EU Plans to Enhance Enforcement of EU Sanctions and Counteract Extra-Territorial Third-Country Sanctions

On January 19, 2021, the European Commission (the Commission) presented a Communication setting out a strategy to stimulate the openness, strength, and resilience of the European Union's economic and financial system. An important part of this Communication concerns EU sanctions, in particular: The implementation and enforcement of EU sanctions regimes. The EU's resilience to the effects of the extra-territorial application of unilateral sanctions and similar measures by third countries. The stated aim of the proposed actions is to further enhance the EU's strategic...

Read more

Brexit News, Member News

H&K Law | Brexit: Implications for Dispute Resolution

Highlights Brexit has officially arrived and brings with it changes to a number of important areas concerning cross-border litigation between the United Kingdom and European Union. This Holland & Knight alert gives an outline of the possible implications of Brexit in this field, primarily from an English law perspective and with a focus on commercial contractual matters. It is more important than ever that the points and issues discussed below are considered carefully at the negotiating and drafting stages...

Read more

Chapter News

How the EU wants to achieve a circular economy by 2050

Find out about the EU’s circular economy action plan and what additional measures MEPs want to reduce waste and make products more sustainable. If we keep on exploiting resources as we do now, by 2050 we would need the resources of three Earths. Finite resources and climate issues require moving from a ‘take-make-dispose’ society to a carbon-neutral, environmentally sustainable, toxic-free and fully circular economy by 2050. The current crisis highlighted weaknesses in resource and value chains, hitting SMEs and industry. A circular economy will cut...

Read more

Chapter News

ECB | The initial fiscal policy responses of euro area countries to the COVID-19 crisis

Euro area countries have relied extensively on fiscal policy to counter the harmful impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on their economies. They have implemented a broad range of measures, some with an immediate budgetary impact and others, such as liquidity measures, which, in principle, are not expected to cause an immediate deterioration in the fiscal outlook. Since all euro area countries were hit by the economic shock largely through the same channels, their fiscal responses in the early...

Read more

COVID-19 News, Member News

Troutman Pepper | Borrower Beware: First False Claims Act PPP Loan Fraud Settlement Signals More to Come

The Department of Justice (DOJ) entered into its first civil settlement for loan fraud involving the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). On January 12, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California announced that Slidebelts, Inc. and its president and CEO, Brigham Taylor, agreed to pay $100,000 in damages and penalties to resolve civil fraud allegations for misrepresenting their bankruptcy to obtain a $350,000 PPP loan. In April 2020, California-based fashion accessories internet retailer Slidebelts submitted three PPP loan applications, falsely...

Read more

Member News

Portolano Cavallo | Combating tax evasion: The EU Commission proposal for digital platforms

This article is part of Portolano Cavallo’s monthly “INFORM@ Digital & IP” Newsletter. Click here to subscribe. | Increasing use of digital platforms to sell goods and services, according to the information available to the Commission, has led to inconsistent income reporting and significantly raised the risk of tax evasion. The Commission hopes to put in place via the Commission proposal (the “Commission Proposal” or “Proposal”) amending the directive regarding administrative cooperation in the field of taxation, also known as the DAC (Directive 2011/16/EU) a...

Read more