The Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive will come into force later this year in the European Union (EU). This will regulate alternative investment fund managers (AIFMs) within the EU and provide for a new pan-European ”passport” for compliant alternative investment funds (AIFs), including hedge funds, private equity and real estate funds. The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) annnounced on 16 January 2013 that it has approved co-operation arrangements between the Brazilian Comissão de Valores Mobiliários (CVM) and all 27 of...

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The European Commission today set out its first comprehensive strategy to prevent and respond to cyber disruptions and attacks. The new cybersecurity strategy along with a proposal on Network and Information Security aims to prevent and fight cybercrime, strengthen the security and resilience of networks and information security systems, and helps establish a more coherent European cybersecurity policy.   The international dimension also features prominently with the objective of establishing a coherent international cyberspace policy. At bilateral level, the document underscores...

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European leaders today reached an important agreement on a balanced and growth-oriented common budget for the European Union. Noting that this compromise shows a sense of collective responsibility from Europe's leaders, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy highlighted that the 2014-2020 budget is future-oriented, realistic, and driven by pressing concerns. "I'm satisfied that all along this negotiation we kept the bigger picture in mind. Even in such difficult economic conditions, we have managed to keep essential factors of continuity and of growth." European Commission President...

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The latest edition of the European Policy Scorecard 2013 published by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) finds that the transatlantic relationship remains resilient and vital to both partners. Europe is singled out as the only dependable partner the U.S. has. The study highlights how the EU has been able to advance its foreign policy objectives. In particular, the European External Action Service, under the leadership of High Representative Catherine Ashton, has "continued to develop and consolidate its role."...

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France and Germany are each other’s closest and most important political, economical and cultural partners. The Elysée Treaty, signed on January 22, 1963 by the French President, General de Gaulle, and the German Chancellor, Konrad Adenauer, remains the cornerstone of French-German cooperation, which is the main engine of the European Union (the two countries represent 33% of the EU population, 36 % of the European Budget, 37 % of the EU GDP, 31 % of the voting rights…). The...

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