The Board of the European Investment Bank approved a total of EUR 4.1 billion of new financing today. This includes investment to improve sustainable transport, healthcare, education and corporate research, as well as support for lending to small companies by local financial partners across Europe and around the world. “At a time of economic and political uncertainty the time is right to consider how to strengthen the role of multilateral banks such as the EIB.” said Werner Hoyer, President of...

The Council today adopted a directive aimed at strengthening shareholders' engagement in big European companies. The directive will encourage transparent and active engagement by shareholders of listed companies by reviewing the current Shareholders' Rights Directive (2007/36/EC). The financial crisis revealed that shareholders in many cases supported managers' excessive short-term risk taking. The revised directive is intended to redress this situation and contribute to the sustainability of companies, which will result in growth and job creation. The new directive establishes specific requirements in...

Research and Technology Organisations (RTOs) play a pivotal role in the European business landscape by bridging industry and academia and by adding value across the entire innovation value chain. However there is a need to optimise and complement RTOs’ traditional business model and funding strategies with new additional business models and funding strategies to allow them to successfully navigate through a changing funding landscape and make full use of existing business opportunities. This is the result of a study...

Tusk: So, here it is, six pages: the notification from Prime Minister Theresa May, triggering Article 50 and formally starting the negotiations of the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union. There is no reason to pretend that this is a happy day, neither in Brussels, nor in London. After all, most Europeans, including almost half the British voters wish that we would stay together, not drift apart. As for me I will not pretend that I am happy...