Transparency International has now published its Corruption Perception Index 2017. The Scandinavian countries are in the lead. The best EU countries, Denmark (88) and Finland (85) rank right behind the best, New Zealand (89). On the other hand, Hungary (45) drops by 10 points (on a scale from 0 “highly corrupt” to 100 “very clean”), […]
Breakfast briefing: Sustainability and competition law – Thu 22 Feb, 8-9h
Dear Members, dear colleagues, dear journalists, We would like to invite you to join a breakfast briefing, provided by “Fair Trade Advocacy Office” on sustainability in competition law this Thursday, 22 February 8-9h in the MEP salon in the European Parliament, Brussels. Commissioner Vestager will rule soon on the Bayer-Monsanto merger as a question of […]
Energising European Democracy: Time for Transnational Lists – Open Letter
Transnationale Listen könnten den Charakter der Europawahl entscheidend verbessern: als europäische Wählen, die ihren Namen verdienen, statt als Summe aus 28 nationalen Wahlen. Dieser offene Brief richtet sich an die Europaabgeordneten, die am Mittwoch 7. Februar abstimmen, ob transnationale Listen als Meilenstein für eine stärkere Europäische Demokratie kommen. Meinen herzlichen Dank für große Unterstützung bei […]
Investment firms: Welcome opportunity to discuss the market power of Blackrock & Co.
Today, the European Commission has issued a proposal to make the regulation and supervision of investment firms more proportionate. Smaller investment firms shall enjoy a lighter regime, while very large firms shall be put under the common supervision of the ECB’s single supervisory mechanism (SSM). The proposal has to be agreed by the Parliament and […]
Panama Papers Inquiry Committee: European governments assisted in aggressive tax competition. European Parliament demands U-turn in the fight against tax dumping and money laundering.
Today, by a large majority, the European Parliament adopted in plenary the final report and the recommendations of the Committee of Inquiry into Money Laundering, Tax Avoidance and Tax Evasion (PANA). In the final report, MEPs accuse Member States of serious failures in combating money laundering, tax avoidance and tax evasion. In the recommendations, MEPs […]
EU lobby register: Council entering negotiations is a chance for coherent lobby transparency
Today, the Council of Member States, in the Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER), adopted its position for negotiations on the EU Transparency Register for lobbyists. The Commission had drafted a new Inter-Institutional Agreement (IIA) in September 2016. The Council now asked for amendments to this draft and proposed its own commitments in a separate draft […]