Just now, on 22 November, the EU Tax Observatory has published a study on tax dumping in the EU. More and more EU member states are courting the income tax of rich individuals from other European countries: between 1995 and today, the number of special tax regimes for the super-rich and pensioners has increased more […]
Shameful blockade is over: Council nominates Verena Ross for ESMA chair
The Council of Ministers today nominated Verena Ross as candidate for the chair of the European market supervisor ESMA. Previously, the German had already been Executive Director of the authority until May 2021. Today’s decision was preceded by a months-long blockade in the Council. The Italian government in particular pushed for the nomination of the […]
Solvency II: Insurance regulation continues to have more holes than Swiss cheese
Today, 22 September 2021, Finance Commissioner Mairead McGuinness presents her long-awaited proposals for a revision of the European insurance rules Solvency II. It is the biggest amendment to date of the framework, which came into force in the EU in 2016 after years of negotiations. The new proposal builds on comprehensive recommendations which the European […]
Green successes in FinTech regulation: Promoting innovation & protecting consumers
Dear friends, dear interested, There is news on consumer and investor protection in digital financial services! The European Parliament’s Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) has just demonstrated how strict consumer protection can go hand in hand with innovation friendliness in the FinTech sector. The Committee’s position on blockchain-based trading systems combines strengthened investor […]
Money laundering in the banking sector: EU Court of Auditors gives European institutions a damning report card
28 June. The European Court of Auditors has just published its special report on EU anti-money laundering measures in the banking sector. Their verdict: “EU efforts to fight money laundering in the banking sector are fragmented and implementation is insufficient”. The auditors criticise a “lack of coordination at EU level” to prevent money laundering and […]
New rules for Bitcoin & Co: My proposals for the EU crypto regulation
Dear friends, dear interested, Europe is finally moving forward with the regulation of crypto-assets. This is to introduce binding rules for existing cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum and to create a framework for innovative financial services based on blockchain. After the EU Commission presented a legislative proposal for Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) last autumn, […]