Western Europe Archives

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Country Report

Has Italy Turned A Corner?

The foundations for economic recovery have been laid by Matteo Renzi’s government, which is tackling fundamental issues at the heart of Italy’s problems. But he has yet to work his magic on public spending.

Banking

International Investors Decry Portuguese Bank Bail-In

<strong>Capital Markets | Fixed Income</strong><br /> A bail-in provision, which places the onus on bondholders and other investors to write down their holdings in the event of winding up a troubled financial institution within the European Union, came into effect on January 1, 2016.

Capital Raising & Corporate Finance

EU Countries Agree On Principles For Financial Transaction Tax

Taxation | Capital Markets In December 2015, 10 European Union members agreed on key aspects of a harmonized financial transaction tax (FTT).

Banking

Europe’s Private Debt Boom

Traditional banks are pulling back from lending to small and midsize businesses. Just as happened in the US, funds are filling the void.

Banking

Benelux Turns A Corner For Progress

Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg call on old and new strengths to jump-start growth.

Banking

Iceland Economy Back From The Brink

Iceland has recovered smartly from the worst recession in its history. Now it must keep inflation at bay—and that might require a monetary overhaul.

Capital Raising & Corporate Finance

Slavery Act Puts Company Reputations On The Line

Management | Corporate Governance With the enactment of the Modern Slavery Act in October, the United Kingdom has made a new addition to the growing body of compliance regulations sprouting up globally.

Capital Raising & Corporate Finance

Concrete Steps Toward A CMU

Capital Markets | Remedial Measures The European Commission cites four concrete steps for kick-starting the Capital Market Union

Capital Raising & Corporate Finance

Family And Board Divisions At Heart Of Volkswagens Problems

Management | Auto Manufacturers The Volkswagen emissions scandal, which saw the company fudge emissions tests to make its cars appear less polluting, has resulted in a new CEO appointment, the suspension of key executives and a proposed group restructure.

Capital Raising & Corporate Finance

More Unified Patent Regime For Europe On The Cards

Market Trends | Intellectual Property A European patent regime with unitary effect and a Unitary Patent Court is set to come into force as early as 2017, making it simpler and cheaper for international corporations to defend their intellectual property rights.

News

President Coelho Keeps Post But Instability Looms

Portugal: At the beginning of October, Portugal’s Pedro Passos Coelho became the first eurozone prime minister to survive a bailout program and win reelection.

Banking

Staying Safe With The Award Winners

Global Finance interviews senior executives from some of the banks featured in this year’s World’s Safest Banks rankings.