CapX presents five reasons Ireland should reconsider its firm position on the backstop, still a key element of Teresa May’s Brexit agreement, widely reviled by Euroskeptic Tories who claim it will keep the UK locked in a customs union with the EU indefinitely. The basic underlying argument, of course, is that it would […]
Author: Erik Sass
Plane Cents: Belgium Flying Right On Aviation Pollution Tax
Belgium’s tax on air pollution from aviation activities may provide a model for other European countries and developed nations broadly dealing with this tricky issue, according to Bill Hemings of Transport & Environment, an industry advocacy organization. Aviation emissions are up 21% since 2012, Hemings notes in his op-ed on Euractiv.
Biomass Effect: Call For Regulation Of Forests As Energy Sources
While burning wood instead of coal may not reduce greenhouse gases, forests are at least renewable resources, checking off one “green” item. However activists are calling for new EU-wide regulations to ensure that the forests which produce wood used for energy are managed sustainably. A piece in Euractiv laments recent criticism of the proposed measure.
Euro defense strategy needs to be more, well, strategic
European efforts to develop a common integrated defense structure, or “Army,” face a number of challenges including the imminent departure from the EU of the UK, its biggest military power. However the basic goals of the Common Defense and Security Policy may still be effective provided it takes a more strategic approach, according […]
Corporate board gender quotas didn’t lead to more female bosses in Italy
Italy’s introduction of gender quotas for corporate boards produced the expected increase in female representation on boards, but not the hoped-for “spillover” effect in terms of women’s representation of the top ranks of executives at these companies, according to a discussion paper from the IZA, a German trade union-backed think tank. In short, it appears […]
Minimum wage hikes don’t cost jobs: study
A new discussion paper by Ernest Boffy-Ramirez at the IZA, a German trade union-backed think tank, shows that increases in minimum wages were not correlated with higher unemployment in four U.S. states that raised wages.
Men can literally turn a profit on paternity benefit in Slovakia
Paternity leave and paid benefits actually allow new fathers to turn a profit in Slovakia, according to Radovan Ďurana at INESS. He argues this shows a social insurance system fundamentally out of whack (original in Slovakian).
State-funded anti-market advocacy on the rise: IEA
A new report from the IEA notes the rise of state-funded anti-market advocacy groups across the EU, Wales and Scotland. England is the only place where state funding for anti-market groups is decreasing.Full details here.
“Radical but necessary reform” to UK housing economy
The Institute for Public Policy Research, self-proclaimed the UK’s leading progressive think tank, proposes a “radical but necessary” reform to the system governing the residential rental marketplace. Suggestions span landlord tax reform, introduction of mandatory open-ended tenancy, wider access to legal aid, and easing of rules about pets, among others. The full report is available […]
You GO, momicheta! Bulgaria leads the way in gender work equality
As wryly noted in the introduction to the Bulgarian Institute for Free Market’s post on gender equality, the country is usually noteworthy for ending up at the bottom of most European measures. However, Bulgaria leads in one key area: gender work equality, as reflected in wages and workforce participation, among other measures. […]