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In favor of climate-based stress tests for banks

  “Climate risks to European banks: a new era of stress tests” By Alexander Lehmann, courtesy of the Bruegel Institute   The release of a proposed methodology for assessing climate risks within UK banks and insurers by the Bank of England just before Christmas has fueled calls for a similar ‘climate stress test’ for European […]

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Don’t loosen bank rules for Green New Deal

  “European green finance is expanding, a discount on bank capital would discredit it” By Alexander Lehmann, courtesy of the Bruegel Institute   The Commission’s ‘European Green Deal’ sets out massive investment needs in a variety of areas, amounting to potentially 1.5 per cent of the EU’s annual GDP. If these targets are to be […]

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New finance rules: Too much information?

  “MiFID II: Too much consumer protection?” By Benedikt Schmal and Alexander Fink, translation by Anna-Maria Köhnke; Courtesy of IREF   The recently updated European Markets in Financial Instruments Directive, commonly abbreviated as MiFID II, is supposed to enhance consumers’ protection. Adjustments of regulatory background questions aside, the EU aims to improve “protection of investors by prohibiting the […]

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EU and India’s strategic partnership: hot topic or hot air?

  “EU-India: a renewed strategic partnership, or business as usual?” By Stefania Bengalia, courtesy of CEPS   In 2004, India and the European Union signed a strategic partnership, based on the shared values and principles of democracy, the rule of law, human rights and the promotion of peace and stability. Today, though, free trade negotiations […]

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Is ECB stimulus too late?

                        While monetary “hawks” tend to reject any further monetary easing from the European Central Bank like the plague, doveish types are afraid that the ECB’s latest round of easing didn’t go far enough, and may have come too late anyway. The doves’ point […]

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UK savers, prepare to be screwed by even lower interest rates

                    With a fresh wave of economic uncertainty gripping Europe and the rest of the world, central banks are considering lowering interest rates even further, and in the UK that means they may soon be heading towards 0% — raising a big question for British savers, […]