Many months post the European Commission filed formal antitrust actions against Google, the American tech-giant issued its response to the Commission last week. Google, which has always denied the European Union’s antitrust charges, this time decided to formalise its response and speak wide open. In short, the high interests and the enormous weight the case has in antitrust […]Oh, well, you are wrong, Google responds to the European Commission
September 1, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Many months post the European Commission filed formal antitrust actions against Google, the American tech-giant issued its response to the Commission last week. Google, which has always denied the European Union’s antitrust charges, this time decided to formalise its response and speak wide open. In short, the high interests and the enormous weight the case has in antitrust […]EU and US close to an agreement on data sharing amid European citizens’ concerns
August 12, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The European Union and the United States are close to sealing a deal on data sharing, which will affect the way banks and other businesses store data. As reported by Reuters last week, the European Commission is working with US authorities on the final details of the same commercial data-sharing deal that was frozen two years […]It’s Brexit again: Nigel Farage launches a personal campaign to lead the ‘No’ front
August 5, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The long, hot European summer has been widely dominated by the recent events in Greece. The Referendum first, with a significant victory of the anti-austerity front, the disastrous reopening of the Athens stock exchange then are just two significant moments that caught the observers’ attention, leaving other open questions out. One of those is for […]Nokia wins Commission’s approval for Alcatel-Lucent acquisition: a new way for antitrust cases?
July 29, 2015 by 1 Comment
The European Commission has given unconditional approval last Friday to the proposed acquisition of Alcatel-Lucent by Nokia, under the EU Merger Regulation. The 15.6 billion-euro merger with the French-American global telecommunications equipment company was announced by Nokia around 1 pm, last Friday, and later on by the European Commission through an official press release. No competition […]The US Congress and European Parliament vote are TTIP’s 10th round’s lucky cards
July 21, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The 10th round of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations between the European Union and the United States concluded last Friday in Brussels. The week of meetings and talks between US and EU negotiators came in a very delicate moment for the gigantic trade agreement, as EU Chief Negotiator Ignacio Garcia Bercero’s commented. A […]EU members commit to build an integrated gas market and finally cut dependency on Russia
July 14, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Last week, amid uncertainty driven by the Greek vote in the referendum, an important step towards Energy Union was taken. Fifteen EU and Energy Community countries signed a deal to accelerate the building of gas infrastructure, and so to reduce their long lasting reliance on Russia. Ministers from Ukraine and other fourteen countries, more than half […]EU finally agreed to cut roaming charges in 2017 but criticism is always there
July 7, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The European Union finally reached an agreement last week to end roaming charges for people travelling within its 28 member countries as of June 2017. After 12 hours of negotiation the Latvian presidency reached a provisional deal last Tuesday with the European Parliament on new rules to end mobile phone roaming fees and safeguard open […]EU officially launches its first naval mission against migrant smugglers
June 23, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The European Union has officially taken a decision yesterday regarding the staggering migrants crisis that is hitting Europe this year. The EU Foreign Ministers meeting in Luxembourg has agreed to launch a mission against migrant-smugglers in Libya, which formally represents the first, big step of the EU in this unprecedented emergency. Although it will be limited for now […]TTIP update: postponed vote and INTA meeting shuffle cards again
June 16, 2015 by Leave a Comment
This week could have become a historic one for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. The Meeting of the International Trade Committee taking place yesterday and today, just a few weeks after the European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade passed a key resolution that was de facto giving the green light to the trade agreement. Postponed vote Last week, […]Google’s bare truth: Europe’s Chief denies EU accusations but admits they “don’t always get it right”
June 9, 2015 by Leave a Comment
When back in April the European Commission formally filed a complaint against Google it was clear that the action could have turned the page of the whole “EU vs Google” case. But after the tech giant responded and set out the initial arguments against the Commission’s findings, almost immediately, no further discussion about the thorny […]TTIP wins first crucial EU test: MEPs give in to the trade agreement
June 2, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The long and much discussed Transatlantic Trade an Investment Partnership question in Europe might have reached a new phase, and all the stagnation of the past months seems now to make way for some evolutions. The European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade passed a key resolution last Thursday, backing the EU-US free trade agreement. Although it still needs to […]EU to relocate 40,000 migrants across the bloc: first step of a long due substantial reform?
May 29, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The European Union aims to propose the relocation of up to 40,000 asylum seekers who have arrived by boat to the Southern European countries like Italy and Greece across other member states in the next two years. The proposal, which has been fully unveiled by the EU last Wednesday, is part of the plans to reform […]Why David Cameron’s large victory in UK elections will not pursue a ‘Brexit’
May 19, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Following the Conservatives’ victory at British general elections, less than two weeks ago, it’s time for some original analyses and a few considerations in the UK. Prime Minister David Cameron, who has pledged to renegotiate Britain’s ties with Europe and to give voters an in-out referendum on EU membership by the end of 2017, won […]“CETA is a game changer for major trade agreements”. The Sting reports live from EBS 2015
May 16, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Trade has become one of Europe’s main keys to unlock future growth and so it became one of the hottest topics in Brussels’ finest parlour this year. But the message that European Business Summit wanted to launch in 2015 is that when it comes to trade in Europe, it certainly is not all about TTIP. The […]“TTIP can boost the European project”; the Sting reports live from EBS 2015 on TTIP
May 15, 2015 by Leave a Comment
As many were expecting, discussions over the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) had a high priority at this year’s European Business Summit 2015. Almost immediately after the kick-off of the prestigious summit last week in Brussels, which completed its 15th anniversary this year, an interesting EU-US trade agreement tailor made session was launched. “Is the TTIP compatible […]“The winner is who can accelerate the transition to a new digital era”. The Sting reports live from EBS 2015: a Digital Europe 4.0
May 12, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The Digital Economy touches every aspect of our society, from the job market and the economy to our social life. The world is changing and who wants to be competitive must adapt quickly. This was the message reinforced at the EBS 2015 Session on Europe and the digital era last week, which was moderated by Bruno […]“Only through energy policy we can trigger competitiveness”. The Sting live from #EBS2015: Energy Union – When will it happen?
May 11, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Energy Union has progressively gained importance in the course of the last year and it became one of the European Union’s biggest challenges for the future. Energy is the field where Europe’s next match for growth will be played, and securing supplies, ensuring sustainability and maintaining competitiveness represent the objectives. The new Commission has attracted the public […]What UK and EU risk if Brexit “wins” these elections
May 5, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The British general elections are just a few hours away, and uncertainty is bigger than ever. The people and – above all – the governments of Europe are watching anxiously, eager to know what the future will bring to one of the most populous and powerful countries of the continent, as well as one of the leading […]TTIP 9th Round marked by American disappointment: Will some optimism save this trade agreement?
April 28, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The ninth round of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) talks between the United States and the European Union concluded last Friday in New York City. As said to reporters by EU Chief Negotiator Ignacio Garcia Bercero at the closing press conference, the delegations from the two sides discussed “all three pillars of the negotiations: […]It’s EU vs. Google for real: the time is now, the case is open
April 21, 2015 by Leave a Comment
As anticipated by the European Sting in a latest Sting of the day last week on Google’s antitrust case in Europe, the European Commission did take finally formal actions and filed a complaint against the Northern American tech giant, alleging the company’s search results unfairly favoured its own shopping services over third-party sites. The antitrust charge followed a five-year […]EU-US to miss 2015 deadline and even lose Germany’s support in TTIP’s darkest week yet
March 31, 2015 by 1 Comment
What many TTIP supporters were afraid of – and many acute observers were expecting – was announced officially last week: The EU and United States will likely miss a 2015 deadline to conclude what would be the world’s biggest-ever free trade deal. Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics, whose country currently holds the rotating EU presidency, told reporters […]Immigration crisis at its very worst: EU to outsource rescue business to North Africa?
March 24, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The freshly released statistics on immigration, which were published by Eurostat last Friday, show that 2014 has been a negative record year for the European Union. Last year, 626,000 people applied for asylum to the EU, with the number of Syrian asylum applicants alone rising to 122,800 from 50,000 in 2013. What those statistics are saying […]Sanctions on Russia to be the biggest unity test at this European Council
March 17, 2015 by 1 Comment
The relations between the European Union and Russia, as well as the entire, delicate situation in Ukraine, will be discussed at the European Council commencing this Thursday, although no big news are likely to come. EU leaders have not yet agreed on how to proceed on Russian sanctions, but they are unlikely to reach agreement […]EU seeks foreign support on 5G from Mobile World Congress 2015 as the “digital gold rush” begins
March 10, 2015 by Leave a Comment
“The digital economy is simply becoming the economy. And the future network infrastructure, 5G, will become the infrastructure”. These words came from Günther Oettinger, the European Union Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society, and they were spelled in Barcelona, during Mobile World Congress, 2015 last week. Those words stood for Mr. Oettinger’s introduction for the […]“Leaked” TTIP document breaks post 8th negotiations round silence and opens door to critics
March 3, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The 9th round of the Transatlantic Trade & Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations is a bit more than one month and a half away, but the evolutions of the last days are certainly bound to influence and shape future talks. Last week a leaked draft of what the European Union would like to exclude from a new trade […]Minsk “ceasefire” leaves more doubts than safety, with EU already planning steps further
February 24, 2015 by Leave a Comment
When the EU’s Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini said that the Minsk ceasefire deal was important “but not definitive”, at the morrow of the agreement, everyone knew she was right. Minsk agreement was a crucial happening, in which a big step towards peace between Russia and Ukraine was taken given the delicate moment, but only a step. […]The eighth round of TTIP negotiations concludes in Brussels amid scepticism and new fears
February 10, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The eighth round of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), negotiations between the European Union and the United States, concluded last Friday in Brussels. It might be that the entire world is looking towards Ukraine and all media are focusing on the severe crisis between the former Soviet Republic and Russia, but it seems that […]EU finally to extend sanctions on Russia despite arguments; Greece again in Europe’s spotlight
February 3, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The European Union Ministers of Foreign Affairs agreed to extend by six months the existing sanctions against Russia. That was the main decision taken during the Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels last week, 29 January 2015, as described by an official announcement released on the same day. In the document the Council notes “evidence of continued […]“We have to do a better job of creating alternatives to violent extremism”, US Secretary of State John Kerry from Switzerland; the Sting reports live from World Economic Forum 2015 in Davos
January 27, 2015 by Leave a Comment
There was probably no need for Professor Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, to welcome an “old friend and supporter” of the foundation by mentioning the magnitude of the current geopolitical crises, for us to understand what John Kerry’s speech would have been focused on. Almost everybody at the small […]Russia to cut gas supplies again: can the EU get back to growth without a solid energy market?
January 21, 2015 by Leave a Comment
“Energy” is a word that may sound a bit alarming in the European Union nowadays. This happens because Europe has a problem: its energy supplies are not secure. The EU’s prospects of remaining a strong, independent economic and political player in the international arena will largely depend on whether the bloc will be able to […]New VAT rules in the EU: how a digital sea could have become an ocean
January 13, 2015 by Leave a Comment
From 1 January 2015, a major change to the European Union VAT rules occurred affecting the digital world, which is destined to be discussed widely for a long time. A new regulation has come into place where VAT on digital products sold in the EU will be chargeable in the place of purchase rather than […]Eurasian Union begins: the giant modelled on the EU is Moscow’s biggest challenge
January 6, 2015 by Leave a Comment
On the first day of 2015, when all the world was waking up ready to taste what this New Year will be like, the treaty creating the Eurasian Economic Union took effect. The new EEU has now become a reality, allowing free movement of trade, services, and capital between Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia. What […]EU-Russia relations: the beginning of a warmer winter?
December 30, 2014 by Leave a Comment
The year 2014 has seen many changes and overturns in the EU-Russia relations, but although the New Year is just a few hours away, there is still time for the last swing. From both sides. Yesterday a few Russian media outlets reported that the High Representative of the European Union Federica Mogherini stated that Western powers […]
