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42. The Asset Quality Review and Capital Needs: Why re-capitalise banks with public money?
- Author:
- Daniel Gros
- Publication Date:
- 12-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Centre for European Policy Studies
- Abstract:
- There are three aggregate numbers that describe the problem the Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM) is inheriting: the 130 banks under its direct supervision hold assets worth 250% of the euro area's GDP, their capital is equivalent to only 4% of their assets' value and they have made zero profits, in the aggregate, over the last four years.
- Topic:
- Debt, Economics, Markets, Financial Crisis, and Reform
- Political Geography:
- Europe
43. Policy Lessons for Macroeconomic and Financial Crisis Management in the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean
- Author:
- Rym Ayadi and Willem Pieter De Groen
- Publication Date:
- 12-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Centre for European Policy Studies
- Abstract:
- The 2007-09 global financial crisis led to a virtual collapse in economic activity and increased financial volatility worldwide. For the developing countries, the main channel of transmission has been a drop in external transactions, such as trade, financial and capital flows, and remittances. The southern and eastern Mediterranean countries (SEMC) have also faced declining economic activity, although there seems to be considerable variation in the relative magnitudes and timing of the decline. Most of the economies in the Mediterranean basin have had delayed but longer-lasting consequences as a result of the crisis, driven mostly by their endemic trade and investment ties with the EU and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.
- Topic:
- Debt, Economics, Markets, Monetary Policy, and Financial Crisis
- Political Geography:
- Europe
44. REACH: A killer whale for SMEs?
- Author:
- Jacques Pelkmans, Ineke Gubbels-van Hal, and Lorna Schrefler
- Publication Date:
- 12-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Centre for European Policy Studies
- Abstract:
- Right from the start of the REACH debate, following the Commission proposal of October 2003, one of the more serious concerns was whether and how SMEs could cope with REACH. Indeed, there were doubts whether one of the main objectives of REACH – competitiveness of chemical and downstream companies – is consistent with the design and detailed implementation of REACH. Already in 2005, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on this aspect, insisting e.g. on lower fees for SMEs as one remedy to reduce the expected regulatory burden for smaller companies. The fear of REACH being unduly heavy and costly for SMEs has never gone away (see e.g. Gubbels Pelkmans, 2009) but merely receded in the background when the Commission and the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) were in the process of building and elaborating the REACH machinery in operational terms. This year, the problem is rearing its head again in a magnified fashion and it will not go away so easily this time.
- Topic:
- Economics, International Trade and Finance, Markets, and Monetary Policy
- Political Geography:
- Europe
45. The New European Framework for Managing Bank Crises
- Author:
- Stefano Micossi, Jacopo Carmassi, and Ginevra Bruzzone
- Publication Date:
- 11-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Centre for European Policy Studies
- Abstract:
- The European Commission proposal for a Regulation establishing a European Single Resolution Mechanism (SRM) for banks is now under consideration before the European Parliament and the Council. The main principles and tools applicable for resolving a failing bank are contained in the June 2012 Commission proposal for a Directive on bank recovery and resolution (BRR), aimed at harmonising crisis management and resolution tools in EU member states, which is also under consideration by the European legislators. Any discussion of the new system must therefore be based on both proposals.
- Topic:
- Debt, Economics, International Trade and Finance, Markets, Monetary Policy, and Reform
- Political Geography:
- Europe
46. Financial Services and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership
- Author:
- Karel Lannoo
- Publication Date:
- 11-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Centre for European Policy Studies
- Abstract:
- It is still an unresolved question whether a process for financial services regulatory cooperation and convergence will be included in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).From a n end-user's perspective, it could be argued that its inclusion could be an opportunity not only as regards product choice, but also to improve the consumer or investor protection regulatory environment on both sides of the Atlantic. The inclusion would also be in line with the assessments made by both the EU and the US that the G-20 agenda has been incorporated in local legislation and that both regimes are thus 'equivalent'.
- Topic:
- Economics, International Trade and Finance, and Markets
- Political Geography:
- United States and Europe
47. The Macroeconomic Imbalance Procedure and Germany: When is a current account surplus an 'imbalance'?
- Author:
- Daniel Gros and Matthias Busse
- Publication Date:
- 11-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Centre for European Policy Studies
- Abstract:
- The Macroeconomic Imbalance Procedure (MIP) was designed to prevent the emergence of imbalances like the large and persistent current account deficits that occurred in Spain and Ireland. But within this mechanism, a current account surplus is also viewed as a source of concern. Indeed, last year's Alert Mechanism Report (AMR), issued by the European Commission signalled an excessive current account surplus for the Netherlands and Luxembourg, while Germany just barely scraped by with a 5.9% surplus, marginally evading the 6% threshold (over a 3-year average). With the most recent report, however, Germany's status has changed. Along with the Netherlands and Luxembourg, it too has now been singled out as a euro-area country with a surplus above the upper threshold.
- Topic:
- Economics, International Trade and Finance, Markets, Monetary Policy, and Financial Crisis
- Political Geography:
- Europe and Germany
48. Proposal for a Stabilisation Fund for the EMU
- Author:
- Bernard Delbecque
- Publication Date:
- 10-2013
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Centre for European Policy Studies
- Abstract:
- This paper argues that it should be possible to complement Europe's Economic and Monetary Union with an insurance-type shock absorption mechanism to increase the resilience of member countries to economic shocks and reduce output volatility. Such a mechanism would neither require the establishment of a central authority, nor would it lead to permanent transfers between countries. For this mechanism to become a reality, however, it would be necessary to overcome certain technical problems linked to the difficulty of anticipating correctly the position of an economy in the business cycle.
- Topic:
- Economics, Markets, and Monetary Policy
- Political Geography:
- Europe
49. New markets and partners for Saudi oil exports
- Author:
- Giacomo Luciani
- Publication Date:
- 09-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Norwegian Centre for Conflict Resolution
- Abstract:
- Flows of crude oil sales are determined by refining demand. In recent years Saudi Arabia has invested massively in captive refining capacity at home and abroad and will be able to refine two-thirds or more of its oil in controlled refineries by the end of the current decade. Because refineries in Europe are likely to be put on sale as distressed assets, Saudi Aramco would have no difficulty in further expanding its controlled capacity. A continuation of this trend may even lead to the Kingdom not exporting crude oil to third parties at all. This is in line with the country's ambition to diversify its economy and its limited interest in further expanding oil production for the sake of selling oil as crude.
- Topic:
- Diplomacy, International Trade and Finance, Markets, and Oil
- Political Geography:
- Europe, Middle East, and Saudi Arabia
50. Bundestag Elections 2013: Consequences for German Capitalism and European Integration
- Author:
- Sebastian Plóciennik
- Publication Date:
- 08-2013
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The Polish Institute of International Affairs
- Abstract:
- Germany will draw a lot of attention in September 2013 when its citizens will choose a new federal parliament-Bundestag. The reason is not only the fact that the country is a big player but also that it dominates Europe on a scale not observed since the 1980s. Its economic model seems to be the most efficient in Europe at the moment and the country even has enough power to set reform agendas across the EU. Since the biggest changes in German internal and external politics can be expected if the opposition is victorious, it seems important to analyse in advance the key elements of the proposals by the major opposition force: Social-Democratic Party (SPD) and the Alliance 90/The Greens. This could help us understand what kind of change to German capitalism is advocated by these parties and how their election success could affect European integration.
- Topic:
- Economics, Industrial Policy, Markets, and Political Economy
- Political Geography:
- Europe and Germany