When people complain about the lack of accountability in the EU, it’s possible they have in mind the purported ‘democratic deficit’ inherent in a multi-level governance system. More likely they are thinking of the impossibility of...
For decades, Silicon Valley companies have turned traditional business models on their heads. From streaming movies to turning private cars into taxis, these companies are known for both innovation and shaking-up the markets they operate in. A...
It is that time a year again here in Brussels; as predictable as the bluebells blooming in les bois bordering the city. Once again the Parliament will be voting this week on its annual financial discharge report and, once again, they will be...
Last November amid the burgundy red buildings and blues skies of Marrakech countries from all over the globe came together for the annual Conference of Parties (COP) meeting on climate change. One of the agreements to come out of the COP 22 was to...
Yesterday Global Witness and Finance Uncovered published an investigation into dealings between Shell, its joint venture partner – the Italian oil giant Eni – and the Nigerian government. In 2011, Shell and Eni paid 1.1 billion USD for oil block...
Whether he stays on or not, Mr Dijsselbloem and the Eurogroup need to make sure that its next President does not have a built-in conflict of interest. For most of its existence, the Eurogroup’s workings were of little concern, as it went about...
Today, OpenBudgets.eu presents the European Structural Funds Data Quality Index. Slovenia ranks highest, based on high data quality and high accessibility and usability of its portal. Denmark comes in second, they provide outstanding data quality in...
On Wednesday the 29th of March, the European Commission approved two new private sector positions for the UK’s former Commissioner, Jonathan Hill. Announced during the media commotion around the UK’s formal BREXIT notification, the Commission...
On April 3rd 2016 – exactly a year ago, the Panama Papers, a trove of 11.5 million files leaked from the Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca, revealed how the global financial industry sells financial secrecy to politicians, football players,...