Finance

What influence does the financial lobby have over banking regulation and other financial markets?

Banking regulation

DG FISMA's lobby meetings: corporate bias and access for unregistered lobbyists

17.12.2015

Juncker´s transparency initiative shows only tip of the iceberg

Hedge funds vs Greece: lobbyists want “cheap ticket” to speculation

15.12.2015

This summer Greece's financial authorities fined 20 hedge funds for speculating against the Greek economy. Now, the main global lobby group for hedge funds is trying to tweak the EU's rules so they can have a free play in the future.

Expert groups

Groundhog Day: Commission asks tax dodgers for tax advice (again)

25.06.2015

Has the issue of tax avoidance ever been as important as in the current era of (Commission-backed) austerity? Public budgets continue to be slashed for want of public money, yet the news is filled with corporations avoiding taxes at the same time as their profits are at a record high. So it should be of serious concern to Europe's 500 million citizens that the European Commission has invited to its new advisory group on taxation the very same organisations involved in avoiding it, as well as their tax advisors.

Expert groups

Commission continues to ask tax offenders for advice on tax regulation

29.04.2015

On the same day the Swissleaks tax dodging scandal breaks across Europe, a tax expert from the very same bank involved, HSBC, takes a seat in the European Commission. Not there to answer questions on his employers' outrageous and highly-illegal tax avoidance practices, rather John Everett has been invited to give the Commission advice on tackling tax dodging as a member of a newly-formed advisory group.

Lobby transparency

Goldman Sachs 'updates' lobby registration and reports x14 more lobby spend in 2014, than 2013

28.04.2015

The investment bank Goldman Sachs has revised its registration in the EU's lobby transparency register and has substantially increased its declared lobby spend from the 2013 figure of less than €50,000 to €700,000-€799,999 for 2014. This compounds Corporate Europe Observatory's view that Goldman Sachs' original registration was not a full reflection of its EU lobbying activity. Yet despite this under-reporting, for five months the register secretariat took little action and Goldman Sachs was able to secure at least four meetings with top Commission officials.

Big banks

Lobbying on finance a private matter

26.03.2015

There are daily meetings between the financial lobby and the Commission, and they’re mainly about issues crucial to society at large. Despite this, the public is only able to access piecemeal information on what is discussed, and even then with unacceptable delays. Given the huge impact the financial sector has had on society, keeping this lobbying behind closed doors is deeply problematic. Transparency reform is needed.

Big banks

Tax haven bailiffs repossess BNP Paribas Fortis' furniture in Brussels

19.02.2015

Many who walked past the BNP Paribas Fortis' central Brussels branch during their lunch break yesterday were surprised by what they saw: activists-turned-bailiffs removing tables, chairs and other materials from the building, leaving them out on the pavement.

Lobby transparency

NGOs make complaint about Goldman Sachs' entry in EU lobby register

28.01.2015

LobbyControl, CEO and Friends of the Earth Europe have made a formal complaint to the EU lobby register about the entry of Goldman Sachs which the NGOs consider signficantly under-reports its lobby spend.

European Central Bank

Greece: the scary power of the ECB

23.01.2015

The actions of the European institutions ahead of the Greek elections seem hell bent on undermining a potential new Syriza government. The European Central Bank in particular is taking on an outright political role.

Investor privileges (ISDS)

CETA: Trading away democracy

19.11.2014

The EU's Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with Canada could unleash a wave of corporate lawsuits against Canada, the EU and its member states – including through the Canadian subsidiaries of US multinational corporations. This is the result of an in-depth analysis of CETA’s investor rights by Corporate Europe Observatory and 14 other environmental NGOs, citizens’ groups and workers unions from both sides of the Atlantic published today.

European Central Bank

From Deutsche Bank to supervisor at the ECB

07.11.2014

Is it appropriate to let a former board member of a Deutsche Bank investment fund go straight from there to a key position in the new European supervisory structure for banks? What's the problem with hiring people with strong links to financial corporations to monitor the big banks? Or to be part of decisions on whether measures to ensure financial stability should be imposed on them or not? And can they keep working in the financial sector at the same time?
If you ask the European Central Bank, there is absolutely no problem with this scenario.

Regulating finance: a necessary but 'up-Hill' battle

24.09.2014

Newly-released documents show that as far as financial regulation is concerned, lobbyists are besieging the Commission – which has an open door policy towards them. Can the new Commission fare better? And why is its prospective commissioner responsible for this area, Jonathan Hill, a former financial lobbyist?

Finance

DG FISMA's lobby meetings: corporate bias and access for unregistered lobbyists

Hedge funds vs Greece: lobbyists want “cheap ticket” to speculation

Groundhog Day: Commission asks tax dodgers for tax advice (again)

Commission continues to ask tax offenders for advice on tax regulation

Goldman Sachs 'updates' lobby registration and reports x14 more lobby spend in 2014, than 2013

Lobbying on finance a private matter

Tax haven bailiffs repossess BNP Paribas Fortis' furniture in Brussels

NGOs make complaint about Goldman Sachs' entry in EU lobby register

Greece: the scary power of the ECB

CETA: Trading away democracy

From Deutsche Bank to supervisor at the ECB

Regulating finance: a necessary but 'up-Hill' battle

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