Alexander Mesarovich, PhD Candidate, University of Edinburgh Despite renewed focus of the European Union (EU) on the rule of law (ROL) during the accession negotiations of the Western Balkans (WB), part of the “fundamentals first” approach which is supposed to be entrenching the ROL and good governance, the past year has seen a wealth of …
Implications of the different merger regimes in the EU and the UK: so close yet so far?
Brexit is likely to have a significant impact on the M&A industry. Perhaps the most significant consequence is losing the one-stop-shop under the recast EU Merger Regulation, which simplifies merger procedures across the EU and now no longer applies to the UK market. This is likely to have far-reaching consequences for thousands of businesses operating …
What does “taking back control” mean for Financial Services?
Dr Cleo Davies – Senior Research Associate at the University of East Anglia On the 29th April 2021, the Financial Services Bill received royal assent. Touted as a milestone for financial services by the UK government, John Glen, Economic Secretary to the Treasury who guided the Bill through Parliament, declared “For the first time in decades, …
The State Aid Temporary Framework for COVID-19, the Banking Communication, and Burden-Sharing
Dionysios Pelekis www.linkedin.com/in/dionysios-pelekis In November 2020, the Commission approved an aid scheme designed to support the liquidity of the Italian banking sector. This measure authorised Italy’s Ministry of Economy and Finance to grant a State guarantee on the liabilities of banks based in Italy, and on loans granted discretionarily by the Bank of Italy …
Gender-based violence during the COVID-19 pandemic
By Dr Birte Böök Post-doctoral researcher at Utrecht University and content manager of the gender stream of the European Equality Law Network When the COVID-19 crisis swept across the world in 2020, it quickly became clear that the global pandemic exacerbates existing inequalities in all areas of life. While comprehensive data is still lacking, …
Addressing In-Work Poverty: The EU Minimum Wage Directive and Collective Bargaining
Ben Paterson, European Social Policy MSc, School of Social & Political Science, University of Edinburgh In 2019, the rate of workers at risk of in-work poverty within the twenty-seven European Union countries (and the UK) was 9.2%. The growing number of working households in poverty has facilitated a debate on an EU-wide minimum wage …
COVID-19 in the EU: A Death Sentence for Refugees and Asylum Seekers?
Iro Nestoros, European Social Policy MSc, School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh Introduction The UN Secretary General António Guterres, in respect of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) emphasized that “In an interconnected world, none of us is safe until all of us are safe”. In the midst of a pandemic, against a …
Work-life balance: A key to European Union recovery in the post-pandemic period
Shirong Zhou, European Social Policy MSc, School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh The pandemic has highlighted the need for an improved work-life balance policy in order to increase women’s participation in the labour market, thus guaranteeing a sustainable economic growth in the post-pandemic period within the EU. As the coronavirus pandemic …