When the final chapter of the UBS bailout closes in November, the bank accounts will show tax payers, ordinary account holders and small businesses as the chief beneficiaries.

Speaking before the United Nations, Swiss President Ueli Maurer denounced the pressure put on small countries by big ones. Michael Ambuhl, former Secretary of State and negotiations strategist par excellence, puts things into perspective.

This year the free movement of eastern European workers within the EU has been questioned. Fearing excessive use of their own welfare systems, governments have argued for continued access restrictions.

US-based credit-rating agencies are regularly subject to condemnation for causing or amplifying financial crises – the Eurozone Crisis in particular. Should Europe try to set up a European agency to counter this? This column discusses evidence that shows that the largest German rating agency was more aggressive than the US Big Three both in terms of a lower level and a higher propensity to quickly downgrade Eurozone problem countries.

Vladimir Makei, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus (since August 2012).
Resume The human rights debates, which have been high in the past two decades, have proven futile. They increasingly make it clear that it is impossible to change attitudes that are enrooted in centuries-old specific cultural, religious, and other underpinnings.

Pension issues in the EU member states are regulated by the so-called supplementary division of competences and are subject to different means from numerous policies. Several Commissioners are responsible for integration process concerning persons under retirement age, i.e. mostly those on pensions.

A joint European Commission/European Investment Bank Group report on the activities facilitating access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises in 2012 was recently published.

Investment in „green agriculture“ intends to bring multiple returns to nature, society and people. The European Commission adopted a new strategy for encouraging the use of green infrastructure and ensuring that the enhancement of natural processes.

The Council’s recommendations coped with the member states intentions to follow the decisions of the policy guidance in the European Social Investment Package. There are some clear ways forward along the lines of investment, innovation and involvement. Active participation, constructive suggestions and enthusiasm to work together represent a collective desire to implement the policy proposals in the Social Investment Package.

Up to 2009, the European NATO allies (especially some „old“ ones) obviously seemed to believe that first, the U.S. need Europe more than vice versa, second that the U.S. needs an mediator between Moscow and Washington and third, that Europe can pragmatically oscillate between loyalties to its North American ally and its interests in the Middle East.

Addressing the 12th annual conference of the International Competition Network, ICN (Warsaw, 24 April 2013), Joaquín Almunia, Commission Vice-President responsible for Competition underlined evolutionary pressure of globalisation on competition.

The Commission published the findings of the in-depth reviews carried out into 13 member states identified in last November’s Alert Mechanism Report as showing signs of macroeconomic imbalances.