In February 2018, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) at Treasury Department declared Latvia’s ABLV bank an “institutionalized money laundering” operation where weapons dealers and corrupt politicians from former Soviet Union countries sent their money into Europe. Washington has watched illicit money …
Europe’s Entrepreneurs are set up to fail
After speaking in Europe these last two weeks, it’s clear GDPR will set back their startup progress by several years. The countries here are so risk-averse. They’re already years behind. And now they have GDPR. It’s too bad. There are …
Glyphosate: a European scandal?
That is what the newspaper Le Monde asserts, without any question mark, on the front page of its 28 November edition, just a few hours before Member States gave a positive opinion. According to Le Monde, the scandal would have …
Nietzsche revisited: Glyphosate – A drop of philosophy for a change
In the 1880s, the great philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche wrote: “Our era is an era of frenzy, and for this precise reason it is not an era of passion. It heats up constantly because it feels cold – essentially, it freezes.” …
Glyphosate: the Commission, a mere secretariat!
In the European Commission, they like having the power but not the responsibility. They like pressure even less. As NGOs and certain journalists go after glyphosate, the Commission is muddling through and passing the buck to the Member States without …
Which crypto are MEPs speculating on?
Cryptocurrencies are all the rage among the cool kids these days. Therefore it’s not a surprise that politicians will jump on the bandwagon to grab their spot in the sunshine. What are cryptocurrencies? According to Option.Finance “A cryptocurrency is a …
Online Privacy for Journalists
Hello there ! I saw that you mentioned the Freedom House on your page here so I figured that free press is a subject you care for. This is not an easy time for journalists all over the world, with …
A pre-summer voyage through the EU Institutions
Every year before the start of the summer break, I treat myself to a journey through the EU Institutions. I say ‘treat’ because it is a real pleasure for me to speak freely and in full confidence with elected politicians, …
Search Engine Expert’s Thoughts on EU Penalty for Google
FOR YEARS Companies were penalized harshly by Google (protecting from that is part of our business at LinkResearchTools) NOW Google was penalized harshly. This will lead more competitors to complaints and similar rulings can be expected for travel, maps, news, …
Brexit, one year on
What strikes me most, 12 months into the Brexit process, is the preparedness of some and unpreparedness of others. Methodical preparation in Brussels After lengthy meetings with officials in the European Council’s Brexit taskforce at the end of August 2016, …