I-TIP Services is a joint initiative of the World Trade Organization and the World Bank. It is a set of linked databases that provides information on Members' commitments under the WTO's General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), services commitments in regional trade agreements (RTA), applied measures in services, and
Tag: Financial services
EC on Montenegro – More balanced growth ahead
European Commission has published fall 2019 economic forecast. Among assessed countries was also Montenegro, a candidate country for the next EU enlargement. The completion of the first section of the Bar-Boljare highway in 2020 will conclude a six-year period of fast expansion of the economy, but also of high external and
Quantamental Investing
The world is awash in data like never before. From a person’s morning Uber ride and favorite coffee spot, to the emails sent from their office—all these activities create massive amounts of data, but also behavioral and investment insights. Warren Buffett’s investment style exemplifies the fundamental approach: “Which companies offer the
Most Valuable Banks Brands of the World
When most people think about brands, they often picture iconic consumer marks. But in the realm of financial services, the importance of having a strong consumer brand is also rapidly growing. After all, with hundreds of new fintech entrants positioning themselves to be the “banks” of the future, it seems
European Investment Stabilisation Function – EISF
he idea behind the Commission’s proposed European Investment Stabilisation Function (EISF) is to use dedicated financial means from the EU budget to help Member States stabilize their economies in the event of a major asymmetric shock. In the context of EISF, the Commission would borrow on the financial markets and
Top 100 Most Valuable Brands in 2018
According to Forbes, the world’s 100 most valuable brands are worth a staggering $2.15 trillion. While that singular number is impressive, the publication’s 2018 rankings of global brands can be further broken down in other ways that are also quite intriguing. Let’s take a look at brands by individual brand value,
Capital Markets Union: new rules for investment firms
The European Commission proposes a two-track overhaul to make life simpler for smaller investment firms, while bringing the largest, systemic ones under the same regime as European banks. Investment firms and the services they provide are vital to a well-functioning Capital Markets Union (CMU). Alongside banks, EU capital markets rely
ECB: Access to Finance of Enterprises Report (Oct16-Mar17)
The European Central Bank (ECB) published its 16th report on the results of the “Survey on the Access to Finance of Enterprises”. The report provides evidence on changes in the financial situation, financing needs and access to financing of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the euro area in the
EU-Montenegro Accession Conference: Chapters 9 and 21 opened
t the seventh Intergovernmental Conference held in Brussels, Montenegro opened two more chapters in the accession process with the EU. Negotiations were opened in chapters 9 and 21 relating to “Financial services” and “Trans-European Networks” respectively. The conference was chaired by Foreign Minister of Latvia Edgars Rinkevičs, who pointed out that
Financial Transaction Tax
The Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee stood by its guns on Tuesday in supporting the Commission's proposal for a wide-scope financial transaction tax, with stocks and bond trades taxed at 0.1% and derivatives trades taxed at 0.01% in 11 EU countries. The committee proposed lower rates until January 2017 for