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Capital reforms spark lobbying
Europe’s banks are lobbying hard to delay the introduction of tough new rules on trading capital requirements, and have issued private warnings that hasty reforms could end up harming lending
Woman in the News: Neelie Kroes
The EU competition commissioner’s political savvy and inherent toughness have come into their own in the financial crisis. No one who has heard her speak about the dangers of protectionism could doubt her conviction
Flaws in hedge fund rules detailed
Proposed pan-European regulation of hedge funds and private equity is being introduced on the back of a ‘vague, sweeping and inadequate’ analysis of the problem, according to a report prepared for European lawmakers
Brussels seeks views on EDF competition plan
The European Commission has asked for comments on plans by the French energy company to settle antitrust concerns about the supply of electricity to large industrial customers
Brussels to investigate Sparkasse KölnBonn
European competition regulators have launched a full probe into possible state aid given to the German savings bank, which is owned jointly by the cities of Cologne and Bonn
Oracle braced for EU objection on Sun deal
Oracle is braced for a formal objection from Brussels to its planned $7.4bn acquisition of fellow US technology company Sun Microsystems, escalating the company’s high-stakes legal wrangle with Europe’s competition authorities
UK to inject £37bn into Lloyds and RBS
The two UK state-owned banks announce they are raising more than £50bn in moves engineered in conjunction with the government and the European Commission
Clamour for sacrifices led to Halloween shock
Neelie Kroes, the EU competition commissioner, has followed her tough words on bank restructuring with deeds after forcing Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds to dispose of key assets
Hester hits out at Brussels over forced sales
Chief of RBS says demands from the EU to dispose of a range of insurance businesses and bank branches came ‘rather late in the day’
Darling rules out pre-election Rock sale
The chancellor has ruled out the possibility of completing the sale of Northern Rock before the general election, in spite of winning approval from Brussels to split the bank in preparation for privatisation












