Ten Years from the onset of the Great Financial Crisis. What has been reformed?

The case of Fincantieri and STX

IREF’s call for research projects

Guidelines and information

The need for the pension privatisation

Trade and Consumer Preferences will lead to a Greener Environment

Rockets and Feathers in the UK Energy Market: Cartel or Competition?

A new European path towards globalization?

The recent EU-Japan free trade agreement will bring significant economic benefits to the EU. More importantly, the Agreement also indicates a change in the EU’s stance toward globalization and trade partnerships. While relationships with historic trade partners (the US and the UK) appear to be (...)

ECB Interest Rate: One Size Doesn’t Fit All

Since the introduction of the Euro in 1999 the European Central Bank sets the main refinancing rate for the whole Eurozone and therefore decides at which conditions banks can take out loans from it. As banks pass through the conditions they face to their customers, the ECB influences the extent (...)

What is the future of the Northern Powerhouse?

After the recent disappointing performance in the last elections, the UK government led by Theresa May has revived the Northern Powerhouse project. The project aspires to make the North of the country a business centre able to compete with London. However, because of serious problems with (...)

European Safe Bonds – Can Europe’s problems be Saved by Clever Financial Engineering?

Electoral victories for Mark Rutte of the Netherlands in March, followed by Emanuel Macron’s presidential ascent in France in May and his landslide Parliamentary victory in June, have encouraged the view that closer integration of Europe’s banking and financial system is quite likely. The (...)

By Bailing out unimportant banks Italy has undermined Banking Union

The contrast between the actions of the Spanish and Italian governments in the past two months could hardly be more marked. As we reported in June, the Madrid government allowed the relevant European authority – the Single Resolution Board – to apply the bail-in rules to failed Banco Popular. (...)

The civil aviation sector and the possible effects of Brexit

Competitive pressure is changing the landscape of air travel and traditional national airlines need to adapt to the new environment. The situation is particularly complex and uncertain in Europe due to the Brexit talks. However, if the outcome of the negotiations will be a truly liberalized (...)

Tax on Robots? Old Wine in new Bottles

Robots will significantly alter the working life over the coming decades and will take over many tasks which are currently performed by humans, for example in care and nursing, in the logistics sector or in legal counselling. Undoubtedly, humankind benefits if robots take over other tedious (...)

The Origins of Private Property
by Enrico Colombatto and Valerio Tavormina

WP 2017-03. Executive summary
• Property rights play a crucial role in economics: They define the very essence of this discipline, which studies how individuals exchange in order to enhance their welfare, subject to scarcity constraints.
• The recognition and enforcement of private property (...)

UK Productivity and Brexit
The 2017 Mansion House Speech

As we recently pointed out, the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr Phillip Hammond, was left aside by the Conservative party during the last campaign for parliamentary elections. With him, economic issues and detailed plans regarding Britain after Brexit were also largely neglected. After the (...)

Large Spanish Bank Failures Raise Investor Fears over Bail-Ins; whilst Pressure Grows in Italy over Monte Dei Paschi

Bail-ins Expected after Banco Popular fails in Spain. Chewing gum accounting
Just as elections of political leaders have become difficult to predict, it is becoming harder to guess which of Europe’s beleaguered banks will be bailed out and rescued, or allowed to fail thus exposing creditors (...)