Latest Europe Headlines

All the headlines from our Europe Topic Page, ordered by recency.

UK Threatens to Walk Away from EU Trade Talks if Quick Progress Isn’t Made

Feb 28 2020 // Britain published its opening demands for trade talks with the European Union on Thursday, delivering a blunt threat to walk away from the table if there is no progress within four months.The two sides appear headed for a...

UK Financial Services Sector Could Take a Back Seat to Fishing in EU Trade Talks

Feb 27 2020 // Britain will likely secure only temporary access to the European Union financial market under a broader trade deal in which finance may take a back seat to sectors such as fishing, financial industry officials said on...

Russia Blamed for Massive Cyber Attack Against Nation of Georgia in 2019

Feb 21 2020 // Georgia accused Russian military intelligence of organizing a “paralyzing” cyber attack last year and called for a reaction by the international community.Russia’s GRU was behind the...

In an About-Facebook, Zuckerberg Likes Internet Regulation As Way to Win Public Trust

Feb 18 2020 // For years, Facebook Inc. lobbied governments against imposing tough regulations, warning in some cases that they could harm the company’s business model. Now, it’s pleading for new rules for the good of its...

Analyst Warns Regulatory Battle Over AI Bias to Grow; Lemonade Argues It’s Fair

Feb 14 2020 // As insurers introduce artificial intelligence into pricing and claims handling activities, regulatory focus on disparate impact will grow into “one of the biggest topics of the next 10 years,” a well-known...

Insured Losses for Europe’s Storm Ciara-Sabine Could Hit $2 Billion: Modeling Firms

Feb 14 2020 // Catastrophe risk modeling firm AIR Worldwide estimates that insured losses due to wind from Europe’s winter storm Ciara (also known as Sabine) will range between €1.1 billion and €1.9 billion (US$1.2 billion and...

Global Commercial Insurance Prices Increase 11% in 4th Quarter 2019: Marsh

Feb 12 2020 // Global average commercial insurance prices increased 11% in the fourth quarter of 2019, according to the Global Insurance Market Index released by insurance broker Marsh.The fourth quarter rise in prices was the largest...

Allianz-Backed Fintech Startup, N26, Closes UK Mobile Bank Accounts, Blaming Brexit

Feb 12 2020 // N26 GmbH, the German mobile bank backed by billionaires Peter Thiel and Li Ka-Shing, said it will end UK operations citing the country’s departure from the European Union.The Berlin-based digital bank will close UK...

UK, EU Remain at Odds over Financial Services’ Market Access

Feb 11 2020 // Britain wants a stable relationship with the European Union for “decades to come” in financial services, Britain’s finance minister Sajid Javid said on Tuesday, but received an instant rebuttal from...

Storm Ciara Batters Europe with Hurricane-Force Winds, Killing at Least 5 People

Feb 11 2020 // A strong winter storm that has battered Europe with hurricane-force winds and heavy rains and killed at least five people moved eastward Monday, causing severe travel disruptions across the continent.After striking Britain...

Nissan Autonomous Car Completes 230-Mile Journey in Britain

Feb 6 2020 // CRANFIELD, England – A Nissan car has completed a 230-mile journey autonomously in Britain, the longest and most complex such trip in the country as carmakers race to develop the driverless technologies set to...

Axa in Talks to Sell Eastern, Central European Business to Austria’s Uniqa

Feb 5 2020 // Axa SA is in advanced talks to sell its central and eastern European operations to Austria’s Uniqa Insurance Group AG, people familiar with the matter said.The insurers aim to reach an agreement in the coming weeks...

Britain’s Insurance Sector Urged to Compete by Selectively Diverging from EU Rules

Feb 5 2020 // A senior official from Britain’s insurance sector on Wednesday laid out the case for selective divergence from EU rules to add to London’s appeal as a competitive global financial center.Britain left the...

Google, Tinder Face Irish Regulatory Inquiries Over Location Data Handling

Feb 5 2020 // Irish regulators have launched separate inquiries into Google and dating app Tinder over how they process user data, in a new round of regulatory scrutiny aimed at tech companies.Ireland’s Data Protection Commission...

EU Prepares for Coming of Facial Recognition– On Its Privacy Terms

Feb 3 2020 // The European Union has accepted there is no escape from facial recognition, but is seeking to ensure any roll-out that includes U.S. and Chinese players will abide by European values like strict personal privacy.Facial...

UK and EU Commence Sparring Over Post-Brexit Trade Rules

Feb 3 2020 // The European Union and Britain clashed over a post-Brexit trade deal on Monday with Prime Minister Boris Johnson insisting he need not sign up to the bloc’s rules and Brussels warning of tariffs and quotas unless he...

A Divided Britain Must Now Seek New Identity Outside European Union

Jan 31 2020 // At 10 a.m. inside Aux Merveilleux de Fred, a patisserie in the heart of London’s French quarter, the air is thick with the aroma of butter. Aicha Boubakri, 30, is arranging neat rows of pastel-colored cream pastries...

Brexit Day Is Finally Here; Now the Hard Part Begins: Opinion

Jan 30 2020 // London and Brussels are two hours apart by train but on Friday, the day the U.K. officially leaves the European Union, the two cities will feel worlds apart.The Brits are planning a Brexit celebration worthy of a...

Brexit Impact on UK Insurers Dictated by Trade Talks, Possible Economic Hit: AM Best

Jan 30 2020 // From an operational point of view, the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union on Jan. 31, 2020 will have little immediate impact on AM Best-rated insurers in the UK or EU, according to the ratings agency...

European Insurers Balk at EU Raising Capital Requirements Due to Cyber, Climate Risks

Jan 30 2020 // Insurers in Europe may need to put aside money to protect their policyholders should they become insolvent, and regulators should be able to be shut them down swiftly without the need for taxpayer bailouts, a top EU...