Earlier this month, the European Commission published the preliminary findings of its e-commerce sector inquiry launched in May 2015 as part of its Digital Single Market strategy. The objective of the sector inquiry was to obtain an understanding of the market and to gather evidence on potential barriers to competition linked to the growth of…
More than 4,000 jobs were lost over the last two weeks in Belgium. That is the sad tally of a series of announcements since 01 September that has seen eleven multinationals announce job losses, the end of operations, or file for bankruptcy in Belgium. The decision to restructure is neither easy nor taken lightly, and…
A previous UK Prime Minister once remarked that a week was a long time in politics. By this reckoning, this summer has been an absolute lifetime. But while the geo-political machinations of the ongoing Brexit debate have dominated the headlines, Brussels day to day business has continued. Yesterday saw the publication of the Commission’s long-awaited telecom review. It…
At FTI Consulting Brussels, we don’t like to leave things half-done. We believe that with persistence we can achieve extraordinary things for our clients and the communities around us. We also believe that each one of us has the passion to change what we don’t consider fair. Above all, we believe that together in a…
The UK is a global leader in R&D and benefits more from EU research funding than any other EU country – receiving €1bn annually. It is also home to many top researchers from other EU countries who are invaluable to maintaining the quality of UK universities. Business also benefits from such expertise and the funds…
Yesterday, the European Commission finally tabled its much awaited proposals for copyright reform. New technologies, changing consumer behaviour and new players have entered the creative industry, but it rules have remained largely unchanged. This proposal has set out to make the copyright rules fit for the digital age and businesses are already gearing up for what…
In 2017, France will hold its presidential elections – an event that has taken on renewed significance in the aftermath of the UK’s decision to leave the European Union. Setting the scene for next year’s race is the Socialist Party’s (PS) growing divide and decreasing popularity of the current President François Hollande, the mainstream right…
Following several months of intense discussion and negotiations, the High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines has published its report today. The 15 members of the panel, representing a wide range of experts and stakeholders in the health innovation area, have not found consensus on remedies to change the current IP system for medicines, but agreed…
Brexit, economic sluggishness and the refugee crisis has dented the EU’s reputation over recent months both at home and abroad. These were the challenges confronting Jean-Claude Juncker – the President of the European Commission – as he contemplated his second annual ‘State of the Union’ speech, which he delivered today at the European Parliament in…
Technology is rapidly transforming the healthcare sector as we know it. While it is generally accepted that eHealth and mHealth can improve citizens’ possibility to monitor and evaluate their health, there is less knowledge about the wide range of uses of robotics in healthcare – from service robots in hospitals who deliver bed-linen and retrieve…