A 2013 EU Commission review of the Bulgarian energy sector noted the country’s “high energy intensity, low energy efficiency, and deficient environmental infrastructure hamper business activity and competitiveness”, writes Dick Roche. Ten years on state state-owned enterprises still retain a stranglehold on Bulgaria’s electricity assets including power generation and transmission, creating a structure that the EU Commission has flagged […]
Dialogue' best way to solve rift between West and China. A former Irish government minister says “dialogue” is the best way of improving the currently strained relations between the West and China.Speaking at Brussels Press Club on Thursday (28 September), Dick Roche, a former Irish minister for EU affairs, also said he hoped for a “peaceful resolution” to China’s ongoing sovereignty conflict with Taiwan.
Any Other Business: Also, Denis O’Brien winds down foundation, Dublin Lord Mayor hosts UPMC at Mansion House, Lorraine Higgins opens Brussels office, Kate Fullen joins Yonder and CRO uses AI to scan company documents
Solvency II, the prudential regime for insurance and reinsurance undertakings in the EU is portrayed as a global ‘gold standard’. An extraordinary case involving the Romanian Financial Supervisory Authority, ASF, and the insurance operator, Euroins Romania which has played out since the beginning of this year badly tarnishes the ‘gold standard’ claim – writes Dick […]
In 2017 Regulation EU 2017/1938 created obligations on member states to safeguard the security of natural gas supplies. The initiative was inspired by the 2009 gas crisis which arose when Russia and Ukraine failed to agree on gas prices and gas deliveries through Ukraine were cut, writes Dick Roche. Prompted by Russia’s February 2022 invasion […]