European Union

EUROPE - The trade associations for securities lenders such as pension funds, and for hedge funds, have each criticized key planks in European Commission proposals to regulating short selling, issued today.

EUROPE - EU proposals to regulate Europe's hedge fund industry are already transforming it, before the plans have even been ratified, officials at Martin Currie said.

Towers Watson has cast doubt on the durability of the relationship between periods of economic contraction and ‘vintage' performance in private equity investments.

EUROPE - The European Commission is reviewing a letter from nine member states seeking to alter the way public debt is calculated to account for changes in state pension systems.

EUROPE - European Commission Green Paper proposals for an adjusted version of Solvency II standards for pension schemes could force firms to hold huge unnecessary surpluses, the Confederation for British Industry said.

EUROPE - The pensions industry is set to revolt over EU attempts to reignite the issue of solvency standards in pension schemes.

ITALY - The Italian government today will present to parliament an amended law to increase female public servants pension age to 65 by 2012, as required by the European Commission.

EUROPE - Additional reforms of pension policy, particularly increasing the retirement age, will be needed in several countries due to the danger posed by expected demographic changes, an interim report by the EU Council said.

Additional reforms of pension policy, particularly increasing the retirement age, will be needed in several countries due to the danger posed by expected demographic changes, an interim report by the EU Council says.

ITALY - The European Commission has once again put pressure on Italy to equalise the pension age of men and women, asking the country to move up its plans to have employees retiring at the same age by six years to 2012.