Insights
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Europe’s Cloud Debate Is Looking the Wrong Way: It’s Not Concentration – It’s Lock-In
Some policymakers argue that Europe should "correct" cloud market concentration. The intuition is straightforward: more providers should mean less...
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From Digital Taxation to CORE: Europe’s Obsession with Turnover Taxes
Research Areas: Data, AI, and Emerging Technologies EU Single Market, Institutions, and Governance Industrial and Competitiveness PolicyEurope's flirtation with digital services taxes (DSTs) appears to be cooling. In July 2025, the European Commission dropped its proposed digital levy...
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Tax the Builders, Fund the Bureaucracy: The EU’s Medieval Cure for a Modern Economy
Research Areas: EU Single Market, Institutions, and Governance Industrial and Competitiveness PolicyTags: EUBy: Matthias BauerThe European Commission’s latest budget proposal – including a new levy on large companies operating across the EU – is being spun as a...
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Beyond Retaliation: A Zero-Tariff Pact Is Europe’s Smartest Move
Research Areas: EU Single Market, Institutions, and Governance North America Trade, Globalisation and SecurityBy: Matthias BauerThe EU should act – now – to offer and call for a zero-tariff agreement with the United States. It should put the proposal on the table...
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EuroStack’s Hypocrisy: A European Vision Built on American Cloud Solutions?
Research Areas: Data, AI, and Emerging Technologies EU Single Market, Institutions, and Governance Industrial and Competitiveness PolicyBy: Matthias BauerThe EuroStack campaign, primarily led by small and mid-sized European cloud providers, open-source firms, and cybersecurity specialists, argues for...
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Can Germany Regain Its Post-War Industrial Strength? The Short Answer Is No.
Research Areas: EU Single Market, Institutions, and Governance Industrial and Competitiveness PolicyBy: Matthias BauerFor decades, Germany was Europe's undisputed industrial powerhouse, known for its engineering excellence, high-end manufacturing, and a skilled...
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The EU’s Digital Markets Act: A Gift to Hackers – and a Threat to Competition?
Research Areas: Data, AI, and Emerging Technologies EU Single Market, Institutions, and Governance Industrial and Competitiveness Policy Trade, Globalisation and SecurityThe Digital Markets Act (DMA) was designed to promote competition in digital markets, particularly by preventing large technology firms from...
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Brussels Can’t Save Europe’s Car Industry – But It Can Stop Making It Worse
Research Areas: EU Single Market, Institutions, and Governance Far East Industrial and Competitiveness PolicyBy: Matthias BauerThe European Union on 30 January launched its Strategic Dialogue on the Future of the European Automotive Industry, an initiative aimed at...
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Webinar Summary: Cloud Cybersecurity, Sovereignty, and EU Competitiveness
Research Areas: Data, AI, and Emerging Technologies EU Single Market, Institutions, and Governance Industrial and Competitiveness Policy Trade, Globalisation and SecurityThe rapid evolution of cloud computing presents Europe with a unique opportunity to strengthen its digital landscape. However, balancing...
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France and Germany: Transforming Challenges into Leadership Opportunities
Research Areas: EU Single Market, Institutions, and GovernanceBy: Matthias BauerFrance and Germany are Europe’s largest economies. Their collaboration has historically been a catalyst for change, often establishing benchmarks...
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Should Germany Abolish the Corporate Income Tax?
Research Areas: EU Single Market, Institutions, and Governance Industrial and Competitiveness PolicyBy: Matthias BauerThe stark disparity between the relatively low government revenue derived from corporate taxes and the substantial contributions from labour and...
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Europe’s Misguided Obsession with Bureaucracy
Research Areas: EU Single Market, Institutions, and Governance Industrial and Competitiveness PolicyBy: Matthias BauerBrussels is mired in debates that miss the mark. While the EU and Member States tinker with regulatory details and symbolic gestures, Europe’s...