Europeans are living through a temporary, mainly man made, economic shock. Each crisis provides an opportunity to improve our society. Our responsibility to the health of the planet and future generations remains unaffected and climate challenges have compounded. 

1. What is your description of the current economic situation in Europe and what are the most prominent challenges you are facing?  
2. Where do you see prospects for recovery and a brighter macro environment?
3. How do you steer a commercial enterprise that also now has a firm societal duty to help green global business? What is the role of finance in carbon reduction – as a tool for transition and long term?

We are midway through the implementation of a comprehensive European digital strategy – directly addressing technology companies’ operations and markets, horizontal data security and access rules to complement existing privacy rules, multiple digital financial services reforms and new crypto asset regulation. Key projects that complete this framework include instant payments, open finance; review of PSD2; a regime for decentralised finance; and of course a legal framework for a digital euro. Most of these projects individually represent flagship reforms in their own right. Europe is tackling this all in parallel in one bold swoop. 

1. What lessons have been learned from reforms to regulation of technology companies and on the use of data in Europe? 
2. What must we not lose sight of amidst the upcoming legislative melee? What principles can keep us grounded and ensure different regulations work together as intended?
3. Which choices do we need to make about the perimeter for digital regulation – are we striking the balance between rules that facilitate innovation and competition and that protects society and financial stability?

It is never too late to improve our record and raise political ambitions on the Union part of the European capital markets agenda. It is not altogether surprising that member states value their domestic market structures. But this has a big cost for all that weighs heavily on European business and investors – both wholesale and retail. The Commission is right to keep pushing the CMU. There is also often a strong investor protection element to different rules across Europe. While the objective is understandable, the EU is also trying to improve the framework for retail financial services to deliver more harmonisation and modern rules for increasingly digitalised customer services.

1. Will the listing act make raising funds in the EU more effective?
2. What value does a review of EMIR deliver for Europe ?
3. How can retail investors be better served by EU legislation?