All articles

Filter by

Public affairs

Letter from Brussels

The Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive (AIFMD) was adopted following the global financial crisis, which exposed certain weaknesses in global financial markets and their regulatory regimes. The directive had a major impact on the non-listed real estate funds industry in Europe by establishing harmonised rules for the management and marketing of nearly all alternate investment funds in Europe.  Read more

Public affairs

Letter from Brussels

The first phase of responding to the Covid-19 crisis was understandably focused on crafting health and safety measures, while cushioning the European economy as much as possible from the ensuing financial and economic impacts of the virus. In Brussels, the European Parliament and European Commission offices were closed and workers sent home to work, much like the rest of Europe. Read more

Public affairs

Life in Wartime

French President Emmanuel Macron famously said, ‘this is war’ in his televised address concerning the corona virus on 16 March. Much of Europe has adopted wartime-like measures including quarantines, travel restrictions and school, store and restaurant closings as millions of workers in Europe work from home when possible. Read more

Public affairs

Letter from Brussels

The European Green Deal which was published in December is the first major initiative of the new European Commission. Its focus is to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, which represents a new growth strategy for the EU aimed at creating a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy.  Read more

Public affairs

Letter from Brussels

How do you measure the downside volatility of real estate investments in the worst situation imaginable? How far could property values fall? Put simply, that’s the issue confronting regulators developing solvency capital requirements (SCRs) for property investments under Solvency II as far back as 2009 and 2010. Read more

Public affairs

Investing through a new world of tax complexity

With business activity becoming ever more global, tax authorities are increasingly focused on multi-national organisations and the opportunities they can give to optimise corporate tax charges and obligations. Read more

Public affairs

Welcoming the new faces of European Policy

The European elections in late May marked the end of the political structure in power in Brussels during the past five years. In its place, a newly constituted European Parliament and Commission will determine the course of European policy for the next five years. Read more

Public affairs

Letter from Brussels

Brexit has become one of the world’s most talked- and written-about events in the past few years. Early hopes for an orderly withdrawal of the UK from the EU that takes into account the needs of business have evaporated in recent months and, at the time of writing at least, it looks as if a very disorderly withdrawal is the most likely outcome. Read more

Public affairs

Letter from Brussels

While a large part of the Public Affairs team’s efforts in Brussels are focused on monitoring, reviewing and commenting on proposed regulations with a potential impact on real estate investment, another important focus for the team is educating policy makers about the structure, operation and economic and social role of real estate investment in Europe, as well as recent developments in our industry. Read more

Public affairs

Letter from Brussels

Here in Brussels, the major topic of conversation during the last few months has been the upcoming European elections, and interest is only expected to intensify during the months ahead. The vote for the new European Parliament will be held throughout the EU from 23 to 26 May 2019. As these will be the first elections post Brexit, the newly elected Parliament will proceed without UK representation in the EU. Read more