European Commission proposals to regulate alternative investment funds discriminate against private equity and favour direct competitors like sovereign wealth funds or maverick businessmen, Javier Echarri, secretary-general of the European Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (EVCA), told EurActiv in an interview.

European Commission proposals to regulate alternative investment funds discriminate against private equity and favour direct competitors like sovereign wealth funds or maverick businessmen, Javier Echarri, secretary-general of the European Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (EVCA), told EurActiv in an interview.

The European Commission's plans to regulate hedge funds and private equity for the first time threaten to become a central issue in the European parliamentary election campaign

EU Internal Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy still has reservations about regulating private equity firms, despite heavy pressure from MEPs and earlier promises made by European Commission President José Manuel Barroso.

The European Ombudsman, P. Nikiforos Diamandouros, has opened an investigation into the European Commission's "Early Warning System" (EWS). This computerised information system lists companies, NGOs, associations or other parties which, according to the Commission, are deemed to pose a threat to the financial interests of the European Union.

Most European Union states have agreed bilateral double taxation conventions between each other, but venture capital and private equity funds are often excluded from these rules, a European Commission report says

The European Commission yesterday (11 March) rejected criticism coming from Washington that plans to regulate hedge funds and private equity in Europe would cause a transatlantic rift by closing doors to US funds.

In an interview with Euractiv, Javier Echarri, Secretary-General of the European Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (EVCA), criticised the EU’s proposed directive on alternative investment funds for being flawed and for discriminating against private equity, particularly through its strict disclosure requirements.

Luke Johnson, the pizza entrepreneur turned media executive, has launched a stinging attack on the European Commission's plan to regulate hedge funds and private equity

With pressure mounting over a European Commission proposal on hedge funds and private equity, French pro-regulation MEP Jean-Paul Gauzès has been nominated to steer the controversial draft through the European Parliament.