The Europe 2020 Strategy emphasises the role of corporate responsibility (CR) as leverage to increase trust in business and promote inclusive and sustainable growth. In the “Renewed Strategy for CSR” from 2011, the European Commission aims at increasing the impact of its CR policy. In this regard, the Commission outlined the multi-stakeholder approach and self- and co-regulation as factors that can increase CR impact, particularly at the sector level.

Over 200 young people aged between 18 and 30 from six EU countries (Greece, Spain, Portugal, France, Denmark, Germany) will meet on Wednesday 10 April 2013 to participate at a conference on "Youth in Crisis" at the European Parliament in Brussels.

The European Banking Federation is hosting a press conference on the Financial Transaction Tax, on behalf of the International Capital Market Association (ICMA).

The financial and sovereign debt crisis has underlined the important role of housing finance in the economy. Risky and short-term mortgage credit contracts as well as securisation were all important causes behind the crisis we are currently experiencing. The volume of housing finance is such that it not only affects individual households and banks, but the stability of the financial system as well. The crisis and falling house prices have also had great effects on housing finance in many countries.