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The article discusses the impact of negative interest rates in Europe on mortgages. In many countries rates for loans including mortgages are based on the 12-month euro interbank offered rate (Euribor), which in April 2015 stood at 0.187%. If it dips below zero banks could find themselves paying interest to homeowners they have made mortgage loans to. Spanish bank Bankinter SA has been paying interest on mortgages tied to the Swiss franc interbank offered rate.

The article discusses efforts by firms in Southern Europe to seek funding abroad in 2012. With loans from European banks having become more difficult and costly to obtain, companies are approaching private-equity firms and foreign lenders. Spanish cement producer Cementos Portland Valderrivas sold a securitized bond to private-equity firm Blackstone Group LP after concluding that funding terms set by its bank were disagreeable.

The article discusses the difficulty encountered by small businesses in Spain and Portugal when trying to obtain bank loans. Although the European Central Bank has provided substantial assistance to the banking sector, credit conditions for businesses remain tight. Portuguese leather-goods make Antonio & Mateus Ltd. was unable to secure a $32,560 loan despite its strong credit record.

The article reports that European banks are reconfiguring the operations of their units abroad to circumvent tough new financial regulations in those host countries. German bank Deutsche Bank AG changed the corporate structure of its unit in Portugal to elude that nation's capital requirements. French bank BNP Paribas SA has shifted assets among its legal entities in Great Britain to minimize operations subject to British regulatory authority.

This article discusses Portuguese Minister of Economy Alvaro Santos Pereira's proposed decrease in the country's corporate tax rate for the purpose of attracting investments to assist the region's ailing economy, highlighting the potential impacts of the tax cut on the government's budget revenue.

The article examines a trend in employment in international economic relations in which skilled labor and professionals from the countries of the euro area monetary union are emigrating to developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. It is noted that this trend is a reversal of a traditional pattern in which European Union countries have attracted immigrants seeking employment. The potential economic damage to euro area countries caused by a loss of professional workers is discussed.

The article considers measures taken by European Union (EU) countries in the euro area monetary union to financially assist their banking industry firms. An Italian program in which banks use government securities to public property, which then are used as the basis for asset-backed securities used as collateral for loans from the European Central Bank is used as an example of the complexity of the programs. Governments wish to avoid the political damage of unpopular direct bailouts of banks.

The article reports that November 14, 2012 general strikes and protests in Spain, Portugal, and Greece failed to impact government plans for economic austerity measures, largely due to the marginalization and factionalism of labor unions.

The article reports that the heads of government of 25 of the 27 European Union (EU) countries reached an agreement on a plan to more closely integrate fiscal policies within the EU and to establish a permanent bailout fund for the countries of the euro area monetary union. It is noted that the political leaders did not announce a plan for the restructuring of Greece's public debts.

The article discusses efforts by investors in debt-laden southern European countries to protect their assets amid concerns about the future of the euro zone. Since late 2009 depositors in Greece have withdrawn over 60 billion euros from Greek banks. Some euro-zone investors have moved funds into currencies and investments outside the zone. Bankers in Italy and Portugal have reportedly been asked for advice on preserving wealth in the event of euro-zone bank failures.

The article discusses the effects of the economic crisis in European countries as of August 2012 on funding for sports programs, with a focus on the fewer Olympic medals won by athletes from Portugal, Ireland, Greece, and Spain in the 2012 Olympic Games.

The article discusses May Day rallies held on May 1, 2012 in several European cities, including Paris, France and Athens, Greece, during which protesters voiced opposition to austerity measures several countries have adopted in response to a European sovereign-debt crisis.