France, US reach agreement on tech tax; the latest sign Greece is returning to stability, and more top news

The news professionals in Europe are talking about now, curated by LinkedIn’s editors. Join the conversation on today's stories in the comments. 

France and the US have reached a compromise on the controversial tax on tech companies. During a press conference at the G7 summit in Biarritz, French president Emmanuel Macron revealed he and US president Donald Trump have “reached a deal to get beyond the difficulties we had between us”. France will continue to tax tech giants but has agreed to scrap the 3% tax once the OECD international levy is in place. Before the summit, the US vowed to retaliate with taxes on French wine. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Also: G7 leaders committed $20 million to help Amazon countries combat fires and to launch an initiative to protect the forest. France, the US, Japan, Germany, Italy, the UK and Canada finalised details of the plan on Monday at their summit.

Greece is set to fully lift restrictions on companies and individuals sending money abroad. The removal of the capital controls, which were imposed in 2015 at the peak of the nation’s debt problems to avoid a run on banks, will “send a message of stability after a decade of debt crises,” says Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. It follows the 2018 removal of restrictions on cash withdrawals from bank accounts and transactions within the country. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Mobile phone users in Austria can now pay their bills in cryptocurrency thanks to a new pilot program from telecoms giant A1. Customers have the option of paying in Litecoin, Dash, Ethereum, Ripple and Stellar, according to Futurezone, a move A1 reflects is already common in the US and Asia. However, a recent ING Austria survey of 15,000 adults across Europe, the US and Australia and over 1,000 in Austria found “most skeptics were in Austria”, with just 13% holding positive attitudes towards cryptocurrencies. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Facebook has won an appeal of a German antitrust ruling against its collection of user data across its own platforms and that of third parties. The country’s cartel office had ruled earlier this year that the social media giant abused its market position in combining the information. It will appeal the new ruling in turn. Facebook is embroiled in probes at home and abroad concerning its handling of user data. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Proactive workers can harm an organisation if their energy isn't properly channelled, according to a new study. While every organisation wants a star employee, their energy can have negative consequences, such as accidentally making harmful changes, alienating colleagues and setting the stage for a backlash. If you find yourself becoming a proactive member of a team, it's important to "manage yourself" by asking whether you're being considerate of coworkers and whether your goals really do align with those of the organisation. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Idea of the Day: Leadership is something to be practised, says Amazon’s Andreas von der Heydt. It doesn’t just happen overnight. 

“It takes constant effort and time to develop the skills, experience, and trust to become a leader and be seen as such by others.”

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— Capucine Yeomans