Netherlands

Collapsed budget talks in the Netherlands heralded months of political uncertainty ahead of early elections that now appear inevitable, shedding doubt on austerity programs and raising the prospect of a downgrade of the euro-zone country's top sovereign credit rating, Dow Jones reported.

The housing market slump in the Netherlands is causing headaches for the country's banks, which were just on their way to recovering from the financial crisis in 2008 and could now face rising losses and tighter funding conditions, The Wall Street Journal reported. The Dutch government is expected to wrap up negotiations this week on more austerity measures to bring its budget deficit in line with European Union requirements in 2013. In addition to tax increases and spending cuts, it will likely take a first step in addressing the huge mortgage debt in the Netherlands.

The Netherlands' ABN Amro Bank NV said Wednesday it won't participate in Greece's debt restructuring, making it one of the few major creditors to back out of the deal, Dow Jones reported. ABN Amro won't participate because it is still unclear why it was put on a list of banks that had to take part in the debt restructuring, a spokesman said. The deadline to participate in the deal was Wednesday. The bank, which holds EUR1.3 billion of corporate bonds that are backed by the Greek government, has argued that the list was inconsistent because peers that hold similar debt weren't put on the list.

Royal Bank of Scotland and former directors including ex-chief executive Fred Goodwin and ex-chairman Sir Tom McKillop have been hit with a £2.4 billion ($4.6 billion) legal claim from angry investors in the taxpayer bailed-out bank, The New Zealand Herald reported. RBOS Shareholders Action Group was due to deliver claims letters to the bank and 17 former directors, including the former head of investment banking Johnny Cameron.

The euro's tough new German-penned economic rulebook will be immediately tested by spiralling budget deficits in the Netherlands and Spain, raising the prospect of swingeing fines on the two countries, it emerged at an EU summit, The Guardian reported. As eurozone leaders finally launched a second, €130bn (£108bn) bailout of Greece, EU chiefs, with the exception of David Cameron and the Czech prime minister, prepared to sign the new rulebook – the fiscal pact – on Friday morning. The rules are the main part of an attempt to get the eurozone's soaring debt levels under control.

The European Commission expects Greece, Portugal, Spain and the Netherlands to be Europe’s weakest economies in 2012. Wait a minute. The Netherlands? That stalwart of the euro zone? The same Netherlands that’s lending billions of euros to Greece, Portugal and Ireland? Yes indeed: The commission on Thursday said it expects the Dutch economy to contract 0.9% this year, the lowest growth rate in the 27-nation European Union apart from Greece, Portugal and Spain, The Wall Street Journal Real Time Brussels blog reported.

Royal Dutch Shell is in talks with bankrupt refiner Petroplus to process crude oil temporarily at its Petit-Couronne facility in France, a union official said on Monday, Reuters reported. The refinery would process crude oil for Shell while a buyer is sought for the installation in northern France, under a draft deal that may be signed this week, said Nicolas Vincent of the CGT union. Shell confirmed that it was in talks on the future of the refinery, which it used to own.

Bankrupt primary aluminium producer ZALCO is in talks with eight potential buyers for a takeover of part or all of its plant in Zeeland, the Netherlands, the company's receiver said on Wednesday. ZALCO, which has a production capacity of 275,000 tonnes per year of aluminium, filed for bankruptcy in mid-December. The plant, which had employed 500 people, was shut down a few days later due to lack of funding to pay energy suppliers.

Dutch primary aluminium producer ZALCO is looking for a buyer to restart its plant, which was shut on Friday due to lack of funds after the company filed for bankruptcy last week, an official receiver said, Reuters reported. "The company filed for bankruptcy last Tuesday, and on Friday we decided to shut down the plant due to lack of funds; we couldn't pay the energy bills," Ernst Butterman, one of the two official receivers, told Reuters in a phone interview on Monday.

Ailing Swedish carmaker Saab on Friday appeared to have fended off a demand for one of its units to be declared bankrupt when it reached a settlement with a supplier, Reuters reported. Shares in Swedish Automobile, Saab's Dutch parent which has a stock market value of 35 million euros ($50 million), plunged 40 percent on news of the bankruptcy request, but were trading flat by 1438 GMT after the settlement. However, the supplier's action highlights Saab's precarious situation.