64.1% of the global population, age 15-74, was ‘active’, i.e. worked or was looking for work in 2011. Their number decreased by 29 million over the four years of the crisis. The activity rate of the cohort under 25 is even smaller (48.7%). Moreover this rate has been declining for many years,…

Considering both its economy and population together, Brazil represents the 6th largest country in the world. The country is one of five new major players in the global economy referred to as the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) countries. The last several decades of development…

Greece has been rocked by the crisis more than any country in the Eurozone. Almost every important bit of socio-economic data is worse than for any other member of the group of 17 Euro-member states. Greek GDP has fallen 17.4% since the beginning of the crisis. In 2013 the outlook is expected to…

Dear Mr. Asger Olesen and DG Climate Action, My colleagues write to you regarding the EU’s current plans to move ahead with greater integration of LULUCF (land use, land use change and forestry) into the general EU climate policy framework (COM(2012) 93 final). On the one hand we strongly welcome…

A brief glance at automotive industry focused news (e.g. www.just-auto.com) or industry-specific compilations of articles is sufficient to convince readers that the crisis in the automotive sector is not over yet: the global restructuring of the industry continues. The crisis has reinforced and…

That is the question for Spain. The prime minister is apparently hesitating to ask officially for the available bailout possibility. This opportunity became available on the 6th of September with Mario Draghi’s (president of the European Central Bank) announcement concerning additional…

Not long ago, my previous post on the Spanish economy closed with a question about the missing economic growth. Spain and Portugal are struggling with recession. Several think exports can provide a ray of hope by inducing growth. But this remains uncertain. I provide three tables below in an effort…

  Unnoticed amid disappointment over the failure to conclude a more decisive agreement at the COP17 meetings in Durban, negotiations in the AWG-KP over future LULUCF carbon accounting rules has witnessed some important changes. For Hungary at least, as well as for many of the Annex I countries…

  Following Mario Monti’s appointment as Italy’s Prime Minister in November 2011, President of the Republic Giorgio Napolitano argued that Italy’s relations with Russia had to be “de-personalized”. He was clearly referring to the close personal relationship between…

„The labour reform will cost me a general strike” – said Mariano Rajoy, the Spanish prime minister, to the Finnish prime minister at the EU summit held on 30. January. He did not know that the microphone remained turned on… Indeed, the first weeks of the new Spanish…