This paper assesses compliance of the Basel Core Principles for Effective Banking Supervision in Spain. Significant changes have occurred in Spain since the last Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP). The most serious has been the deterioration of the economy and the real estate sector. The...

EXECUTIVE SUMMARYEuroclear Bank is a securities settlement system that contributes to the safety and efficiency of global markets for government bonds and other international securities but also concentrates systemic risk. It is one of the largest securities settlement systems worldwide with a...

This Selected Issues paper assesses the youth unemployment problem in advanced European economies, especially the euro area. Youth unemployment rates increased sharply in the euro area after the crisis. Much of these increases can be explained by output dynamics and the greater sensitivity of...

This technical note analyzes the competition in the banking sector in Denmark. It reveals that Denmark has a fairly competitive and efficient banking sector. Measured by various indicators, efficiency of banking intermediation has been improving in recent years. The banking sector has become...

Strong fundamentals and countercyclical policies have helped Malaysia during the global financial crisis. Executive Directors welcomed the authorities' challenge to make progress toward economic growth and structural transformation. Directors welcomed the consolidation effort in the 2010 budget,...

Hong Kong has grown strongly as a result of its successful transformation from a manufacturing presence to a services hub over past decades. Executive Directors support the government’s commitment for the Linked Exchange Rate System. Hong Kong’s future as a financial center is...

This Selected Issues paper is a wide-ranging survey of the conditions for, and obstacles to, the growth in Mexico. It frames the issue of Mexico’s growth record, and presents the paper’s prior assumptions and approach. It highlights the main observations and conclusions emerging...

This 2006 Article IV Consultation highlights that Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has recovered strongly from a series of shocks in recent years and, as expected, the pace of growth is now moderating. Growth was 6.8 percent (year over year) in the first three quarters of 2006, somewhat...

This 2004 Article IV Consultation highlights that in recent years, Singapore’s economy has been hit hard by a series of external shocks. These shocks—the Asian crisis, the bursting of the technology bubble, and the SARS outbreak in 2003—disrupted an economic expansion...

Macroeconomic developments in the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) region have been satisfactory, but risks to macroeconomic stability persist. The process of convergence remains slow and needs strengthening, notably through the adoption of a fiscal rule and the...