The following article outlines the position of the German shipubilding industry in the world market against the background of the changes in demand which followed upon the mineral oil crisis. Emphasis is laid on the adverse effects of competition-distorting measures, and suggestions are made for...

All formerly centrally planned economies record very substantial declines in their social products. The largest drops in production are recorded in Poland and in east Germany (the former GDR), that is, in those countries where the most radical steps towards a market economy were taken in 1990....

In 1990 the privatisation debate in the ex-socialist countries advanced considerably. By now, the fundamental importance of private property for a market economy and the pitfalls of employee-ownership schemes are rarely disputed. Instead, the need for rapid privatisation and suitable methods of...