In 2005 the world economy still developed strongly, but, with GDP growth of 41/2 percent, at a somewhat slower pace than in 2004. Developments still differed substantially among major regions. Whereas output continued to increase in a robust and strong manner in the US and it showed a clear...

This chapter is devoted to the widely debated topic of outsourcing of production and jobs from the Western EU member countries to the new member countries and also to the rest of the world. This trend is clearly visible in the manufacturing sector in the European Union. Outsourcing is mainly a...

This chapter discusses the current situation and economic outlook for 2005 for the European economy. As a main scenario, it is forecasted that GDP in the euro area will grow at about the same rate as in 2004, that is around 13/4 percent on average. The recovery remains fragile and depends on...

Growth performance among the EU-15 countries has been mixed. While it has been sluggish in France, Germany and Italy, several other EU countries have done well. Some successful countries, such as Finland, Ireland, Sweden and the UK, have relied strongly on the introduction of new technologies,...

This chapter discusses the challenge to macroeconomic stabilisation in the ten new members of the EU during the convergence process posed by liberalised capital markets.The focus is on financial and currency fragility created by dangerously high volatility of capital flows and possible policies...