The purpose of this paper is to assess the Tacis programme thirteen years after its inception. Using a combination of economic and social indicators, the paper shows the very high cost of the transition from a centrally planned to a market economy in the case of the thirteen Tacis countries. The...

The aim of this document is to highlight the contribution of Europe’s civil society organisations represented at the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) on the Single Market debate. The EESC has been closely following the Single Market from the civil society perspective and set up...

This document sets out a summary of the responses received by ESMA regarding the procedural rules to impose fines and periodic penalty payments to TRs and includes ESMA’s final technical advice to the Commission on the future Regulation on the procedural rules to impose fines and periodic...

ESMA delivers second set of advice on EMIR equivalenceFollowing its technical advice published on 9 September 2013, the European Securities and Market Authority (ESMA) has published a supplement to its advice to the European Commission on the equivalence of the regulatory regime for central...

This Country Focus discusses the relation between public investment and economic growth in Poland. Theoretical and empirical work has shown that improvements in the quantity and quality of public infrastructure have a positive impact on growth in the medium and, possibly, in the long run. The...

Following several years of low growth Germany is presently enjoying a relatively strong recovery. With unemployment falling at record speed and fiscal consolidation progressing, the upswing is set to continue in spite of uncertainties surrounding the VAT increase of January 2007. This Country...

The Czech financial sector has changed dramatically since transition. In fifteen years, it has developed from a state-owned mono-bank into a privatised bank-based financial system with developing capital and private equity markets. This country focus analyses the development of the financial...

Sustainable energy is fundamental to social and economic development and to power sustainable growth. It is needed to improve livelihoods in developing countries, ensuring access to clean water, cooking, education and healthcare for their people. Energy poverty is also among the root causes of...