Four years after the introduction of the euro, this paper provides an overview of the current structure and integration of the euro area financial systems and related policy initiatives. We first compare the euro area financial structure with that of the United States and Japan. Using new and...

This paper studies the relative pricing of euro area sovereign CDS and the underlying government bonds. Our sample comprises weekly CDS and bond spreads of ten euro area countries for the period from January 2006 to June 2010. We first compare the determinants of CDS spreads and bond spreads and...

Regional income and labour market disparities in Poland are characterised by three dimensions: the gap between the western and the eastern parts of the country, the privileged position of the capital region and rising differences between rural and urban regions. Disparities in labour markets are...

The global objective of this study is to assess the actions and initiatives in the field of civil protection in the Caribbean, in order to promote, enhance and reinforce regional cooperation between European Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs), Outermost Regions (ORs) and the countries...

This Ex-post Evaluation Report has been prepared by the MWH Consortium between August and October 2005, and reflects the situation of the Phare assistance provided through the Sigma multi-beneficiary programmes between 1996 and 2004. It examines the performance of Sigma in addressing the...

The paper looks at the EUu0092s infrastructure after the latest enlargement round. It states that the new EU members have to narrow the distance to the u0091oldu0092 members in order to improve the competitiveness of their companies and the living conditions of the populace. At the same time,...

Eesti Põlevkivi Ltd (EP) is a state-owned company, primarily involved in oil shale mining in the Ida-Virumaa region of Estonia. The company was established in 1920 and was, for many years, the largest employer in Estonia. It continues to have particular relevance for the Ida-Virumaa region as...

Louis de Poortere is a Belgian textiles company established in the 1920s, specialising in the manufacture of high-quality carpets for the international market. For many years, it was among the largest employers in the Belgian textiles sector, with approximately 3,000 employees in the 1970s....