The new European Union (EU) economic governance package released by the European Commission on September 29, 2010 includes two major components, i.e., changes and amendments to the Stability and Growth Pact (SGP) and new regulation on the prevention and correction of macroeconomic imbalances...

The recent decision of the U.S. Federal Reserve Board (Fed) to increase its assets by purchasing $600 billion worth of Treasury bonds is unlikely to boost economic growth or employment prospects in the U.S. Instead, it will cause major damage throughout the world economy, especially in emerging...

So far, developing countries like the countries of the Mediterranean region seem to have been far less affected by the and started to recover earlier crisis than industrial countries. However, the region faces several problems like high unemployment and high inflation in the long term due to...

Positive signs emerging from the global economy prompt many economists to voice their concerns about the threat of imminent inflation. However, a careful investigation of the current economic environment suggests that while some risks exist and need to be monitored, inflation is very unlikely to...

The effect of the global financial crisis on Azerbaijan’s economy is closely related to the country’s strong dependence on oil exports. The local economy was mostly affected by a drop in oil prices and not so much by outflows of foreign capital and reduced investment.

In Russia and Ukraine around 30-40% of total employment is located outside the registered economy. This has negative yet important consequences both for public finances and related individuals. The former suffer from lower tax incomes, the latter lack access to important elements of the social...

After a long period in which state-led development was the dominant economic paradigm, since the 1980s private sector development has been the focus for economic policy makers. It is probably no coincidence that economic growth, stagnant for a few decades in much of the developing world, took...

The negotiations on the Association Agreement (AA) between the European Union (EU) and Ukraine, including its trade component, i.e., the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA), were completed in December 2011. The agreement is practically ready to be signed, if the EU’s...

In 2011, the Belarusian ruble lost nearly 2/3 of its value. In December, the inflation rate approached 110% yoy. At the same time, the economy grew by 5.3% that year and continued with 3.6% yoy growth in January 2012. Is this a sign of economic recovery? Will it turn into sustainable growth? Or...

The report evaluates progress achieved in implementation of structural reforms of the transport sector in Azerbaijan in the following subsectors: railways, road transport and roads, air transport and airports, maritime transport and ports. It presents standardized and qualitative indicators that...