Conceptual and theoretical issues of foreign aid in post-conflict, transition region are discussed. Two examples are presented in an informal manner. The first is about the incoherence of aid for reconstruction and policies of transition. The second is about the role of expected institutional...

Based on the theoretical foundations as described in Bhagwati (1974), illegal trade can be defined to consist of faked invoicing on the one hand and smuggling on the other hand. While in the first case at least one of the trading partner countries has recorded a trade flow either as an export or...

This paper looks at the experience of South East Europe which – for the purposes of this paper – includes the former states of Yugoslavia except for Slovenia (i.e. Croatia, Serbia-Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Macedonia), Albania, and the two EU candidate countries, Bulgaria and...

(Reprint from WIFO-Monatsberichte, Vol. 87, No. 5, May 2014) Zusammenfassung Wachstumsbeschleunigung dank Investitionswende in Mittel-, Ost- und Südosteuropa Das Wirtschaftswachstum wird sich in den mittel-, ost- und südosteuropäischen Ländern 2014 bis 2016 verstärken und durchschnittlich...

Growth prospects in Macedonia are still somewhere around 2% this year with some acceleration next year and beyond. The main driver is private investment which should recover due to relatively low private debt. The main risk is the possible contagion effect from the Greek crisis. There are still...

In Montenegro, growth prospects depend on the financial and fiscal stability, but are still not much above stagnation this year and slow recovery in the medium run. A start of negotiations with the EU would certainly contribute to overall stability.

Iraq crisis, oil price and economies in transition (by Vasily Astrov) Countries covered Iraq Iraq and the Balkans (by Vladimir Gligorov) Countries covered Iraq, Balkan States Structural change and productivity growth in Central and Eastern Europe (by Peter Havlik) Countries covered CEE Poland's...

Graph of the month Europe Brent Spot Price, fob per barrel, in current USD and euro and real year 2005 euro (p. 1) Opinion corner Russia-Ukraine conflict do Western sanctions have any effect? (by Vasily Astrov, Vladimir Gligorov, Peter Havlik, Michael Landesmann and Olga Pindyuk; pp. 2-6)...

The report analyses recent economic developments and short- and medium-term prospects of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe including Turkey, as well as Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine and China. Separate chapters present an overview of developments in the European Union's...