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China and the United States are working hard to achieve a trade deal, badly needed for both the two largest economies of the globe as well as for the rest of the world. During the past months of negotiations between the two giants, progress or confrontation in the dealings have been strongly – positively or […]
Once more, the British Prime Minister, Theresa May, is trying to pool together her deeply divided cabinet and country and formulate a common proposal for a Brexit deal with the EU. In the latest development, the ‘Leave’ campaign ministers and the Bremain group are reported by 10 Downing Street to have agreed on a ‘business […]
Last week, Eurostat, the EU statistical service, released its flash estimate of the GDP of the first quarter of 2016, finding it, in both the Eurozone and the EU28, to be 0.5% bigger in comparison to the previous period. In the fourth quarter of 2015, GDP had also grown by 0.3% and 0.4% respectively. Does […]
The Eurozone economy doesn’t seem able to gain a sustainable growth path, despite the hundreds of billions that, lately, European Central Bank has injected into the financial system. Analysts say, though, that ECB’s intervention came too late. There is more bad news for the real economy coming from the prices front. Last week, Eurostat, the […]
According to the Directorate General for Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN), of the European Commission, in February, the “Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI) remained broadly unchanged, marking a marginal increase of 0.2 points in both the euro area (to 101.2) and the EU (to 105.0)”. This was the outcome of increases of the relevant indices […]
Eurostat, the EU statistical service, announced late yesterday evening that in December unemployment remained at the persistently high level of 12% since October, while inflation took a new downwards turn to 0.7% in January, from 0.8% in December. It’s difficult to say which one of the two developments is more alarming. On both accounts Eurozone […]
Tantalizingly slow proves the tempo of Eurozone’s economic resumption, if such a thing exists at all. According to the European Commission Directorate General for Economic and Financial Affairs (ECFIN), “in January the Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI) increased by 0.5 points in the euro area (to 100.91) and by 0.9 points in the EU (to 104.7)”. […]
Last Wednesday the European Commission presented a ground-breaking communication for a “European Industrial Renaissance”. With it, the EU’s executive arm “is urging Member States to recognise the central importance of industry for creating jobs and growth and to mainstream industry-related competitiveness concerns across all policy areas”. The truth is, however, that industry doesn’t play the […]
With consumer price developments in Eurozone remaining below the one percentage unit for many months now, disinflation (falling inflation) is just some decimal points away from deflation (negative inflation). Yesterday, Eurostat, the EU statistical service, released its estimate for the December headline inflation at 0.8% , down one decimal point from 0.9% in November. This […]
On 22 January the European Commission will present a Communication on an EU wide project, under the grandiose name of “European Industrial Renaissance”. Despite its name, the Communication doesn’t seem to have a strong connection with reality. Even the early pre-announcement of this Communication released on 20 December contains elements of futility. It says “While […]
According to a flash estimate released by Eurostat, the EU statistical service, Eurozone annual inflation was 0.9% in November, slightly higher than 0.7% in October. Excluding the items under the categories of energy, food, alcohol & tobacco, the November inflation rate is thought to have been 1% after 0.8% in October. Price developments in the […]
The Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI), despite a mild rise in September by 1.6 points in the euro area is still below its long-term average (100), and oscillates around the levels of the third quarter of 2010. However if it continuous on its present upwards course, it may soon recover losses of three years. In […]
Eurostat, the EU statistical service, presented on 30 August a statistical survey on the euro area headline inflation and its four main components. Together with it Eurostat published a valuable table showing the weight of each of the twelve items that compose the inflation index and its four main components. By the same token however […]
Triumphant announcements, that the European economy has entered in a new growth path just because unemployment in June has decreased in the EU27 by one decimal point and the Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI) in July increased by 1.2 points in the euro area cannot stand a rigorous critic. Incidentally unemployment in the euro area was […]
The European Union and more so the Eurozone countries change fast into service sector economies, increasingly favouring the transfer of the heavy production burden of industry and agriculture to the developing economies. This is not necessarily a negative development given that labour in services is generally less demanding, at least physically, and it is rather […]
Eurostat, the EU’s statistical service, released data on Eurozone’s foreign trade showing that during 2012, euro area trade in goods recorded a surplus of €81.8 billion, outperforming the most optimistic predictions. This is not however the only good news for Eurozone external accounts for last year. Traditionally Eurozone records also a hefty surplus in international […]
Business activity in Eurozone has being deteriorating for the past nine months. Last December however the PMI, index which measures this phenomenon, gave the first indications that the bottom of the dreadful U curve is now behind. In detail, the Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for the industrial sector, being drafted on data over the demand […]
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