Study Group Europe - Paving the Way for a Sustainable European Prosperity Strategy, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung International Policy Analysis

For some time, the report of a high level group of experts - the so-called la Rosìere Group -, which had been commissioned by Commission President Barroso, was eagerly awaited in Brussels. Its mandate: What should financial regulation in Europe look like in future?

They had been expected for a long time - now they have arrived. The European Commission this week published a Communication containing regulations for so-called “Bad Banks”. These are institutes to be established by the state in order to buy toxic assets from the banks. Using taxpayers’ money.

The financial and economic crisis has hit the car industry with full force. In the last quarter of 2008 new car registrations in Europe declined by an average of 20 %. With regard to managing the crisis, the EU now puts the ball firmly back in the corner of the industry, thereby restricting its role to supervising the industry’s adherence to the regulations of the internal market and the competition law.

China reports an import decline of 43.1 % in January 2009; exports had shrunk by 17.5 %. Most Asiatic countries are faced with a similar bleak state of affairs. The situation in the EU is still slightly better: in December imports were down by 7.8 %, exports fell by 0.9 %.

A new economic study of the European Commission takes stock of the EU enlargement. The assessment of the European Commission is highly positive; it is, however, only restricted to economic key figures.

Presentation by Georg Michenthaler, IFES "Die Qualität der Arbeit messen - the "Austrian Work Climate Index“" for the conference on "Work Climate & Economic Development " in Brussels, 24-2-2010 (only in German)

Presentation by Hans Preinfalk, AK Upper Austria "Climate of Work, Quality of Work and Economic Developement - New Social Benchmarks for Europe" for the conference on "Work Climate & Economic Development " in Brussels, 24-2-2010

Presentation "Die Geschichte der Zukunft" by Erik Händeler, Author of „The history of the future – social behaviour and the wealth of tomorrow” (only available in German)