News Archive

In 1993, the European Single Market was created with the aim of enabling the free movement of goods, services and capital. It has created jobs and fostered growth and prosperity across the EU. Today, the European Single Market is the EU’s driving force in addressing new challenges. In the future, the European Single Market will play a decisive role in setting a framework of reliable social standards and common goals. It will ensure Europe’s resilience by helping companies adapt their supply chains to future risks and find new business opportunities.

In a European comparison, the tax and contribution burden for middle-class incomes is highest in Denmark, Belgium, Germany, Finland, Lithuania, Slovenia, and the Netherlands. By contrast, France, Poland, Italy, Luxembourg, Sweden, and Austria impose average tax burdens on their middle classes, while the tax burden for the middle class is lowest in Spain, Greece, Estonia, Portugal, Cyprus, Bulgaria, and Romania.

The latest issue of the EconPol Newsletter has just been published. It features several new Policy Briefs and the latest Reports on the integration of Mercosur in the global economy. In the Expert Opinion Clemes Fuest discusses the four-day work week and in the new EconPol Forum deals with reforms of the EU economic governance.

Germany is a strong industrial nation with manufacturing contributing significantly to its economy. The country faces challenges including decarbonization, digitalization, and increased competition, especially in the automotive sector. Germany's automotive industry is vital to its economy, contributing around 9 percent of GDP and employing over 2.5 million people. The industry must adapt to these changes, requiring a skilled workforce with a focus on green technologies. The country has done a remarkable job in greening its manufacturing and green skills are quickly gaining prominence.

Sub-Saharan Africa ranks as one of the world’s poorest regions. The causes of this are exceptionally complex, with political instability, lack of security, low levels of education, poor access to infrastructure and lack of integration into global trade networks as the leading explanations, among others. In recent decades, economists and agricultural development experts have been looking for ways to increase agricultural productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa.