Editorial
¾ The 50th Anniversary of the Treaty of Rome and official statistics ...... 2
Highlights
¾ Euro-IND statistical news...... 4 ¾ Insight on: Celebrating Europe! A Statistical portrait of the European Union 2007 ...... 10
Newsfront
¾ News from the Member States ...... 11 ¾ Forthcoming events...... 14 ¾ Cool tools and sites: Celebrating Europe! 50thAnniversary of the treaty of Rome...... 20 ¾ Webtrends...... 22 ¾ Contact us...... 22
EUROINDICATORS Editorial ¾ The 50th Anniversary of the Treaty of Rome and official statistics
The 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome is a good reason to look back at what official European statisticians have achieved over the last fifty years. In the early days they put together those national statistics that helped to shape specific EU policies, initially for coal and steel and later for agriculture. For the customs union they harmonised external trade statistics, and for the Common Market they evolved the basis for European production statistics. In the 1970s they began to develop Community classifications and to lay the foundations for the harmonisation of encompassing data sets such as national accounts and the balance of payments. Work on environment statistics started in the 1980s. Considerable progress has also been achieved in the harmonisation of labour market statistics in the 1990s. EMU with its convergence criteria and other statistical requirements, however, has led in the 1990s to a real quantum leap in Community statistics. The European System of Accounts was adopted in 1996. Special attention was devoted to general government accounts in the context of the Growth and Stability Pact. Short-term statistics improved from 1998 onwards, the Harmonised Consumer Price Index became fully operational in time for the introduction of the Euro and Euroindicators are supporting now the monetary policy conduct. Over the last couple of years new methods have been tried (e.g. European sampling, flash estimation) and new policy relevant indicator families have been put together (structural indicators, sustainability indicators, etc.) supporting the conduct of Community policies (e.g. in the context of the Lisbon programme).
These are just a few examples of Community statistics, but the embedding of official statistics into a Community framework is far from complete. After all, we are not just seeing new areas of policy for which official statistics are to be made available: at European level we are also seeing new forms of cooperation developing for which official statistics are required.
With official statistics becoming ever more European over the last 50 years adequate political, organisational and operational structures were put in place1. In the late 1980s the Council established a planning committee2 to discuss Multi-annual Statistical Programmes3 proposed by the European Commission and to be adopted later by a decision of the European Parliament and the Council. These EU programmes have an integrative impact that should not be underestimated, since the national statistical institutes involved are now enhancing their
1 For an encompassing history of Eurostat see: Alberto De Michelis and Alain Chantraine: MEMOIRS OF EUROSTAT, fifty years serving Europe; Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, Luxembourg, 2003
2 COUNCIL DECISION OF 19 JUNE 1989 ESTABLISHING A COMMITTEE ON THE STATISTICAL PROGRAMMES OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES (89/382/EEC, EURATOM), OJ L 181, 28.6.1989.
3 The current Community statistical programme — the fourth (see DECISION No 2367/2002/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 16 December 2002) — relates to the period 2003 to 2007 and focuses on economic and monetary union, enlargement, competitiveness, sustainable development and the social agenda.
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EUROINDICATORS statistical services in the same fields. The European statistical law4 has established an organisational and legislative framework for the production of official statistics for European Union purposes. Finally in 2005 the European Statistics Code of Practice has been adopted5. All these rules and principles ensure that Community statistics can be drawn up for assisting the formulation, application, monitoring and assessment of Community policies.
The production of official statistics is therefore no longer a purely national matter. Official statisticians throughout the European Union (and even beyond) are now working within the context of a European Statistical System that integrates both the official national and European statistical authorities. This system is now solidly based on (1) the subsidiarity and proportionality principle, (2) guidelines, priorities and objectives enshrined in a common programme, (3) common standards and definitions as far as possible, as well as uniform sources and harmonised methods if need be or where appropriate, (4) common legal bases for Community statistics, and sometimes also further-reaching voluntary agreements, (5) data supply programmes established by law and respecting the confidentiality of individual data, and (6) the respect of fifteen principles of the European Statistics Code of Practice.
Official statisticians in the European Union have lived up to the European challenge and can thus look back with pride at an impressive record, but the European challenge will continue for them. More countries will have to be integrated into the system and the many countries will have to learn to speak with one voice at world level. New topics will have to be dealt with by everybody and costs will have to be brought down together. New methods will have to be applied and new sources exploited. In the end a truly European System will have to emerge that provides a robust perception framework for the European Union as a whole and all its components by doing more than summing up national statistics.
Hervé CARRÉ Eurostat General Director
4 COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) NO 322/97 OF 17 FEBRUARY 1997 ON COMMUNITY STATISTICS, OJ L 52, 22.2.1997.
5 The European Statistics Code of Practice has been adopted by the Statistical Programme Committee on 24 February 2005 and promulgated in the Commission Recommendation of 25 May 2005 on the independence, integrity and accountability of the national and Community statistical authorities.
Newsletter –March 2007 3
EUROINDICATORS Highlights
¾ Euro-IND statistical news
Balance of Payments
EU25 current account deficit 79.4 bn euro - 65.8 bn euro surplus on trade in services The EU25 external current account recorded a deficit of 6.9 billion euro in the fourth quarter of 2006, compared with a deficit of 26.3 billion euro in the fourth quarter of 2005 and a deficit of 21.7 billion euro in the third quarter of 2006. In the fourth quarter of 2006 the EU25 external balance of trade in services recorded a surplus of 16.8 billion euro compared with a surplus of 16.3 billion euro in the fourth quarter of 2005 and a surplus of 16.6 billion euro in the third quarter of 2006. Preliminary results for 2006, compared with 2005, show an increase in the EU25 external current account deficit (-79.4 bn euro compared with -63.8 bn euro) and an increase in the surplus of the services account (65.8 bn euro compared with 56.3 bn euro). These provisional data, issued by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities, will be subject to revision. Preliminary results for 2006 – News release N°35/2007 – 9 March 2007
Consumer prices
Euro area annual inflation stable at 1.8% - EU stable at 2.1%
Euro area annual inflation was 1.8% in February 2007, unchanged compared with January. A year earlier the rate was 2.3%. Monthly inflation was 0.3% in February 2007.
EU annual inflation was 2.1% in February 2007, unchanged compared with January. A year earlier the rate was 2.2%. Monthly inflation was 0.3% in February 2007. These figures come from Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities. Inflation in the EU Member States In February 2007, the lowest annual rates were observed in Malta (0.8%), France, Cyprus and Finland (all 1.2%), and the highest rates in Hungary (9.0%), Latvia (7.2%), Bulgaria and Estonia (both 4.6%). Compared with January, annual inflation rose in thirteen Member States, remained stable in one and fell in twelve.
The lowest 12-month averages up to February 2007 were in Finland (1.3%), Poland (1.4%), the Netherlands and Sweden (1.6% each); the highest were in Bulgaria (6.9%), Latvia (6.6%) and Romania (5.8%). Euro area The main components with the highest annual rates in February 2007 were alcohol & tobacco (4.1%), education (3.3%) and housing (3.1%), while the lowest annual rates were observed for communications (-1.7%), recreation & culture (0.2%) and transport (1.0%). Concerning the detailed sub-indices, restaurants & cafés and tobacco (+0.10 percentage points each) had the largest upward impacts on the headline rate, while fuels for transport (-0.22) and telecommunications (-0.11) had the biggest downward impacts.
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EUROINDICATORS
The main components with the highest monthly rates were recreation & culture (1.0%), health and hotels & restaurants (0.6% each) and the lowest were food (-0.2%) and communications (-0.1%). In particular, package holidays (+0.07 percentage points) and accommodation services (+0.03) had the largest upward impacts, while fish, vegetables and meat (-0.02 each) had the biggest downward impacts. February 2007 – News release N°39/2007 – 15 March 2007
External trade
Euro area external trade deficit 7.8 bn euro - 26.2 bn euro deficit for EU27 The first estimate for the euro area (EA13) trade balance with the rest of the world in January 2007 gave a 7.8 bn euro deficit compared with -9.9 bn in January 2006. The December 2006 balance was +3.2 bn, compared with -1.4 bn in December 2005. In January 2007 compared with December 2006, exports, seasonally adjusted, fell by 0.4% while imports rose by 0.2%. The first estimate for January 2007 extra-EU27 trade was a deficit of 26.2 bn euro, the same as in January 2006. In December 2006, the balance was -9.4 bn, compared with -11.2 bn in December 2005. In January 2007 compared with December 2006, exports, seasonally adjusted, fell by 2.2% and imports by 0.7%. These data are released by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities. January 2007 – News release N°42/2007 – 22 March 2007
Industry, commerce and services
Industrial new orders down by 0.2% in euro area - EU27 down by 1.5% The euro area (EA13) industrial new orders index decreased by 0.2% in January 2007 compared to December 2006. The index grew by 1.8% in December 2006 and by 0.8% in November. EU27 new orders fell by 1.5% in January 2007, after increases of 2.7% in December 2006 and 0.7% in November. Excluding ships, railway and aerospace equipment industrial new orders remained stable in the euro area and decreased by 0.1% in the EU27 in January 2007. In January 2007 compared to January 2006, industrial new orders increased by 12.0% in the euro area and by 10.1% in the EU27. Total industry excluding ships, railway and aerospace equipment grew by 9.8% in the euro area and by 7.3% in the EU27. These estimates are released by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities. January 2007 compared to December 2006 – News release N°43/2007 – 22 March 2007 Industrial production down by 0.2% in euro area - Down by 0.3% in EU27 Seasonally adjusted industrial production fell by 0.2% in the euro area (EA13) in January 2007 compared with December 2006. Production rose by 1.2% in December and by 0.3% in November. In the EU27 output decreased by 0.3% in January 2007, after increases of 1.0% in December and 0.3% in November. In January 2007 compared to January 2006, industrial production rose by 3.7% in the euro area and by 3.5% in the EU27. These estimates are released by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities.
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January 2007 compared to December 2006 – News release N°36/2007 – 14 March 2007 Construction output up by 0.6% in the euro area - Up by 1.1% in the EU27 In the construction sector, seasonally adjusted production grew by 0.6% in the euro area (EA13) and by 1.1% in the EU27 in January 2007, compared to the previous month. In December 2006, production increased by 0.9% in the euro area and by 0.7% in the EU27. Compared to January 2006, output in January 2007 gained 10.4% in the euro area and 7.3% the EU27, after rises of 8.8% in the euro area and 2.3% in the EU27 in December 2006. These first estimates are released by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities. January 2007 compared to December 2006 – News release N°40/2007 – 20 March 2007 Volume of retail trade down by 0.1% in euro area - Up by 1.4% in EU27 In January 2007, compared to January 2006, the volume of retail trade fell by 0.1% in the euro area (EA13) and rose by 1.4% in the EU27. Compared to December 2006, the retail sales index decreased by 1.0% in the euro area and by 0.9% in the EU27. Annual changes In January 2007, compared to January 2006, retail trade of “food, drinks and tobacco” fell by 1.6% in the euro area and by 0.3% in the EU27. The non food sector increased by 1.3% and 3.0% respectively. Among the Member States for which data are available, total retail trade rose in Latvia (+30.5%), Estonia (+19.7%), Bulgaria (+18.2%), Lithuania (+12.3%), Poland (+10.0%), Sweden (+9.2%), Spain (+4.1%), Belgium (+3.4%), the United Kingdom (+3.0%), Finland (+2.7%), Luxembourg (+1.7%), France and Austria (both +1.3%), while falls were recorded in Germany (-4.3%), Portugal (-1.3%) and Denmark (-0.8%). Monthly changes In January 2007, compared with December 2006, “food, drinks and tobacco” fell by 0.8% in both zones. The non food sector decreased by 0.9% in the euro area and by 0.7% in the EU27. Among the Member States for which data are available, total retail trade increased in Latvia and Lithuania (both +1.2%), Bulgaria and Estonia (both +0.8%) and France (+0.3%), and remained stable in Belgium. Falls were recorded in Germany (-5.1%), Luxembourg (- 2.6%), Denmark (-2.3%), Austria and Poland (both -1.2%), the United Kingdom (-0.9%), Sweden (-0.6%), Spain and Finland (both -0.3%) and Portugal (-0.1%). These first estimates come from Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities. January 2007 compared to January 2006 - News release N°33/2006 – 6 March 2007 Industrial producer prices up by 0.1% in euro area - Stable in EU27 The euro area (EA13) industrial producer price index rose by 0.1% in January 2007 compared to December 2006, while EU27 prices remained unchanged. In December 2006 prices remained unchanged in both the euro area and the EU27.
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In January 2007 compared to January 2006, industrial producer prices rose by 2.9% in the euro area and by 2.4% in the EU27. These figures come from Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities. January 2007 compared to December 2006 – News release N°31/2007 – 2 March 2007
Labour market
Euro area unemployment down to 7.3% - EU27 down to 7.4% Euro area (EA13) seasonally-adjusted unemployment stood at 7.3% in February 2007, compared with 7.4% in January. It was 8.2% in February 2006. The EU27 unemployment rate was 7.4% in February 2007, compared with 7.5% in January. It was 8.2% in February 2006. In February 2007, the lowest rates were registered in Denmark (3.4%) and the Netherlands (3.5%). Unemployment rates were highest in Poland (11.8%) and Slovakia (11.0%). These figures come from Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities. Twenty one Member States recorded a fall in their unemployment rate over a year, two remained stable and four reported an increase. The largest relative falls were observed in Slovenia (6.5% to 4.7%), Slovakia (14.4% to 11.0%) and Poland (15.1% to 11.8%). The highest relative increase was registered in Hungary (7.4% to 7.9%). The unemployment rate for males fell from 7.0% to 6.2% between February 2006 and February 2007 in the euro area and from 7.4% to 6.5% in the EU27. The female unemployment rate declined from 9.7% to 8.9% in the euro area and from 9.2% to 8.4% in the EU27. In February 2007, the unemployment rate for under-25s was 16.4% in the euro area and 16.9% in the EU27. In February 2006 it was 17.4% and 18.1% respectively. The lowest rates for under-25s were observed in Denmark and the Netherlands (both 6.7%); the highest in Poland (25.5%), Greece (25.5% in the fourth quarter 2006), and Romania (23.6%). Eurostat estimates that 17.2 million men and women in the EU27, of which 11.0 million were in the euro area, were unemployed in February 2007. In February 2006, 19.1 million men and women in the EU27, of which 12.2 million were in the euro area, were unemployed. The US unemployment rate was 4.5% in February 2007, and the Japanese rate was 4.0% in January 2007. February 2007 - News release N°47/2007 – 30 March 2007
Euro area labour cost up by 2.4% - EU25 up by 2.7% Total hourly labour costs in the euro area (EA12) rose at an annual rate of 2.4% in nominal terms in the fourth quarter of 2006, down from 2.5% in the previous quarter. In the EU25 the annual rise was 2.7% in the fourth quarter of 2006, down from 3.0% in the previous quarter. The two main components of labour costs are wages and salaries, and non-wage costs. In the euro area, wages and salaries grew at an annual rate of 2.5% in the fourth quarter of 2006, and non-wage costs by 2.2%, compared with 2.7% and 2.2% respectively in the third quarter of 2006. In the EU25, wages and salaries rose by 2.8% and the non-wage component by 2.3%. In the previous quarter the corresponding rates were 3.2% and 2.0%. A breakdown by economic activity shows that in the euro area hourly labour costs rose at an annual rate of 2.2% in industry, 2.6% in construction and 2.5% in services in the fourth
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EUROINDICATORS quarter of 2006. In the EU25, labour costs grew by 2.5% in industry, and by 2.8% in both construction and services. These figures come from Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities. Fourth quarter 2006 compared to fourth quarter 2005 – News release N°38/2007 – 15 March 2007
National accounts
Euro area and EU25 GDP up by 0.9%. +3.3% and +3.4% respectively compared to the fourth quarter of 2005 Euro area (EA12) and EU25 GDP both grew by 0.9% in the fourth quarter of 2006, compared to the previous quarter, according to first estimates released by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities. In the third quarter of 2006, growth rates were +0.6% in both the euro area and the EU25. Compared to the fourth quarter of 2005, seasonally adjusted GDP rose by 3.3% in the euro area and by 3.4% in the EU25, after +2.7% and +3.0% respectively for the previous quarter. Growth in investment and exports accelerates During the fourth quarter of 2006, household final consumption expenditure increased by 0.6% in both zones (after +0.7% in the euro area and +0.6% in the EU25 in the third quarter of 2006). Investments grew by 1.2% in the euro area and by 1.5% in the EU25 (after +0.6% and +0.9%). Exports rose by 3.7% in the euro area and by 2.9% in the EU25 (after +1.8% and +0.3%). Imports increased by 1.9% in the euro area and by 1.7% in the EU25 (after +2.2% and +0.2%). US GDP up by 0.6%, Japanese GDP up by 1.2% In the United States GDP increased by 0.6% during the fourth quarter of 2006, after +0.5% in the third quarter. In Japan GDP grew by 1.2% in the fourth quarter, after +0.1% in the previous quarter. Compared to the fourth quarter of 2005, GDP rose by 3.1% in the US (after +3.0% in the previous quarter) and by 2.3% in Japan (after +1.5%). GDP grew by 2.6% in the euro area and by 2.9% in the EU25 in 2006 Over the whole year 2006, GDP grew by 2.6% in the euro area and by 2.9% in the EU25, compared to +1.4% and +1.7% respectively for 2005. Over the whole year 2006, GDP grew by 3.3% in the US (+3.2% in 2005) and by 2.2% in Japan (+1.9% in 2005). First estimates for the fourth quarter of 2006 – News release N°34/2007 – 6 March 2007
Euro area and EU25 employment up by 0.3%. +1.6% in both areas compared to the fourth quarter of 2005
The seasonally adjusted number of persons employed in the euro area (EA12) rose by 0.3% (423 000 persons) during the fourth quarter of 2006, according to provisional national accounts estimates published by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities. During the same period, the number of persons employed in the EU25 also
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EUROINDICATORS grew by 0.3% (593 000 persons). In the third quarter of 2006, growth rates were also +0.3% in both zones. Compared to the same quarter of the previous year, employment grew by 1.6% in both the euro area and the EU25 in the fourth quarter of 2006, after +1.5% in both zones in the third quarter of 2006. Over the whole year 2006, employment grew by 1.4% (1 948 000 persons) in the euro area and by 1.5% (2 988 000 persons) in the EU25, compared to +0.8% and +0.9% respectively in 2005. Eurostat estimates that, in the fourth quarter of 2006, 206.7 million men and women were employed in the EU25, of which 140.0 million were in the euro area. These figures are seasonally adjusted. These quarterly data on employment provide a picture of labour input consistent with the output and income measures of national accounts. First estimate for the fourth quarter of 2006 – News release N°37/2007 – 14 March 2007
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EUROINDICATORS
¾ Insight on: Celebrating Europe! A Statistical portrait of the European Union 2007
The Treaty of Rome, establishing the European Economic Community (EEC), was signed in Rome on 25 March 1957, and entered into force on 1 January 1958. The 25th March 2007 is therefore the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome. A lot of information on the celebration of this birthday can be found on the website “Celebrating Europe! 50th Anniversary of the treaty of Rome”, developed by the European Commission at the following URL: http://europa.eu/50/index_en.htm (see also cool tools and sites section of this newsletter). Among the links to documents and information available on this website, a link is provided to the Statistical portrait of the European Union 2007. This Eurostat brochure is the third edition of a series of publications that are distributed at the end of each year. It celebrates the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome establishing the European Economic Community (EEC). The treaty consists of 240 articles, as covered by six separate parts. The EEC has since been renamed the European Union (EU). This publication presents a collection of statistical indicators relating to the different areas covered by the preamble to the Treaty of Rome establishing the EEC, where the signatories declared its main goals, namely to: • lay the foundations of an ever closer union among the peoples of Europe; • eliminate the barriers which divide Europe; • improve the living and working conditions of their peoples; • remove existing obstacles in order to guarantee steady expansion, balanced trade and fair competition; • strengthen the unity of their economies and ensure their harmonious development by reducing the differences existing between the various regions and the backwardness of the less-favoured regions; • contribute, by means of a common commercial policy, to the progressive abolition of restrictions on international trade; • confirm their solidarity with overseas countries and desire to ensure the development of their prosperity; • preserve and strengthen peace and liberty. Each of the eight points covered by the preamble to the Treaty of Rome establishing the EEC is treated in this publication, with a short summary of policy developments and a description of the accompanying statistics. Three other sections have been added to the publication, in relation to the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), Euratom and Amsterdam Treaties, with information on coal and steel, energy, and education and lifelong learning opportunities. This document is available from the following URL: http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page?_pageid=1073,46587259&_dad=portal&_schema =PORTAL&p_product_code=KS-76-06-276 This publication can be directly downloaded in English with the following URL: http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_OFFPUB/KS-76-06-276/EN/KS-76-06-276- EN.PDF
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EUROINDICATORS Newsfront
¾ News from the Member States This section highlights economic news and statistics in each Member State in the field of infra-annual and business cycle statistics. The information is provided by Member State National Statistics Insitutes (NSIs), central banks and research institutes. If you have relevant news that you would like to have included in next months Newsletter please send an e-mail to: [email protected] . Belgium National Bank of Belgium Annual Report 2006 Part II: Activities, governance and annual accounts Part II of the Annual Report includes the National Bank's annual accounts and discusses its activities as a business. This section is published a few weeks after Part I, which gives an overview of the economic and financial developments during the reporting year, both on the domestic front and abroad. The complete version of the 2006 Report is not available yet. More information available at: http://be.sitestat.com/nbbe/nbb/s?BannerDeelIIE_ho&ns_type=clickin
Bulgaria National Statistical Institute New Catalogue of Statistical Publications 2007 The Catalogue contains detailed and clearly structured information on NSI printed and electronic publications issued in 2007, presented in 4 themes (General Publications, Population and Social Statistics, Economy, National Classifications). The Catalogue presents each publication by title, through a short summary of its contents, ISSN number, periodicity, type (printed or electronic), price and publication deadline. In accordance with international practice, the National Statistical Institute offers an analogous electronic version of most publications, as well as publications available only on an electronic carrier (CD-ROM). More information available at: http://www.nsi.bg/Index_e.htm
Denmark StatBank Denmark New tables on industrial production and new orders statistics The new tables can be found at: IPOI1: Industrial orders, working on orders (non-seasonally adjusted) (2000=100) by orders and industry IPOI2: Industrial orders, working on orders (seasonally adjusted) (2000=100) by orders and industry IPOO1: Industrial turnover (non-seasonally adjusted) (2000=100) by turnover and industry IPOO2: Industrial turnover (seasonally adjusted) (2000=100) by turnover and industry
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EUROINDICATORS
The new tables replaced the following tables: ORDRE01: Industrial orders and sales (non-seasonally adjusted) (2000=100) by orders/turnover and industry. ORDRE02: Stocks of orders duration (months) by industry. ORDRE03: Industrial orders and sales (seasonally adjusted) (2000=100) by orders/turnover and industry
Spain Instituto Nacional de Estadistica The Municipal Register: statistical use Year 2006. The INE publishes the Municipal register, the administrative register where municipality inhabitants are recorded. The respective town councils are responsible for its formation, maintenance, revision and custody and its update is obtained from the revision of the municipal register referring to 1 January of each year, which is approved by the Government at the INE's request, after the favourable report by the Registration Board. More information at: Municipal Register: statistical use. Year 2006
France INSEE France in figures - Ed. 2007 This publication contains a brief selection of French economy main indicators. This bilingual French-English booklet of 28 pages has been carried out with the collaboration of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. It is updated every 2 years. More information available at: http://www.insee.fr/en/actualites/actualites.asp
Latvia Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia Running survey on Households` use of the Internet The Central Statistical Bureau (CSB) with the financial support of the European Commission conducts a survey of households the main objective of which is to obtain information on the accessibility of computers and the Internet, the types of connection and devices that provide Internet connection. There will be obtained data about frequency of technology use, places of use, activities made in Internet, purchases made in Internet shops, skills on work with computer etc. The survey data on use of computer and Internet in households will be compiled by their structure and level of income, as well as divided by regions, but data on people, who use these technologies, divided by different age groups, sex, level of education, employment and regions. Such survey is carried out in all European Union (EU) member states, and for this reason the results acquired will be compared not only with results of previous years, but also with those of other countries. More information available at: http://www.csb.gov.lv/csp/events/csp/events/?lng=en&mode=arh&period=03.2007&cc_cat=4 77&id=3000
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Austria Statistik Austria Foreign Trade: Introduction of a qualified single flow system for Intrastat as an alternative to the currently used two flow system In connection with the SLIM initiative (1996 onwards) the commission proposed substantial system changes, in particular the implementation of the single flow system. These proposals flat-lined as no agreement between the commission and the member states could be reached. The veto by the majority of member states at that time was given due to enormous effects on the results' quality. In the course of 2005 a political interest, namely by ECOFIN, became evident concerning the resumption of considerations for a single flow system. This induced the commission to recommend the member states to prepare a concept for a possible one flow system. An advanced and ensured concept, a so called Qualified Single Flow System is seen as a possible alternative as the expected quality of the results should be acceptable. Such a concept is characterised in particular by an enterprise based collection of dispatches and a data exchange at this detailed level with the other member states, the collection of country of origin and other variables needed by several member states for the arrival side, and an intensified application of model calculation and estimation procedures as well as additional plausibility for ensuring the data quality. Such a system can only be implemented on an obligatory basis and in all member states at the same time/simultaneously. Furthermore, certain legal and technical preconditions mentioned in the article are indispensable for the implementation of this system. More information available at: http://www.statistik.at/englisch/news/heft3_07.shtml
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¾ Forthcoming events
The first date(s) refers to the dates of the event.
April 27-29 Irish Economic Association Conference Bunclody, Ireland The two Conference plenary sessions for invited guest lecturers are as follows: - The Edgeworth Lecture (sponsored by the Central Bank of Ireland and Financial Services Authority of Ireland): Professor Adam Posen (Peterson Institute, Washington D.C.): Challenges for monetary policy in the current era of globalization. - The DEW/ESR Lecture: Professor Martin Browning (Nuffield College, Oxford): Wives and husbands spending time and money within the household. There will also be a special plenary session on the housing market in Ireland. Full details of the conference programme will be posted on this website as they become available.
May 10-11 Computational Methods for Modeling and learning in Social and Human Sciences (MASH) Brest, France Keynotes lectures: Mirta B. Gordon (UMR CNRS TIMC-IMAG, Grenoble), Alan Kirman (GREQAM Université de la méditerranée & EHESS), Lena Sanders (UMR CNRS Géographie cités, Paris & S4 network: Spatial Simulation for Social Sciences), Akira Namatame (Dept. of Computer Science, National Defense Academy, Yokosuka, Japan).
May 25-27 Spring Meeting Young Economists Hamburg, Germany The conference is intended to give non-tenured young economists such as PhD students, Post- doctoral Researchers, and Assistant Professors, a chance to meet, present and discuss their work. The conference covers every area of economics and features a rich program for them to get together. The meeting aims to provide a European platform, nonetheless participation from all over the world is invited. Moreover, young economists from Eastern Europe and Baltic States are greatly encouraged to take part at the conference, a number of grants covering transport and accommodation costs are available.
May 29 Sargent-Sims Colloquium: ‘Alternative Perspectives on Macro Econometric Policy Evaluation' London, UK This special one day colloquium will focus on the distinct perspectives of Thomas Sargent (NYU) and Chris Sims (Princeton) in macro-econometrics and macro dynamics. The programme will consist of presentations by: Thomas Sargent (NYU), Chris Sims (Princeton), Eric Leeper (Indiana) and Tim Cogley (U.C. Davis). Chairman: Lars Hansen (Chicago). The event is by invitation only. To request a place fill out the registration form and return to [email protected].
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May 30-June 1 Forecasting Financial Markets Conference (FFM) Aix-en-Provence, France Over the years, the FFM Conference has become a key international meeting point for those interested in Quantitative Finance, with the participation of prestigious academic and research institutions from all over the world including major central banks and quantitative fund managers. The FFM Sientific Committee is composed of both academics and quantitative market professionals to ensure the methodological soundness of the selected contributions and also retain the practitioner's perspective at the same time. Over the years, the Committee has ensured that the presentations were original, high quality and practical.
May 31- June 3 European Economics and Finance Society Conference (EEFS), Sofia, Bulgaria The Conference will focus on the European and Global Integration and the challenges to formulate economic policies addressing effectively issues arising from the process of economic integration. It is envisaged that a number of papers from this Conference will be published in special issues of established journals in the months following the conference.
June 1-2 International Conference on Regional and Urban Modeling Brussels, Belgium The goal of the conference is to promote and stimulate the exchange of ideas in the field of economic modeling techniques applied to regional and urban issues.
June 11 International Conference on Mathematics and Statistics, Athens, Greece The aim of ICTCAM 2007 is to bring together leading scientists from the domain of Applied Mathematics and to present research papers of high quality.
June 14-15 Modelling & Measuring Energy Risk Conference Lisbon, Portugal The speakers will address a range of important topics drawn from energy risk management, gas markets, option pricing and hedging, and forward curve modelling.
June 14-17 International Conference on Computing in Economics and Finance (CEF) Montreal, Canada The program will include one invited plenary lecture each day of the conference: - Recent Developments on Large Dimensional Factor Analysis - Inflation Dynamics - Designing Monetary Policies: Methods and Applications
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Important Dates Conference Registration Deadline: April 30, 2007 Lodging Reservation Deadline: May 15, 2007
June 14-16 International Workshop in Economics and Finance (IWEF), Tripolis, Greece The aim of the workshop is to attract high quality papers from all fields of economics and finance, either theoretical or empirical. Invited Speakers Philip Arestis, University of Cambridge, UK Mike Clements, University of Warwick, UK
June 21-24 North American Summer Meeting of the Econometric Society, (NASM ES) Durham, NC, USA The 2007 North American Summer Meeting of the Econometric Society will be hosted by the Department of Economics and the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. The program will consist of contributed and invited papers. The program includes the Presidential Address delivered by Lars Hansen of the University of Chicago, the Walras-Bowley Lecture by Christopher Pissarides of the London School of Economics, and the Harold Hotelling Lecuture by Christopher Sims of Princeton University. It also includes plans for a wide variety of plenary sessions with senior participants across diverse areas of Economics including, for example, empirical labor and empirical I/O economics, economic theory, macroeconomics (theory and applied), among many others.
June 24-27 International Symposium on Forecasting (ISF), New York, NY, USA As the premier, international forecasting conference, the ISF provides the opportunity to interact with the world's leading forecasting researchers and practitioners. The attendance is large enough so that the best in the field are attracted, yet small enough that you are able to meet and discuss one-on-one. The ISF offers a variety of networking opportunities, through keynote speaker presentations, academic sessions, workshops, meals, and social programs. In addition, representatives of leading publishing, software, and other related companies are on hand to discuss their most recent offerings.
Summer schools The first date is the deadline for registration
May 1 (for international students, for others - June 19) Harvard Summer School in Introductory Econometrics Cambridge, MA, USA; June 25 - August 17, 2007 Lecturers: Can Erbil and Daniela Kolusheva. This course is an introduction to multiple regression methods for analyzing data in economics and related fields. Students learn how to conduct empirical studies, as well as how to analyze and interpret results from other empirical works. The emphasis is on gaining an intuitive understanding of the principles of econometric analysis and applying them to actual data.
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Topics such as multiple regression techniques as well as issues related to departures from the standard assumptions on the error structure comprise the main subjects to be discussed. Aside from specification and data problems and the procedures to correct for measurement errors, the use of instrumental variables, probit/logit, panel data models, and basic time series methods are also part of the course agenda. Prerequisite: Pass proficiency examination; STAT S-100, or the equivalent.
May 1 Advanced Summer School in Economics and Econometrics Rethymno, Crete, Greece; August 19-26, 2007 Topic: Economic Growth and Empirics. Lecturer: Steven Durlauf. The lectures of the Summer School will provide an up-to-date coverage of the main theoretical models and econometric methods used in the analysis of economic growth and convergence.
May 11 NIPE Summer School in Quantitative Methods in Macroeconomics and Policy Analysis Braga, Portugal; July 4-5, 2007 Lecturer: Ellen R. McGrattan This year's Summer School is a three day course for PhD students and academics, working in the fields of Macroeconomics and Policy Analysis. This course introduces the major policy questions of macroeconomics and presents macroeconomic models to assist policy development. An emphasis will be placed on quantitative and computational methods and its application in guiding current policy decision-making.
May 19 CIDE Summer school of Econometrics Bertinoro, Italy; June 11-23, 2007 Lecturers: Hal White, Jeff Racine, Adrian Pagan, Norman Swanson. Since 1987, the CIDE organizes the Summer School of Econometrics, a two weeks residential course whose objective is to promote the knowledge among young researchers of recent advances in econometric methods. The School provides to young researchers the possibility of keeping in touch with some of the most recent developments in econometrics, and with other researchers with different cultural and working background, within a stimulating scientific environment.
May 21 Summer School Department of Economics ISEG Lisbon, Portugal; July 16-21, 2007 Lecture series on Survival models by Stephen Jenkins, on Simulation and the Bootstrap by Russell Davidson. Participants who wish to present their research at the Summer School 2007 must send a draft paper to [email protected]. A scientific committee will sellect submitted papers according to their quality.
June 25 (date of the beginning of the summer school) UCSC Summer School in Economics and Econometrics Santa Cruz, CA, USA.
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Session 1: June 25 to July 27 Session 2: July 30 to August 31 Seven Week Session: June 25 to August 10 Eight Week Session: June 25 to August 17 Ten Week Session: June 25 to August 31
Open deadlines for papers submission The first date is the deadline for the submission
April 30 Canadian macroeconomics study group, Call for papers, 2007 annual meeting, Ottawa, November 9 - 10 The 21st annual meeting of the Canadian Macroeconomics Study Group (CMSG) will be hosted by Department of Economics Carleton University in cooperation with the Canadian Economics Association. The CMSG solicits papers in all areas of macroeconomics to be presented at this conference. The conference normally consists of 14-16 papers along with discussants. One special session is planned: The Bruce D. Smith session on Monetary Theory. The conference is open to all with a general interest in macroeconomics. If you wish to present a paper, please visit the conference webpage: http://www.carleton.ca/economics/cmsg. and fill out the submission form available there.
April 30 Workshop on Real-Time Data Analysis Zurich, Switzerland; July 23, 2007 The intensive one-day meeting will allow research economists to share their ideas and research on the uses and usefulness of real-time data. Both theoretical and applied papers (in particular work in progress) using real-time data in the field of macroeconomics are welcomed. Papers that are of interest to statistical agencies or macroeconomic policy makers are particularly encouraged. The workshop will put a premium on interaction and discussion, providing a productive environment for joint research and the development of new ideas. Send your paper or detailed abstract (one page maximum) to [email protected] Decisions on acceptance will be sent out before 31 May 2007. The final version of the paper has to be submitted by 30 June 2007.
May 1 Netherlands Econometric Study Group Annual Conference (NESG) Maastricht, Netherlands; June 15, 2007 The conference provides a forum for econometricians from the Netherlands and beyond to exchange research ideas and developments on any aspect of econometrics. There will not be a particular theme, but instead a broad spectrum of research areas will be represented, depending on submission of papers. Papers from any area of econometrics are welcomed: from time series to cross-sections and panel data and from likelihood based inference to non-parametric techniques, both in theoretical and applied settings. Submission in the form of completed papers is preferred. Extended abstracts (2 pages) are also welcome, provided full papers can be expected before 1 June.
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May 1 Singapore Econometric Study Group (SESG) Annual Meeting Singapore; July 9, 2007 Papers in econometrics, both theoretical and applied, as well as empirical analyses of economic and finance issues are invited. For anyone wishing to present a paper, the full manuscript should be sent by email to Jun YU, School of Economics and Social Sciences, Singapore Management University, Email: [email protected].
May 1 Australasian Workshop in Macroeconomic Dynamics Adelaide, Australia; August 11 - 12, 2007 Papers in all areas involving theoretical economic dynamics and quantitative applications are welcomed.
May 7 ESRC Econometric Study Group Annual Conference Bristol, UK; July 12-14, 2007 Contributions are welcome in any area of econometrics: theoretical, applied or computational.
May 31 OxMetrics User Conference London, UK; September 20-21, 2007 The conference will provide a forum for the presentation and exchange of research results and practical experiences within the fields of computational and financial econometrics, empirical economics, time-series and cross-section statistics and applied mathematics. The conference programme will feature keynote presentations, technical paper sessions, workshops, tutorials and panel discussions
June 30 ECB Workshop on Forecasting Techniques: Forecast Uncertainty in Macroeconomics and Finance Frankfurt am Main, Germany; November 30-December 1, 2007 Papers that address the following topics would be particularly welcome: 1. information uncertainty and information combination (e.g. observation window, disaggregate information, role of judgement); 2. measurement uncertainty (e.g. real time analysis); 3. parameter and model uncertainty (e.g. forecast and model combination, forecast model selection). Interested authors are invited to submit a paper to [email protected]. Authors of selected papers will be notified by 17 August.
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¾ Cool tools and sites: Celebrating Europe! 50thAnniversary of the treaty of Rome
Europe celebrates the 50th birthday of the treaty of Rome. A lot of information on the celebration can be found on the website “Celebrating Europe! 50th Anniversary of the treaty of Rome”, developed by the European Commission. The website is available in the 22 languages of the European Union. This website is available at the following URL: http://europa.eu/50/index_en.htm This website provides a list of celebration events throughout Europe and the world. It is possible to search for events across Europe, in the EU countries and around the world. A calendar is available and the events are classified by type: Theater, Cinema, Music… The website recalls what we are celebrating and provides a list of special publications, websites, videos, posters and postcards and wallpapers. It provides in particular a list of websites, where to find additional information on the treaty of Rome: Traité de Rome http://www.traitederome.fr/ This website, dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome and launched by the French government contains historical documents such as video recordings and photos and presents the history of the European Union. It also includes contributions from European key personalities and a list of all the celebrations taking place in France. Insieme dal 1957 http://ec.europa.eu/italia/speciale1957 The European Commission Representation in Italy has created a special section on its website called "Insieme dal 1957" (Together since 1957), entirely devoted to the key anniversaries taking place in 2007: the 50th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome; the centenary of the birth of Altiero Spinelli; the 20th anniversary of the Erasmus program and the 30th anniversary of the European University Institute Celebrating Europe in Brussels in 2007 http://www.brusselseurope2007.be/ This website, created by the Tourism and Convention bureau, provides information about the celebrations taking place in Brussels in 2007. Europafest http://www.bundesregierung.de/nn_1264/Webs/Breg/DE/Europa/Europafest/europafest.html The German government has launched this website to promote the events taking place in Germany on March 24-25. There is also information about the history of the EU. Euros du village http://www.eurosduvillage.com/+-50-ans-du-traite-de-Rome-+.html
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This website has launched a special section on the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome including video interviews with prominent Europeans on their views on the future of Europe, their experiences and their European dream.
The website “Celebrating Europe! 50th Anniversary of the treaty of Rome” of the European Commission provides also links to what was achieved and links to discover the EU. More information can be found at the following URL: http://europa.eu/50/index_en.htm
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EUROINDICATORS ¾ Webtrends
Due to the implementation of the new Eurostat portal and the dedicated Euroindicators section, the statistics on the consultation of different products, as well as the Webtrends publication, are temporarily unavailable.
¾ Contact us The statistical newsletter is published by: Eurostat unit D1 – Key Indicators for European Policies Contact point: [email protected] Feedback: Readers are invited to send their comments, questions or contributions to the contact point.
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