This report provides an overview of international experience in the implementation of Green Public Procurement (GPP). It focuses on the institutional framework that is needed to support the mainstreaming of GPP practices across government. The intention is to equip practitioners with a broad...

The growth and impacts of plastic pollution have emerged as a major environmental challenge globally. Plastic pollution has a wide range of impacts on public health, ecosystems, biodiversity, and economies and can occur during each stage of the plastic lifecycle, from extraction of raw...

The Western Balkans is home to the most polluting power plants in Europe, and its transport and energy infrastructure require updates. Not surprisingly, countries such as Kosovo, are suffering from severe urban air pollution and traffic congestion as a result of high dependence on fossil fuels...

The 2008 crisis marked the beginning of a lost decade for many countries - and many people - in the European Union (EU). The crises of 2008 and 2012 halted, and in some countries undid, a decade of growth and economic convergence across the EU. This report argues that the economic shocks...

The Europe and Central Asia (ECA) Education Team's vision is for education systems to empower all to reach their full potential. In line with this vision, the purpose of this guidance note is to provide recommendations and policy advice for decision-makers on potential education responses to the...

This report presents an analysis conducted by the World Bank to assess macro-fiscal impacts of earthquakes and floods in European Union (EU) Member States (MS), analyze the financial instruments in place to manage this risk and identify any associated funding gaps. The analysis is underpinned by...

Governments play a critical role in the economies of Europe and Central Asia, where government expenditures are close to 40 percent of gross domestic product and the public sector accounts for nearly 27 percent of total employment, which is almost twice the global average. The public sector...

Following a strong recovery after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, growth in the European Union (EU) is expected to sharply decelerate in 2023 as high inflation and increasingly tight monetary policy dampen economic activity. Despite considerable resilience, the EU economy is in a weakened...

According to the GovTech Maturity Index (GTMI) 2022 update for the Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region, 26 countries are in groups A and B demonstrating significant focus on GovTech initiatives and the remaining four countries are in groups C and D. The GovTech initiatives are significantly...

This companion piece to the Fall 2022 ECA Economic Update provides an overview of the policy options available to countries to respond to the energy price shock and examines how this crisis could harness the clean energy transition to enhance collective energy security. The options to support...