The collapse of communist regimes in Central and Eastern Europe marked a historical event for the countries on both sides of the iron curtain. Using the recently released EU KLEMS database on detailed sectoral growth and employment measures, we analyse the productivity performance in the period...

A few reflections on fiscal and monetary policy in the euro area (by J. Pöschl; pp. 1-3) Keywords fiscal policy, monetary policy, euro area Countries covered EU Topics Macroeconomic Analysis and Policy; International Trade, Competitiveness and FDI Unit labour costs, exchange rates and responses...

European energy security a concern common to both the EU and Russia (by P. Havlik; pp. 1-2) Keywords energy security, gas supply, structural reform Countries covered Russia, EU Topics Macroeconomic Analysis and Policy The current state and prospects of the Russian energy sector (by V. Astrov;...

Table Overview 2013 and outlook 2014-2016 (p. 1) Figure 2013 estimate and 2014 forecast for CESEE growth drivers (p. 2) Bulgaria upcoming early elections take centre stage (by Rumen Dobrinsky; p. 3) Croatia recession continues (by Hermine Vidovic; p. 4) Czech Republic fiscal relaxation to...

Iraq crisis, oil price and economies in transition (by Vasily Astrov) Countries covered Iraq Iraq and the Balkans (by Vladimir Gligorov) Countries covered Iraq, Balkan States Structural change and productivity growth in Central and Eastern Europe (by Peter Havlik) Countries covered CEE Poland's...

Graph of the month Europe Brent Spot Price, fob per barrel, in current USD and euro and real year 2005 euro (p. 1) Opinion corner Russia-Ukraine conflict do Western sanctions have any effect? (by Vasily Astrov, Vladimir Gligorov, Peter Havlik, Michael Landesmann and Olga Pindyuk; pp. 2-6)...

Summary The Ukraine conflict is having serious consequences not only for Russia and Ukraine, but it also potentially threatens to damage the still frail economic recovery in Europe. In Ukraine, which is the main victim of the conflict, the economy may decline by up to 8% this year. In Russia,...

Growth in the CESEE region will follow the unimpressive pattern displayed by the euro area. The longer-term convergence of income levels in the CESEE countries can no longer be expected to be as rapid as was assumed a decade or so ago. Growth in the period 2015-2017 is not going to deviate...

Terms of trade effects and Russian economic growth (by P. Havlik, pp. 1-4) Keywords Russia, economic growth, terms of trade Countries covered Russia Topics Macroeconomic Analysis, Forecasts and Policy; International Trade and Competitiveness; Energy Poland the national stock exchange game...

Unit labour costs (ULCs) are one of the key economic variables considered in the context of globalization, competitiveness and production-location decisions. With the EU accession of eight Central and East European countries and their (almost) full inclusion in the European Single Market, the...