Finance & Economics | WPN World People News

With the new 5G agreement, the EU will join forces with Japan to cope with the increasing need for wireless Internet and complement current efforts to create a Digital Single Market in Europe.

Economic growth is expected to continue to pick up across Europe, from zero in 2013 and 1.3 percent in 2014, to 1.8 percent and 2.0 percent in 2015 and 2016 respectively. Central and eastern European countries (EU-CEE) will continue to grow above the European average, with growth expanding over 2.4 percent in 2015, based on robust consumer demand, the gradual return of investment, and continued export growth, says the new World Bank EU Regular Economic Report launched Thursday in Brussels.

An EU-US trade deal should deepen EU access to the US market, but must not undermine EU standards or the right to regulate in the public interest, say Trade Committee MEPs in draft recommendations voted on Thursday. Tools for resolving disputes between investors and states should be reformed and improved, they add.

Merchandise trade in US$ billion

Seasonally adjusted data at current prices and exchange rates

Government officials, international experts and development practitioners agreed that energy efficiency and renewable energy investments have the potential to build resilient economies of the GCC. The Forum, hosted by Oman and organized by the World Bank and the first of its kind in the Gulf Countries, examined the role of clean energy in reducing fiscal pressures and improving economic productivity and competitiveness.

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission led by Edward Gemayel visited Bishkek from May 21-27, 2015. The visit took as part of a regular dialogue with the authorities to assess the performance of the Kyrgyz economy, following approval on April 8 by the IMF Executive Board of a new three-year arrangement under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF).

Senior officials including deputy ministers of finance of six South East European countries* and senior representatives of the World Bank and the European Commission are meeting on May 27th and 28th in Vienna to take stock of financial reporting progress and to launch a new program.

More than 35 million young people, aged 16-29, across OECD countries are neither employed nor in education or training (NEET). Overall, young people are twice as likely as prime-age workers to be unemployed. Governments need to do more to give young people a good start to their working lives and help them find work, according to a new OECD report.

On May 20, 2015, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded the Article IV consultation with Peru.

Peru remains one of the best performing economies in Latin America, with solid macroeconomic policies and fundamentals and visible gains in poverty reduction. However, like most of the region, Peru faced a challenging external environment in 2014.

On May 18, 2015, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded the Article IV consultation1 with Switzerland.