Infrastructure Investment in the Western Balkans: A First Analysis
wiiw has recently published a joint publication with the European Investment Bank. The study provides a first analysis of the recent development in infrastructure investment in the Western Balkans. It identifies infrastructure gaps as well as key infrastructure initiatives in the region, outlines the political dimension and provides the respective detailed infrastructure investment data as collected from the Western Balkans statistical offices. The Western Balkans are a good case study also for other regions in the EU neighbourhood that have similar developmental problems. It teaches that (i) intensity of involvement is important; (ii) the composition of the funds matters; (iii) infrastructure funding will not automatically lead to more political cooperation; (iv) infrastructure development funds can also be used as a sort of reward for more political cooperation. These principles could be applied in the EU’s neighbourhood policy for the Eastern Partnership countries as well as the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership countries, according to the local requirements.
A download link for the study can be found here.
82nd OeNB East Jour Fixe on vulnerabilities and opportunities
The 82nd East Jour Fixe of the Oesterreichische Nationalbank (OeNB) will address the following issues in three sessions. Session 1 will focus on public sector debt and sustainability considerations in CESEE. A particular focus will be on the structure of public debt in the region and on the role fiscal rules play. Session 2 will deal with developments and drivers of private debt, covering both corporate and household debt and its sustainability. This session will also explore if there is a need for further deleveraging in CESEE. Session 3 will then bring together representatives from the private sector, from CESEE institutions and from international financial institutions to discuss what institutions can contribute to ensuring optimal and sustainable debt developments in the public and private sector. The event takes place on Monday, June 11, 2018, 09:00 a.m. at the OeNB.
For more information please follow the OeNB link.
Western Balkans Labour Market Trends 2018
Country flyers for the Western Balkans based on the recent Western Balkan Labor Market Trends 2018 report are now online. The flyers present a short description of recent trends and feature key labor market indicators based on the harmonized data prepared in the context of the SEE Jobs Gateway. The data can be obtained online as well. The Jobs Gateway is funded by the Austrian Ministry of Finance and is produced in collaboration with the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies and the World Bank Group. Please follow the SEE Jobs Gateway link for the publications.
IJF Public Sector Economics 2018 Call for Papers
The Institute of Public Finance (IJF) and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) are organising a research and policy conference on Public Sector Economics 2018 – Fiscal Openness: Transparency, Participation and Accountability in Fiscal Policies (October 26, 2018; Zagreb, Croatia).
The abstract submission deadline is May 15, 2018 to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
For more information please follow the IJF link.