Consumer price indices, Slovenia, September 2010

In September consumer prices on average 0.5% lower. For the third time this year consumer prices at the monthly level went down, this time by 0.5%. In the first nine months of this year they increased by 1.5% (in the same period a year before by 1.3%).

On average, service prices went down by 3.7%, while goods prices went up 1.0%. As regards goods, semi-durable goods prices went up by 8.9%, while durable and non-durable goods prices went down by 0.8% and 0.3%, respectively.

News source:  Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia link: publication

Annual data on production and sold production of industrial products and services, detailed data, Slovenia 2009

Sale of industrial products and services lower by 18%. In 2009, industrial enterprises in Slovenia produced and sold about EUR 16.4 billion worth of industrial products and services. Compared to 2008, sale was lower by 18%. 66% of industrial products and services were sold on foreign markets.

The most successful manufacturing activity was manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers
In the field of manufacturing, manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers represented the highest share of total sold products and services, almost 14%, followed by manufacture of electrical equipment with more than 10% and manufacture of fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment, with almost 9%. The lowest share of total sale was recorded in manufacture of other transport equipment – less than 1%.

Compared to 2008, in 2009 only two activities among all manufacturing activities created the rise of sold production - manufacture of machinery and equipment n.e.c. (almost 3%), followed by manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products and preparations. In other manufacturing activities sold production was reduced – the most in manufacture of wearing apparel (almost 29%), followed by manufacture of machinery and equipment n.e.c. (28%). The lowest drop was recorded by manufacture of beverages (almost 6%).

News source: Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia link: publication

Bulgarian Revenue Agents 'Eye Properties from Above'

A government helicopter was used to make a full videotape of properties in the southern suburbs of the capital Sofia under the request of the Bulgarian National Revenue Agency (NRA).
Luxury real estate in the affluent suburbs of Pancharevo, Dragalevtsi, Simeonovo, Boyana, Bistritsa and Knyazhevo has been filmed in order to probe the correspondence between the value of the properties and the income of their owners. Revenue agents have appraised them before the videotaping.

NRA suspect that some of the houses have never been declared and real estate and waste removal taxes have never been paid on them.
Owners, who fail to provide adequate proof of income, will be audited. The undeclared income will be taxed with interest, while cases of tax crimes will be immediately referred to the Prosecutor's Office, NRA say.

News source: Novinite.com link: article

Electric idea garners fresh support in Europe's ICT industry

Several major European ICT (information and communication technologies) companies have joined their peers in a shared voluntary commitment to promote energy savings in Europe's ICT sector. The recent 'ICT 2010: Digitally Driven' conference in Brussels provided an ideal opportunity for more businesses to add their names to the long list of ICT companies which had already signed up to the relevant codes of conduct. A high-level signatory event on 28 September 2010 marked the occasion.
This endorsement adds further momentum to the implementation of the Digital Agenda for Europe. Adopted in May 2010, the Digital Agenda notably encourages Europe's ICT sector to play a prominent role in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

The voluntary codes of codes of conduct, which are managed by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC), enable Europe's ICT stakeholders to define actions that can help reduce ICT-related power consumption and improve energy efficiency throughout the sector. There are five codes of conduct in total, respectively related to broadband equipment, data centres, digital TV (television) services, efficiency of power supplies and AC (alternating current) uninterruptible power systems.

The signatory event firmly placed the first two codes at the centre of attention. The code of conduct on broadband equipment, which was launched in 2007 for an activity that represents around 15% of the sector's total energy consumption, sets limits for the maximum power usage of various types of equipment used in consumer premises and in telecom operators' substations. These devices notably include modems, switches, routers and home gateways.

News source: CORDIS link: article

Euro area unemployment rate stable at 10.1%, EU27 stable at 9.6%

The euro area1 (EA16) seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 10.1% in August 2010, unchanged compared with July. It was 9.7% in August 2009. The EU27 unemployment rate was 9.6% in August 2010, also unchanged compared with July. It was 9.2% in August 2009.

Eurostat estimates that 23.066 million men and women in the EU27, of whom 15.869 million were in the euro area, were unemployed in August 2010. Compared with July, the number of persons unemployed decreased by 68 000 in the EU27 and by 20 000 in the euro area. Compared with August 2009, unemployment rose by 0.894 million in the EU27 and by 0.569 million in the euro area.

These figures are published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.
Among the Member States, the lowest unemployment rates were recorded in Austria (4.3%) and the Netherlands (4.5%), and the highest in Spain (20.5%), Latvia (19.5% in the second quarter of 2010), Estonia (18.6% in the second quarter of 2010) and Lithuania (18.2% in the second quarter of 2010).

news source: Eurostat link: publication

New EBRD funds for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects in Serbia

The EBRD is continuing to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy projects in Serbia with a €10 million credit line to Societe Generale Banka Srbija for on-lending to Serbian private companies undertaking sustainable energy investments.
The financing to Societe Generale Banka Srbija is extended under the EU/EBRD Western Balkans Sustainable Energy Credit Line Facility.

Wholly-owned by the Société Générale Group, Société Générale Serbia is among the top ten banks in the country, servicing corporate, small and medium-zised enterprises (SMEs) and retail customers.
The proceeds of the loan will be used to support Serbian companies investing in industrial energy efficiency, small renewable energy production and energy efficiency in commercial buildings [with loans worth up to €2 million].
This is the second transaction under the EU/EBRD Western Balkans Sustainable Energy Credit Line in Serbia, following the €10 million loan to Banca Intesa, signed in March 2009.

News source: EBRD link: article

EBRD supports leasing activities in Bosnia and Herzegovina

The EBRD is increasing the availability of financing to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Bosnia and Herzegovina with a €10 million loan to UniCredit Leasing, under the Western Balkans and Croatia Financing Framework.
Wholly-owned by the UniCredit Leasing Sub-Holding company in Milan, part of the UniCredit Group, UniCredit Leasing d.o.o. is primarily serving SMEs and corporate clients across Bosnia and Herzegovina.

As a result of the challenging economic environment, leasing companies operating in Bosnia and Herzegovina have significantly reduced their activities. The total leasing market volume declined by 40 per cent in 2009 and a further 13 per cent in the first quarter of 2010.
The EBRD loan supports UniCredit Leasing’s strategy to grow its lease portfolio in order to address the unmet demand for longer term leasing contracts from local businesses, particularly for vehicles, trucks and equipment.

news source: EBRD link: article