Money Buzz! Europa

Tag: europe

  • Germany was the EU’s main producer of ice cream in 2019

    Germany was the EU’s main producer of ice cream in 2019

    In 2019, the EU produced more than 3 billion litres of ice cream, representing a 6% increase from the previous year, Eurostat says.

    Over the same period, EU Member States exported 222 thousand tonnes of ice cream to non-EU countries, worth a total of €723 million. In addition, imports of ice cream from countries outside the EU amounted to 82 thousand tonnes, worth a total of €180 million.

    Germany was the EU’s main producer of ice cream

    Among the EU Member States, Germany was the main producer of ice cream in 2019, producing 635 million litres of ice cream (amounting to 21% of the EU’s total ice cream production).

    Italy produced 554 million litres (18% of the EU’s total ice cream production). Meanwhile 2018 data show that France produced 451 million litres that year (or 15% of total production in 2019).

    France exported the most ice cream to countries outside the EU

    France exported a total of 55 thousand tonnes of ice cream in 2019, accounting for 25% of total extra-EU ice cream exports.

    This made it the largest ice cream exporter out of all EU Member States, ahead of the Netherlands (which exported 35 thousand tonnes of ice cream, or 16% of total extra-EU exports), Germany (29 thousand tonnes, or 13%), Italy (18 thousand tonnes, or 8%) and Spain (16 thousand tonnes, or 7%).

    UK main destination and source of EU’s exports and imports of ice cream

    The United Kingdom (UK) was the main destination for the EU’s exports of ice cream to non-EU countries. The EU Member States exported 128 thousand tonnes of ice cream to the UK (58% of total extra-EU ice cream exports).

    Other main destinations were Switzerland (12 thousand tonnes, or 5%) and China (7 thousand tonnes, or 3%).

    Imports of ice cream from non-EU countries came mainly from the United Kingdom (57 thousand tonnes of ice cream, or 70% of extra-EU ice cream imports), Serbia (16 thousand tonnes, or 19%) and Switzerland (2 thousand tonnes, or 2%).

  • EU member states exported almost 1 million bicycles and other cycles

    EU member states exported almost 1 million bicycles and other cycles

    In 2019, EU member states exported almost 1 million bicycles and other cycles, worth a total of €368 million, to countries outside of the EU.

    This represents a 24% increase in numbers compared with 2012, says Eurostat.

    Over the same period, EU member states imported over 5 million bicycles, worth €942 million, from countries outside the EU. Compared with 2012, this represents a decrease of 12%.

    EU states exported almost 200.000 electric bicycles

    In addition, EU member states exported 191.900 electric bicycles worth €272 million in 2019 (the data include bicycles with pedal assistance and an auxiliary electric motor with a continuous rated power less than 250 W).

    Meanwhile, they imported 703.900 electric bicycles, worth €594 million, from countries outside the EU.

    Compared with 2012, the number of exported electric bicycles was almost twelve times higher in 2019, while imports of electric bicycles doubled.

    Main extra-EU destinations: the UK and Switzerland

    In 2019, the United Kingdom was the main destination of EU bicycles (36% of total extra-EU bicycle exports), followed by Switzerland (18%), ahead of Turkey (6%), Uzbekistan and Norway (both 4%).

    Meanwhile, Switzerland and the United Kingdom were the main destinations for EU exports of electric bicycles (33% and 29% of total extra-EU electric bicycle exports respectively), followed by Norway (15%) and the United States (13%).

    A quarter of EU’s imported bicycles from Cambodia, a half of electric bicycles from Taiwan

    In 2019, imports of bicycles from non-EU countries came mainly from Cambodia (24% of total extra-EU bicycle imports), Taiwan (15%) and China (14%), followed by Philippines (9%), Bangladesh and Sri Lanka (both 7%).

    While imports of electric bicycles into the EU came primarily from Taiwan (52% of total extra-EU electric bicycle imports), followed by Vietnam (21%), China (13%) and Switzerland (6%).

  • Young people in the EU left the parental household at the age of 26.2 years

    Young people in the EU left the parental household at the age of 26.2 years

    In 2019, the share of young people aged 25 to 34 who were living with their parents ranged across the EU Member States from less than 10% in Denmark (4.0%), Finland (4.8%) and Sweden (5.7%), to more than half in Slovakia (56.4% in 2018), Greece (57.8%) and Croatia (62.0%).

    On average, young people in the EU left the parental household at the age of 26.2 years in 2019. However, this age varied significantly across the EU Member States, Eurostat shows.

    In 2019, young people left home earliest in the three northern Member States – Sweden (17.8 years), Denmark (21.1 years) and Finland (21.8 years), as well as in Luxembourg (20.1 years).

    Young people also left home before the age of 25 in Estonia (22.2 years), France (23.6 years), Germany and the Netherlands (both with 23.7 years).

    In the southern EU Member States young people move out at around 30

    At the other side of the scale, young adults in Croatia and Slovakia remained the longest in the parental household. They left home on average at the age of 31.8 and 30.9 years respectively.

    Young adults in Italy (30.1 years), Bulgaria (30.0 years), Malta (29.9 years), Spain (29.5 years), Portugal (29.0 years) and Greece (28.9 years) also remained with their parents for longer.

    Men stay longer at parental home than women

    In almost all EU Member States, young women tended to leave the parental household earlier than men. The only exception was Luxembourg (20.3 years for women, compared with 20.0 years for men).

    The largest differences between the genders were registered in Romania (25.7 years for women, compared with 30.3 for men), Bulgaria (27.6 vs. 32.1), Croatia (29.9 vs. 33.6), Latvia (24.8 vs. 28.1), Hungary (25.8 vs. 28.5) and Slovakia (29.6 vs. 32.1).

  • Retail trade volumes back to February 2020 levels in Europe

    Retail trade volumes back to February 2020 levels in Europe

    In June 2020, a month marked by some relaxation of COVID-19 containment measures in many EU member states, the volume of retail trade increased by 5.2% compared with May 2020 and by 1.3% compared with the previous year.

    Overall, retail trade volumes returned to the levels recorded in February 2020, before the start of the containment measures, although the trend varies across product groups.

    In June 2020, the sales of food, drinks and tobacco were similar to their February levels (1.3% below February 2020), whereas for some non-food product groups there was still a sizeable gap between now and before the COVID-19 containment measures.

    In particular, June sales of textiles, clothing and footwear accounted for only about three quarters of what was sold in February (22.4% below February 2020).

    Although to a smaller extent, June sales of automotive fuels (-12.5%), computer equipment and books (-8.3%) as well as pharmaceutical and medical goods (-5.9%) also remained below their February 2020 levels.

    In contrast, mail orders and internet volume increased by 17.4% compared to February 2020.

  • Enel X at 50.000 charging points available throughout Europe

    Enel X at 50.000 charging points available throughout Europe

    Enel X expands its electric vehicle (EV) charging network to more than 50.000 public charging points.

    This significant increase from about 30.000 already available in early June was made by kicking off eRoaming connectivity with North European EV charging point operator Last Mile Solutions as well as has·to·be and E.ON.

    Under the framework of the Hubject e-mobility platform, this progress now allows Enel X JuicePass app users to charge their EVs, without signing new contracts, in the charging points operated by Last Mile Solutions, has·to·be and E.ON, on a network of around 20.000 additional charging points in Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands.

    JuicePass customers will now be able to use the app and cross the borders with one single interface from the Nordics through Germany, Austria and Switzerland on their trip to Italy.

    Enel X is expected to increase its network of public and private charging points made available worldwide to approximately 736.000 by 2022 from around 130.000 available today.

    What is Hubject?

    The Hubject e-mobility joint venture was founded in 2012.

    Headquartered in Berlin, its shareholders are, alongside Enel X: BMW Group, Bosch, EnBW, Mercedes Benz AG, Innogy, Siemens and the Volkswagen Group.

    The joint venture boasts over 750 business partners as well as 250.000 interoperable charging points in Albania, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, China, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Poland, Portugal, the Republic of Korea, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.

  • Sharpest drop of household real consumption per capita in EU

    Sharpest drop of household real consumption per capita in EU

    In the first quarter of 2020 household real consumption per capita dropped by 3.0% in the euro area, after a decrease of 0.4% in the previous quarter.

    This decline is the highest since the beginning of the Eurostat time series in 1999.

    Household real income per capita increased in the first quarter of 2020 by 1.1%, after a decrease of 1.1% in the fourth quarter of 2019.

    In the EU household real consumption per capita decreased by 2.9% in the first quarter of 2020, after a decrease of 0.2% in the previous quarter.

    Household real income per capita increased by 1.2% in the first quarter of 2020, after a decrease of 1.0% in the fourth quarter of 2019.

    Household saving rate significantly up

    In the first quarter of 2020, the saving rate increased in both the euro area and the EU by 4.3 percentage points, compared to the fourth quarter of 2019.

    The household saving rate increased in all Member States, for which data are available for the first quarter of 2020.

    The highest increases were observed in Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands, and the lowest in Poland, Sweden and Czechia.

    For all but two Member States, the increase of the saving rate was explained by the strong decrease of individual consumption expenditure.

    The drop in the individual consumption expenditure of households was the most pronounced in Italy, Spain and Belgium, followed by France. At the same time, the gross disposable income varied, increasing in Poland, Denmark, Czechia, Ireland, the Netherlands and Finland and decreasing in Spain, Italy, Portugal, Germany and Austria.

    Household investment rate down

    In the first quarter of 2020 the investment rate decreased by 0.2 percentage points for the euro area and 0.3 percentage points in the EU.

    Among the Member States for which data are available for the first quarter of 2020, the decrease in investment rate of households was the highest in Spain, France and Belgium.

    Seven Member States recorded an increase in the household investment rate, the highest being observed in Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark.

  • Half of batteries sold in EU are collected for recycling

    Half of batteries sold in EU are collected for recycling

    Over recent years, sales of portable batteries and accumulators in the EU remained relatively stable: from 176.000 tonnes in 2010, the amounts fell slightly to 169.000 tonnes in 2013, before rising steadily to 191.000 tonnes in 2018.

    In contrast, collection of waste batteries and accumulators in the EU steadily increased from 55.000 tonnes in 2010 to 88.000 tonnes in 2018.

    As a result, the collection rate of portable batteries and accumulators gradually increased from 35% in 2011 to 48% in 2018.

    Among the EU Member States, Croatia recorded the highest collection rate of portable batteries and accumulators (96%) in 2018 and was followed by Poland (81%), Luxembourg (69%), Belgium (62%) and Slovakia (58%).

    In contrast, the lowest rates were recorded in Estonia (30%), Cyprus (30%, 2017 data) and Portugal (31%).

  • 29% of Europeans can’t afford a week’s holiday

    29% of Europeans can’t afford a week’s holiday

    In 2019, 29% of residents of EU Member States aged 16 or over were unable to afford paying for an annual one-week holiday away from home.

    This share has gradually decreased since 2010, when 39% of Europeans could not afford to take a week holidaying away from their home. However, due to lockdowns and border closure implemented across the world in 2020 to slow down the rapid spread of the coronavirus, this downward trend is likely to halt in 2020.

    Among EU Member States, Romania recorded the highest share of individuals in this situation, with the majority of Romanians (54%) being unable to afford a one-week annual holiday in 2019.

    Residents of Greece came second, with 49% not being able to take a one-week holiday away from home, followed by Croatia (48%), Cyprus (45%) and Italy (44%).

    In contrast, at the lower-end of the scale, only 10% of people in Sweden were unable to afford a one-week annual holiday, followed by Denmark and Luxembourg (both 11%), Finland (12%), Germany and Austria (both 13%).

    Compared with 2010, the percentage of people who were unable to afford a one-week holiday away from home each year declined across all Member States, with the exception of Italy and Greece where it increased 4 percentage points (pp) and 3 pp respectively.

    The largest declines were recorded in Latvia (-35 pp), Malta (-30 pp), Bulgaria and Poland (both -27 pp) and Estonia (-26 pp).

  • 42% of births in the European Union are outside marriage

    42% of births in the European Union are outside marriage

    Eurostat shows that the proportion of live births outside marriage in the EU stood at 42% in 2018. This is 17 percentage points above the value in 2000.

    It signals new patterns of family formation alongside the more traditional model where children were born within a marriage. Extramarital births occur in non-marital relationships, among cohabiting couples and to lone parents.

    In 2018, extramarital births outnumbered births inside marriages in eight EU Member States: France (60%), Bulgaria (59%), Slovenia (58%), Portugal (56%), Sweden (55%), Denmark and Estonia (both 54%) as well as the Netherlands (52%).

    Greece and Croatia were at the other end of the spectrum along with Lithuania and Poland as more than 70% of births in each of these Member States occurred within marriages.

    Extramarital births increased in almost every EU Member State in 2018 compared to 2000

    The exceptions are Estonia, Latvia and Sweden that remained relatively stable with less than 1 percentage point decrease.

    The Iberian countries, Portugal and Spain, were the two countries where births outside marriage rose the most between 2000 and 2018 (+33.7 and +29.6 percentage points respectively).

  • EIB approves € 16.6 billion for COVID-19 health response

    EIB approves € 16.6 billion for COVID-19 health response

    • € 10.2 billion for COVID-19 public health and business financing;
    • € 5.2 billion for new private sector financing schemes;
    • € 2 billon for energy and energy efficiency investment around the world;
    • Millions of commuters to benefit from € 1.9 billion urban transport funding in Europe, Asia and Africa.

    The European Investment Bank (EIB) approved € 16.6 billion of new financing for projects across Europe and around the world.

    This includes more than € 10 billion of COVID-19-related investment to improve public health, strengthen public services and back investment by companies in sectors hit by the pandemic.

    € 10.2 billion to help businesses and the public sector cope with the pandemic

    This includes € 2 billion to support COVID-19 public health and healthcare investment across Italy and € 1.5 billion to help local authorities in France to better respond to the pandemic.

    An additional € 1 billion was approved to strengthen the public sector response to COVID-19 in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Romania and Slovakia, € 900 million for public and private investment related to COVID-19 challenges across the Western Balkans and € 800 million for COVID-19 related business investment in Egypt.

    Companies in Estonia, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal and Slovakia most impacted by the pandemic will also be supported through new targeted credit lines.

    Outside Europe the EIB will also enable companies in North and sub-Saharan Africa, the Eastern Neighbourhood and southern Caucasus to access financing under a dedicated regional COVID-19 financing programme.

    € 1.9 billion to improve energy efficiency, cut emissions and increase energy access

    Energy bills and emissions will be significantly reduced following new district heating investment in France and the Netherlands approved by the EIB today.

    The EIB agreed € 900 million of new green energy investment in Italy and Spain and backed a new cross border energy link between Greece and North Macedonia to reduce carbon emissions and phase out the use of lignite.

    The EIB also approved financing to two new electricity interconnectors in Mali and Madagascar to reduce dependency on fossil fuels, increase energy access and increase the use of cheaper energy sources. In Mali the capital Bamako will be connected to the West Africa power pool and new sources of renewable energy from across the region.

    Sustainable power generation in Colombia, Ecuador and Mexico will be strengthened under a new financing programme approved by the EIB.

    Urban transport and green shipping

    Commuters and residents of Krakow will benefit from cleaner and better public transport following EIB support for new investment in the city.

    The EIB also agreed € 1.1 billion of new support that will transform public transport in cities across Egypt and € 650 million for construction of two new metro lines with 30 stations in the Indian city of Kanpur.

    River, rail and road logistics in Europe will be enhanced and emissions reduced by upgrading the Duisburg inland port, another project backed by the EIB.

    Urban development and social housing

    Thousands of families will benefit from new energy efficient social housing investment in Germany and energy efficient housing across Kenya.

    A new project to accelerate investment in sustainable projects in Barcelona will contribute to achieving the goal to cut per capita carbon emissions by half in the Catalan capital.

  • European Union: Rents up by 20.8%, house prices by 20.5% since 2007

    European Union: Rents up by 20.8%, house prices by 20.5% since 2007

    House prices and rents in the EU-27 have followed very different paths since 2007. While rents increased steadily throughout the period up to the first quarter of 2020, house prices have fluctuated significantly, says Eurostat.

    After an initial sharp decline following the financial crisis, house prices remained more or less stable between 2009 and 2014. Then there was a rapid rise in early 2015, since when house prices have increased at a much faster pace than rents.

    Over the period 2007 until the first quarter of 2020, rents increased by 20.8% and house prices by 20.5%.

    House prices decreased in six EU Member States

    When comparing the first quarter of 2020 with 2007, house prices increased in 21 EU Member States and decreased in 6, with the highest rises in Luxembourg (+91.4%), Austria (+91.3%) and Sweden (+82.8%).

    The largest decreases are in Greece (-35.6%), Romania (-23.6%) and Ireland (-17.5%).

    For rents, the pattern was different. When comparing the first quarter of 2020 with 2007, prices increased in 26 EU Member States and decreased in one, with the highest rises in Lithuania (+101.8%), Czechia (+82.2%) and Hungary (+75.1%) and the only decrease in Greece (-17.5%).

  • Germany is the top exporter of chocolate and chocolate bars in Europe

    Germany is the top exporter of chocolate and chocolate bars in Europe

    2.2 million tonnes of chocolate and chocolate bars were exported by the EU Member States in 2019, 66% of which went to other EU Member States, Eurostat shows.

    The top chocolate and chocolate bar exporters were Germany (640.000 tonnes or 30%), followed by Belgium (300.000 tonnes or 14%), the Netherlands (290.000 tonnes or 13%), Poland (230.000 tonnes or 10%) and Italy (180.000 tonnes or 8%).

    These five EU Member States exported three quarters of the total EU chocolate and chocolate bars.

    220 000 tonnes were imported by the EU Member states from non-EU countries, of which 100 000 tonnes came from the United Kingdom and 70 000 tonnes from Switzerland.