Renewable energy sources (RES) are low-carbon energies available right within our borders, and as such can be of great value in addressing the challenges of climate change and energy security. In 2014, renewable energies accounted for 14.6% of France's gross final energy consumption. The French Energy Transition Act for Green Growth sets renewables targets of 23% and 32% as a share of gross final... Lire la suite
In December 2014, the High-Level Meeting of the OECD's Development Assistance Committee (DAC) approved a major reform of Official Development Assistance (ODA) loan reporting rules–the first change in over 40 years. This was a significant contribution by the OECD ahead of the international meetings held in 2015: the Addis Ababa conference on financing for development in July, and the adoption of ne... Lire la suite
Economic studies have found that effective social relations between unions and management are key to ensuring the economy runs smoothly. In surveys of the quality of labour relations, France tends to fare badly, however, although some improvement has been apparent over the last few years (see chart below).Numerous measures aimed at modernising social relations have been introduced since the 1980s,... Lire la suite
Very small enterprises (VSEs), which make up 96% of French businesses, fare en essential component of the French economy. They are the main local economic driver, cross-cutting a wide range of sectors, including retailers, crafts and tradespeople, self-employed professionals, service providers, accommodation and food services. They are also present in manufacturing and information and communicatio... Lire la suite
With a faster decline of industry as a share of GDP, France's productive structure has been diverging from that of countries with the highest specialisation in industry such as Germany and Japan-a trend accentuated by the 2008 crisis. Conversely, France's growing specialisation in services has brought its productive structure closer to that of the United Kingdom and United States.As the economic d... Lire la suite
The decline in oil prices affects emerging economies in different ways, having an adverse impact on oil-exporting countries and a favourable impact on oil importers.For oil exporters, lower oil prices mean lower exports in value terms. The loss of oil revenue has an adverse impact on the fiscal balance and, more broadly, on domestic demand as a whole. Depending on the budgetary and monetary policy... Lire la suite
The European internal market has been one of the key goals of the economic and political project of the European Union (EU) since the Treaty of Rome (1957). Its gradual implementation has brought major economic gains and provided momentum for modernising EU economies. The process has promoted strong growth in trade between Member States, followed by closer economic integration. Beyond the lifting... Lire la suite
Before the crisis, China enjoyed a period of buoyant growth, driven mainly by capital accumulation. It was able to maintain a high investment-to-GDP ratio thanks to abundant savings, partly a consequence of distortions in factor prices including the exchange rate, wages and interest rates. Productivity gains also contributed to China's outstanding performance, through technological catch-up but al... Lire la suite
In 2014, there were 36,681 municipalities in France (36,767 including overseas municipalities), 101 départements and 27 regions. French local-government entities accounted for 40% of the European Union total in 2011.Their economic role is substantial: local governments accounted for 21% of French government expenditure and 60% of government investment in 2014. Their powers are varied and may overl... Lire la suite
In early 2015, global economic growth slowed, with major disparities between economic areas. The advanced economies continued expanding, albeit at a slightly slower pace than at the end of 2014, but the outlook remains positive. In contrast, growth slowed more sharply in the emerging economies.In the United Kingdom and the United States, growth picked up again in the second quarter, after a tempor... Lire la suite