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wo 16 jul 2008, 08:34 - Autoverkoop EU zakt in
BRUSSEL - Door de terugvallende economie is de verkoop van nieuwe auto's in de EU het eerste halfjaar 2,2 procent lager uitgevallen dan dezelfde periode vorig jaar. Inflatie en dure brandstof zijn de voornaamste oorzaken, aldus de Europese brancheorganisatie van autofabrikanten ACEA woensdag.

German April unemployment drops less than expected
By William L. Watts - Last update: 4:32 a.m. EDT April 30, 2008
LONDON (MarketWatch) -- German unemployment fell less than expected in April, declining by 7,000 after a drop of 48.000 in March, news reports said. The figures from the German labor office were seasonally adjusted. The consensus forecast was for a drop of around 30,000. The April jobless rate was unchanged from March at 7.9%. End of Story

EU: lagere groei Europese economie veerkrachtig
28 Apr 08, 12:58
BRUSSEL (AFN) - De Europese economie zal dit jaar naar verwachting 0,5 procentpunt minder groeien dan vorig najaar werd verwacht. Maar de economie in de Europese Unie toont zich ondanks de financiële crisis in de wereld “veerkrachtig”.
Dat stelt de Europese Commissie maandag in haar economische voorjaarsverwachtingen.
De groei zal dit jaar uitkomen op 2 procent en volgend jaar op 1,8 procent, verwacht de Commissie. Voor de vijftien landen met de euro wordt een groei verwacht van 1,7 procent dit jaar en 1,5 procent volgend jaar. De definitieve groeicijfers voor 2007 waren 2,8 procent in de totale EU en 2,6 procent in de vijftien eurolanden.

Quarterly Report on the Euro Area. March 2008
Despite the sound economic fundamentals of the euro area, the strong headwinds have begun to take a toll on euro-area GDP growth. GDP growth decelerated from 2.6% year-on-year in the third quarter of last year to 2.2% year-on-year in the fourth quarter.
The Quarterly Report on the Euro Area (QREA) first assesses recent economic developments and short-term prospects in the euro area. It highlights the fact that despite the sound economic fundamentals of the euro area, the strong headwinds, which include persistent uncertainties about the duration and the ultimate cost of the financial turmoil, a weakening US economy and surging commodity prices, have begun to take a toll on euro-area GDP growth. Indeed, GDP growth decelerated from 2.6% year-on-year in the third quarter of last year to 2.2% year-on-year in the fourth quarter.

Britain Woos Chinese Investment
Tuesday April 15, 5:37 am ET - By Joe Mcdonald, AP Business Writer
British Treasury Chief Looks for Chinese Sovereign Wealth Fund to Invest
BEIJING (AP) -- The British treasury chief made a pitch Tuesday for China's US$200 billion state investment fund to invest in Britain as he visited Beijing amid strains over Tibet and China's trade surplus.
"We welcome the creation of the Chinese sovereign wealth fund and its potential for investing in our country," Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling said after meeting China's top finance reform official, Vice Premier Wang Qishan, for talks on financial cooperation.
Darling said ahead of his trip that he would express British concern about China's crackdown in Tibet and appeal for restraint. But he made no mention of the issue as he and Wang appeared briefly before reporters following their meeting.
Darling is the highest-ranking British official to visit China since Brown's office said last week he would skip the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics in August.