DIW Economic Bulletin

Transparency of Emissions Trading Data Leaves a Lot to Be Desired: Six Questions to Aleksandar Zaklan

EU Emissions Trading: Distinctive Behavior of Small Companies

The EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) is the cornerstone of the European Union’s climate policy and covers just under half of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions. More than ten years since the EU ETS was first introduced, there continues to be substantial research interest regarding its functioning and the behavior of participating companies. DIW Berlin conducted three econometric studies based on ...

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Support for Private Research and Development in OECD Countries on the Rise but Increasingly Inefficient

The majority of OECD member states promote companies’ research and development (R&D) activities by providing project funding. Recently, in many countries, tax incentives have also begun to play an increasingly important role. The present study examines the level of R&D support in 18 OECD countries and explores how efficient the system of funding actually is. The main findings show that in the majority ...

Working from Home: Germany Lagging Behind Other European Countries: Six Questions to Karl Brenke

Home Offices: Plenty of Untapped Potential

As far as the share of individuals with a home office is concerned, Germany is below the EU average and lags considerably behind other countries such as France, the UK, or the Scandinavian countries. Only 12 percent of all employees in Germany work primarily or occasionally from home, although this would theoretically be possible in 40 percent of jobs. In most cases, an employee’s desire to work from ...

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Our Study Shows That the ECB's Measures Have Been Effective: Seven Questions to Malte Rieth

ECB Policies Effective in the Euro Area and Germany

The European Central Bank has engaged in a wide range of nonstandard monetary policy measures since 2007. Each new tool was accompanied by an intense public debate on its effectiveness. This study evaluates the average effect of these measures on the macro-economy. The estimates show that unexpected changes in monetary policy that lower euro-area sovereign bond yields lead to a significant rise in ...

Wealth Inequality Set to Increase in the Short Term: Eight Questions to Kerstin Bernoth

ECB Asset Purchases May Affect Wealth Distribution

In the debate on monetary policy decisions, to date, little attention has been paid to distributional effects. One reason for this is that they are not included in the mandate of the European Central Bank (ECB). Given the loose monetary policy stance in the euro area and the large-scale program to purchase government and corporate bonds launched in January 2015, the question increasingly being asked ...

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Adolescents from Low-Income Households Use Private Tutoring the Least Frequently: Eight Questions to C. Katharina Spiess

More and More Students, Especially Those from Middle-Income Households, Are Using Private Tutoring

Private tutoring is playing an increasingly significant role in the education of many teenagers and children: In 2013, a total of 18 percent of students at the secondary level (approximately ages 10–17) worked with paid tutors; among students at the primary level (approximately ages 6–10), this figure stood at six percent. In the period between 2009 and 2013, an average of 47 percent of 17-year-old ...

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The Wealth Tax Reduces Income Inequality: Seven Questions to Stefan Bach

Reviving Germany’s Wealth Tax Creates High Revenue Potential

Compared to the rest of Europe, Germany exhibits an especially high concentration of wealth. According to estimates based on a microsimulation model, a German wealth tax could generate an estimated ten to 20 billion euros per year in revenue—even with high tax allowances—and slightly reduce the inequality of income distribution, as well. Collection costs would range from four to eight percent in relation ...

A Surge in Inheritances, yet Low Inheritance Tax Revenue: Seven Questions to Stefan Bach

Inheritance Tax Revenue Low Despite Surge in Inheritances

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