Euro area annual inflation was 1.9% in November 20061, up from 1.6% in October. A year earlier the rate was 2.3%. Monthly inflation was 0.0% in November 2006.
In 2005, total sales of oil, gas and related products amounted to £28.69bn, an increase of 22.8% on 2004. Government revenues and taxes attributable to UK oil and gas production reached an estimated £9.7bn in 2005/2006, up by 84.7% on the previous year.
Focusing on activity at the top UK, French and German retail sites during the holiday season since October 30, comScore Networks found that that French retail sites have experienced the largest gains in the first three weeks of the season (vs. the pre-holiday shopping period from August 28 to October 29), capped by a 79% gain in cyber shopping traffic during the most recent week of the study (ending November 26) vs. the pre-holiday average.
The European Commission adopted today a series of measures to support the revitalisation of the railway sector by removing obstacles to the circulation of trains throughout the European rail network. The measures include a Communication on the simplification of certification of railway vehicles, a proposal to recast the existing Railway Interoperability Directives and to modify the Regulation establishing a European Railway Agency and the Railway Safety Directive.
Portugal’s smaller telecom market continues to be a major growth area in Europe, stimulated by a progressive regulator which has promoted local loop unbundling and so encouraged broadband competition and infrastructure development in rural areas.
The European Commission has approved measures to provide information on, and to promote agricultural products in third countries. Member States submitted 28 programmes to the Commission to be examined.
Italy’s triple play development is one of the strongest in Europe, gaining maturity in 2006 on the back of ADSL2+ and fibre roll-outs. FASTWEB continues to be a leader for fibre deployment in Italy, and an innovator for consumer services.
Leading investors worldwide must embed environmental thinking in the heart of their property investment portfolios if the financial services sector is to play a pivotal role in halting climate change, the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) Working Group warns.
