UNEVEN ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE AND PROSPECTS
IN THE ECE REGION IN 1996-1997:
MODEST ECONOMIC RECOVERY IN WESTERN EUROPE AND THE
BALTIC STATES, SLOWING GROWTH IN EASTERN EUROPE,
AND A CONTINUING DECLINE IN OUTPUT IN THE CIS
5 December 1996
The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE) releases its Economic Bulletin for Europe (Vol. 48/1996)
The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE) in its latest issue
(Volume 48) of the Economic Bulletin for Europe presents a detailed analysis of the economic
situation in the ECE region and the short-term outlook for western economies and the countries
in transition of central and eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
Chapter 1 discusses key issues surrounding the enlargement of the European Union
to the transition economies, including the need for a coherent pre-accession
strategy. Together with a summary of the macroeconomic situation in the western
market and in the transition economies, it is presented in this release. Chapter 2 reviews the macroeconomic situation in the western market economies
and in the transition economies. Chapter 3 addresses the recent development of the international trade of eastern
Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Baltic countries,
including their mutual trade. Chapter 4 analyzes the evolution since 1989 of trade among the central European
countries and examines several policy options for strengthening these links. Chapter 5 focuses on the external financial positions of the European transition
economies and their integration into the international capital markets.
A pre-publication version of the Bulletin, which will be submitted to the forthcoming
session of the ECE Committee on the Development of Trade (10-12 December), will be made
available to ECE member governments and the media in a restricted quantity. The final version
will be published in January 1997.