germany Archive

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German government backs new energy strategy

– 6 June 2011Posted in: Development

The German government now aims to implement the Energy Strategy it adopted in late 2010 more swiftly and more rigorously than originally intended. Only ten years from now the last nuclear power plants are to be closed down. Germany aims to enter the age of renewables as quickly as possible. Speaking in Berlin, Chancellor Angela Merkel and three of her ministers presented in detail the steps that will be involved. No provision has been made for a way back. The strategy will entail changes to power grid expansion plans and the subsidy system for renewable energy such as solar and wind. The government already dropped plans to add a further cut to incentives for photovoltaic energy. Both chambers of parliament have to agree a change of course on energy strategy by the parliamentary summer break in July.

http://www.bundesregierung.de/Webs/Breg/EN/Issues/Sustainability/sustainability.html

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Germany merges technical cooperation services into the GIZ

– 19 December 2010Posted in: Development

The German federal government has launched a new agency for technical cooperation. At
the start of 2011, the new ‘‘Deutsche Gesellschaft für internationale Zusammenarbeit”
(German Agency for International Cooperation) will take up its work. This agency, called GIZ, will be created by merging the three government organisations of GTZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit), DED (German Development
Service) and InWEnt (Capacity Building International, Germany). Having some 19,000 employees, operating in around 130 countries with revenues that are close to € 2
billion a year, the GIZ is likely to be the largest consulting company. Seven men will compose the executive body. In essence, the reform aims to streamline TC
organisations and make them more effective agents of development cooperation. It also
seeks to enhance the political steering role of the Federal Ministry for Economic
Cooperation and Development while clearly allocating implementation tasks to the new
organisation. The German financial cooperation continues to be carried out separately by KfW Entwicklungsbank. http://tinyurl.com/36tyts7

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Remittances from Germany and their Routes to Migrants’ Origin Countries

– 11 February 2008Posted in: Development, Germany, Migration, Remittances, Research

Germany is one of the most important countries of origin for remittances— money transfers from migrants. In 2006 they amounted to approximately ten billion euros. However, as this study shows, migrants face considerable difficulties with the transfer process. Despite its large volume, the market for money transfers is extremely intransparent. Intensive research is needed to discover which financial institutions offer what kind of services, and at what cost. In some cases the cost of these services is extremely high. The result is that transfers are frequently made through informal channels. http://www2.gtz.de/dokumente/bib/07-1374.pdf

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Germany made Africa one of the key themes for their dual presidency of the EU and G8

– 3 February 2007Posted in: Uncategorized

The German Presidency’s development co-operation priorities will include Africa (delivering on the G8′s promise, at the G8 summit in Gleneagles in 2005, of an extra 50 billion dollars per annum in development aid by 2010), work on a proposed EU-Africa energy partnership, progress towards economic partnership agreements and measures to combat AIDS and malaria. Resuming the Doha international trade negotiations will be one of the German Presidency’s priorities, but the EU should not focus on Doha to the exclusion of its important bilateral or bi-regional trade agreements (such as those with Mercosur, the Gulf Co-operation Council and the Andean Community). Industrial competitiveness, the drive for better regulation, and the need to build on the success of the so-called ”New Approach” to standardization in ensuring product safety will be high on the German Presidency’s agenda. Official Website: http://www.g-8.de

VENRO, the federal association of more than 100 development organisations in Germany, together with the African partner organisations of its members, worked out a manifesto ”Prospects for Africa – Europe’s Policies”. The NGOs call on the German Federal Government to campaign for a poverty-oriented European development policy focusing on the Millennium Development Goals. http://www.prospects-for-africa.de

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Germany to focus G8 on African governance

– 12 December 2006Posted in: Uncategorized

When it takes on the presidency of the G8 next year Germany proposes to build ‘reforming partnerships’ with well-governed African states. The agenda differs from that of Britain’s in focusing not on increased funding but rather on encouraging good governance. German Chancellor Angela Merkel observed that the G8 has achieved a great deal in cooperation with this important continent. Official Site of the G8 Summit 2007: http://www.g-8.de/Webs/G8/EN/Homepage/home.html

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U.S. and Germany top Business Competitiveness Index 2006

– 15 November 2006Posted in: Uncategorized

The United States and Germany remain atop the latest Business Competitiveness Index, with China continuing to slip in the rankings while India ascends, according to a report released from Harvard Business School’s Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness. In addition to ranking countries by overall competitiveness, the report identifies national competitive strengths and weaknesses, highlights global economic trends, and signals the ingredients of successful economic development. The Index is part of the research contributing to The Global Competitiveness Report 2006-2007, released by the World Economic Forum.

http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/5454.html

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