Disparitäten in der Entwicklung der Gemeindesteuern

Generally, taxes are the most relevant source of revenue for German municipalities. In the period from 2004 to 2014, tax revenues were growing at remarkable rates. However, statistical analyses show that not all municipalities were benefitting in the same way, and thus state-wide averages are of limited value, since they tend to whitewash inner-state inequality. Disparities are even significant in states with strong economic fundamentals. According to absolute measures, disparities are growing at the national level. This can be explained by a few tax-strong outliers. In contrast, relative inequality remains static. The alarming finding is that intertemporal mobility among municipalities in the allocation of tax revenues is limited, and thus tax-weak municipalities face a cloudy outlook.     

Entwicklungstendenzen der beruflichen Qualifikation der Bevölkerung

Die Qualifikation der Einwohner eines Landes ist von entscheidender Bedeutung für die Leistungsf?higkeit einer Volkswirtschaft. Vor dem Hintergrund einer alternden Bev?lkerung in Deutschland spielen die beruflichen Bildungsabschlüsse — hier unterschieden nach Geschlecht, Altersklasse und Migrationsstatus — eine wesentliche Rolle. In diesem Beitrag wird empirisch untersucht, wie sich die Abschlüsse der einzelnen Bev?lkerungsgruppen ver?ndert haben.     

Ist der Fahrplan der Energiewende noch einzuhalten?

The German energy transition represents a policy-driven, sustainability-oriented restructuring of both supply- and demand-side components of the entire energy system by 2050. Whereas the development of renewable energies in the electricity sector is right on track, due to the feed-in tariffs of the German Renewable Energy Sources Act, many other crucial requirements for a successful transition are not, amongst others the improvement of energy effi ciency and the decarbonisation of the transport sector. Contrary to the public discussion, the primary future challenges do not consist in limiting electricity prices or abandoning feed-in support schemes, but rather in coordinating the variety of actors as well as appropriately matching the different system elements (grids, technologies, energy sectors, demand and supply side, etc.). Much remains to be done. By highlighting some examples like the need to take into account future implications of climate change for the energy sector, the consequences of the current crisis in the European Union’s emissions trading scheme and the need for a cautious adjustment of the EEG, the paper argues that the major challenges regarding the German energy transition mainly go beyond the current policy-driven and short-term discussion of energy prices. Germany’s pioneering attempt to integrate steadily increasing share of non-dispatchable electricity from renewable sources is challenging the stability of the system. Several characteristics in the current selfregulating system are identifi ed and analysed, which reveal themselves as potential weaknesses or shortcomings in the upcoming system.     

Bundesverfassungsgericht und Krisenpolitik der EZB — Stellungnahmen der Ökonomen

In June 2013, the Federal Constitutional Court in Germany held an expert hearing on the suitability of ECB measures, such as the purchase of government bonds, and their compatibility with existing EU and German legislation. The statements of five invited experts are documented here. The authors comment on the path from the agreement that has laid down the basic rules for the euro area to a crisis-driven approach that seems to have forgotten these rules. The ECB policy holds many risks - above all that of financing public budgets almost without limits - for the stability of monetary and fiscal governance in the euro area. On the other hand, ECB measures can also be interpreted as a necessary means to comply with the ultimate task of the ECB, the defence of price stability. Hence the ECB’s crisis measures do not represent any intention to intervene in fiscal or economic policy measures, and after the crisis the ECB can return to a narrower interpretation of the role of a central bank. It should not be forgotten that the ECB measures bear high risks for the countries in trouble as well as for those countries supporting them.     

Bundesbeteiligung an den Kosten der Unterkunft als Sammelbecken der Kommunalentlastung?

Social benefits amount to one quarter of municipal expenditures in Germany. Since 2005 the federal government has supported local governments by participating in the cost of housing for the unemployed at a fixed share. Since its conception, the instrument has been employed also for general financial relief. In the article each case is historically portrayed. The current federal government has pledged to relieve the municipalities by an additional amount of 5 billion euros a year. A simple way for achieving this relief would be to increase the federal share of subsidised housing costs. Alternatives are therefore presented.     

Monistik in der Krankenhausfi nanzierung — Ist der Anfang gemacht?

Zusammenfassung  Im Dezember 2008 hat der Bundestag ein Gesetz zur Krankenhausfi nanzierung verabschiedet. Ziel ist es dabei, die Investitionsf?rderung der L?nder für Krankenh?user zurückzuschrauben und die Krankenhausfi nanzierung aus einer Hand (Monistik) in die Wege zu leiten. Was sind die Nachteile einer dualistischen Finanzierung? Welche Faktoren sind bei einer Reform zu bedenken? Welche unterschiedlichen Reformvorschl?ge gibt es und wie ist der Gesetzentwurf vor diesem Hintergrund zu bewerten? Marc Bataille, 29, Dipl. Oec., und Dr. Michael Coenen, 33, sind wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiter der Monopolkommission. Der vorliegende Beitrag gibt die pers?nliche Meinung der Autoren wieder.     

Warum der frühe Ausstieg aus der finanziellen Repression lohnt

The authors argue that the attempt to reduce debt via financial repression is undermining growth and prosperity in industrialised countries. The increasing number of zombie companies and stagnating productivity growth are reminiscent of the financial repression used in the planned economies of Eastern Europe in the Cold War years. Historical evidence suggests that an exit from low interest rate policies and a return to market principles are needed to restore growth and stability.     

Die Förderung der erneuerbaren Energien nach der EEG-Reform 2014

After fierce public and political debates, an amendment to Germany’s Renewable Energy Sources Act took effect on 1 August. This article provides an assessment of the revisions made: What is the impact of the amendment on the future progress of the German energy transition? Does it provide for a significant reduction and fairer distribution of the costs associated with support for renewables? Does it appropriately address the fundamental challenges associated with the market and system integration of renewable energy sources?     

Funktionswandel der EZB?

Die Kernaufgabe der Europ?ischen Zentralbank ist es, die Preisstabilit?t zu gew?hrleisten. Die Finanz- und Staatsschuldenkrise hat der EZB die Rolle aufgezwungen, durch Notma?nahmen die Stabilit?t der W?hrungsunion zu sichern. Ihre Unabh?ngigkeit wird zunehmend dadurch gef?hrdet, dass es in diesem Prozess zu einer Verquickung von Fiskal- und Geldpolitik kommt. W ünschenswert w?re eine Rückkehr der EZB zu ihrer alten Rolle und eine Strategie, die für einen Abbau der weltweiten und europ?ischen Ungleichgewichte sorgen k?nnte.     

Anstieg der Altersarmut?

The development of old-age poverty has become an important topic in Germany. Contrary to most studies, a recent report written by the scientifi c advisory council at the German Federal Ministry of Economy asserts that old-age poverty will not become a large socio-political problem in Germany in the future. The authors of this paper warn against downplaying the problem of old-age poverty, and they plead in favour of further reliable research on the issue.     

Kurswechsel in der deutschen Klimapolitik am Beispiel der energetischen Gebäudesanierung

Direct policy interventions with regard to building energy efficiency are necessarily abstract and therefore not always flexible enough to suit individual living conditions. They disregard local knowledge and cannot benefit from a decentralized search process which would ensue under a taxation scheme. Detailed central decision making is also vulnerable to lobbying by interest groups. The interview results presented here support the high costs and lacking flexibility of current retrofit guidelines. One theoretical as well as three actual retrofit scenarios suggest that the costs of CO₂-reduction under the current policy scheme lie between 300 and 1,000 Euro/ton. Indirect policy schemes are associated with abatement costs of 30 to 200 Euros per ton.     

Die aktuellen Entwicklungen der Bankenaufsicht im Lichte der Stabilität des Finanzsystems

The world financial crisis has shown the necessity of an appropriate regulation of banking institutions and the financial sector. In this context, the importance of the stability of the financial system is often considered an indicator for the stability of the economy as a whole. This contribution first goes into the matter of financial stability. Given this background, the current reforms of banking supervision are analysed with regard to an improvement in the stability of the financial system. It is shown that not all provisions are suitable to advance financial stability.     

Chancen der selbstbestimmten Datennutzung?!

Consumers’ personal data are assets whose value can be determined pecuniarily. Different discount programs like Payback already offer their consumers compensation for their data. However, the appropriateness of this compensation has thus far not been scrutinised. Furthermore, consumers face problems regarding the interoperability of and the data portability between digital services. The author recommends establishing technical minimum standards for digital services and introducing a collecting agency that ensures consumers appropriate compensation for their data.     

Woher kommt der Aufschwung?

Der aktuelle Aufschwung hat eine lange Vorgeschichte. Inwieweit spielen dabei die Wiedervereinigung und die Europ?ische W?hrungsunion eine Rolle? Wie entwickelten sich die Indikatoren Besch?ftigung und Industrieproduktion w?hrend des Konjunkturzyklus? Welchen Einfluss hatte die Wirtschaftspolitik auf die Entstehung des Aufschwungs? Prof. Dr. Michael Hüther, 45, ist Direktor des Instituts der deutschen Wirtschaft in K?ln.     

?konomische Grundfragen der Klimaanpassung

The option of climate adaptation is becoming more and more important in climate change policy. A large number of countries has already initiated a process of adaptation by drafting strategies or catalogues of measures. Hence there is an urgent need to support this process at the scientific level. The discipline of economics has a key role to play in this context. Against this background, this paper scrutinises the fundamental economic questions challenging the adaptation policy which is broadly supported. It outlines how economics may contribute to a successful adaptation process concerning the objectives of adaptation policies, appropriate instruments, the role of both spontaneous and planned adaptation as well as possible assessment tools for evaluation of adaptation policies.     

Regulierung der EU-Finanzmärkte

In the course of the recent financial, economic and debt crisis significant regulatory efforts have been taken to make financial markets more resilient. Not all of these regulations are effective. For example, it is hard to imagine that the Single Resolution Mechanism (SRM) and the Bank Recovery and Resolution Directive (BRRD) are applicable to the largest of European banks, because the required minimum coverage of losses by shareholders and debtors would most likely trigger a systemic crisis. Furthermore, the many roles of the ECB may lead to severe conflicts of interest. It should be also reconsidered whether the planned Capital Market Union’s focus on the securitisation of loans and the promotion of direct investments by savers in the capital market makes sense.