More boring EU statistics, dearer energy, cheaper barmaids

Eurostat the official source of EU statistics latest monthly report 104/2006 2/8/06 (PDF Alert) shows that Euro area industrial producer prices rose by 0.2% month on month.

Tucked away from the headlines you will find that the 5.8% annual increase in producer prices is driven by ...

....In June 2006 compared to June 2005,in the Euro area, Prices in the energy sector rose by 15.7% and for the E25 by 17.6% respectively.

An energy report earlier in the month (PDF Alert)reminds us that 80% of EU25 gas supplies originate in three countries, Norway, Algeria and Russia and the their shares have changed from 1994 - 2004 as follows

Russia 32 % - 48%
Algeria 15% - 15%
Norway 20% - 15%

Mean while consumption of natural gas in 2005 in EU-25 rose by 2.9% compared with 2004 to reach 475.0 million tonnes of oil equivalent (toe). the greatest growth was Spain (+22.9%), Estonia (+18.2%), Portugal (+13.6%) Reductions in consumption were recorded for (-9.3%),Luxembourg (-4.9%), Sweden (-4.7%), Denmark (-4.3%)

Production of natural gas in the EU in 2005 fell by 5.8% = to 198 million tones of oil equivalent.(UK fall 7.7%)

The good news is that report 103/2006 shows Euro area seasonally-adjusted unemployment has dropped to 7.8% in June 2006, compared to 8.6% in June 2005. The lowest rates were registered in the Netherlands (3.8%)and Denmark (3.9%) and the highest in Poland (16.0%) and Slovakia (15.1%).Which is why your pint will be pulled by a Slovak beauty and your roof repaired by a Pole..... roll on Romania and Bulgaria joining the EU next year.