Latest Press Releases

Shaping structural change poses a myriad of challenges for the industrial landscape and is the central topic at this year’s Day of German Industry (21 to 23 June 2021). ZEW President Professor Achim Wambach commented on this matter:

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Support is growing for the introduction of a global minimum tax on corporate profits. This was clearly demonstrated at the recent meeting of the G7 finance ministers. The Federation of German Industries (BDI) took this as an opportunity to organise a panel discussion on “Global Minimum Tax – Consequences for the German Economy” on 18 June 2021, including Christopher Ludwig, a member of the team of tax experts led by Professor Christoph Spengel at ZEW Mannheim and the University of Mannheim. In recent months, the tax experts have closely examined and evaluated the OECD’s reform proposals. Spengel, who worked on a BDI paper on this topic, comments on the global minimum tax:

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On 10 June, the German Bundestag will discuss an amendment to the Federal Climate Change Act. The amendment had become necessary after a ruling by the Federal Constitutional Court. Professor Sebastian Rausch, head of the Research Department “Environmental and Resource Economics, Environmental Management” at ZEW Mannheim, comments on this matter.

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At their meeting in London, the finance leaders from the Group of 7 countries agreed on backing the creation of a global minimum tax rate of at least 15 per cent for large companies. In addition, the agreement envisages forcing the largest and most profitable companies to pay taxes on part of their turnover to countries based on where they sell their services and goods. Until now, multinational companies have been able to shift profits and thus avoid taxation in countries with higher tax rates. Professor Christoph Spengel, tax expert at ZEW Mannheim and the University of Mannheim, comments on these plans:

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Exactly 70 years ago, the model of parity codetermination was introduced in Germany. On 7 June 1951, the Coal and Steel Codetermination Act came into force and ensured that female and male workers had a say in major company decisions on supervisory boards. For a long time, women were hardly represented on these boards. With the establishment of a fixed gender quota in 2015, their share in leadership positions in the companies covered by this law was increased to more than one third.

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The Federal Constitutional Court has rejected new challenges to the European Central Bank’s PSPP bond-buying programme. Referring to its ruling of May 2020, the court now considers its demand for an examination of the adequacy and proportionality of the PSPP to be fulfilled. Professor Friedrich Heinemann, research department head and public finance expert at ZEW Mannheim, comments on this matter.

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The German Federal Ministry of Finance’s Working Party on Tax Revenue Estimates presented the results of its new analysis today. It is becoming apparent that the current tax revenues, although strongly affected by the pandemic, will recover more significantly in the next few years than previously expected. Professor Friedrich Heinemann, head of the Research Department “Corporate Taxation and Public Finance” at ZEW Mannheim, explains:

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Despite the upswing in the US labour market, the US Federal Reserve has decided to keep its benchmark rate unchanged in a range of 0.0 and 0.25 per cent and not to slow down its asset purchases. Professor Friedrich Heinemann, head of the ZEW Research Department “Corporate Taxation and Public Finance” at ZEW Mannheim, comments on this matter:

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The right way to deal with the high sovereign debt levels of many eurozone countries in the post-Covid era is the focus of a discussion today at an English-language seminar organized by ZEW Mannheim and EconPol Europe in cooperation with the Brigitte Strube Foundation. The panelists are Dr. Cinzia Alcidi, Director of Research, Head of the Economic Policy Unit at the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) in Brussels; Prof. Volker Wieland, Ph.D., Professor of Monetary Economics at Goethe University Frankfurt and member of the German Council of Economic Experts; and Prof. Dr. Friedrich Heinemann, Head of Research and expert on Public Finance at ZEW. Commenting on the possible handling of government debt in the eurozone, Heinemann says:

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The Federal Constitutional Court has cleared the way for the EU’s 750 billion euro recovery fund in Germany. The actual constitutional suit has, however, not yet been decided. Professor Friedrich Heinemann, research department head and public finance expert at ZEW Mannheim, comments on this matter:

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