Statistics

Question 1

State aid approval per EU country, % of EUR 742 bn total (2023) - who is ‘leader’/’loser’? And percentages.

Answer 1

Germany - 48%
France - 23%
Italy - 8%
Denmark - 3.3%
Finland - 2.5%
Hungary - 2.4%
Rest of EU - 13%

Question 2

EU GDP (2021)

Answer 2

14.4 trillion

Question 3

EU GDP by country (as % share of EU total, 2021) - “Top”, “Medium”, “Bottom” countries

Answer 3

TOP
DE - 25%,
FR - 17%
IT - 12%
ES - 8%
NL - 6%

Medium:
PL - 4% (Polish economy now 6th largest economy in EU)
SE - 3.7%
BE - 3.5%

Bottom:
MT - 0.1%
CY, EE, LV - 0.2%
LT, SI, HR - 0.4%

Question 4

GDP per habitant in the EU

Answer 4

EUR 32 270
GDP per habitant used to compare economic output of different sized countries

Question 5

GDP per inhabitant in the EU (adjusted via PPS) - EU avg = 100;
highest & lowest

Answer 5

LUX = ca. 280 (2.8 higher than EU avg)
IE = ca. 220
CH = 160
No = 140

lowest:
EE = 80
RO = 60
BG = 40

Question 6

EU inflation 2021 (+ country with highest & lowest inflation respectively)

Answer 6

EU: 2.9% in 2021
HU, PL: 5.2%

0.6 = EL

Question 7

EU government deficit (2021); country with highest and lowest deficit

Answer 7

EU: 4.7%
(for others need to check again Eurostat) highest: IT:( 8%), lowest DK is lening money! (+3%)

Government to dept ratio EU: 83% in 2022.

Highest deficit: EL (172%), IT ( ça 140%)
Lowest: BG, EE (19%)

Question 8

% Intra-EU trade of total trade

Answer 8

61.2%

Question 9

Sectors of employment as % of total employment (2021)

Answer 9

Services: 73% (top: NL)
>
Industry: 16% (top: CZ - check again though to be sure)
>
Construction: 7% (top: LUX)
>
Agriculture, forestry and fishing: 4% (top: BG)

Question 10

Research & development - Gross-domestic expenditure
(% relative to GDP, 2020); EU- top & bottom

Answer 10

EU: 2.3%
SE: 3.5%
RO: 0.5%

Question 11

Total number of passenger cars in the EU (2019) - and per 1 000 inhabitants in the EU; top & bottom try

Answer 11

242 million passenger cars
541 cars per 1000 inhabitants (slightly more than one car for each two persons)
top: LUX (681/1000)
bottom: RO (357/1000)

Question 12

Energy in the EU from renewable energy sources in 2020

Answer 12

ca. 22%
top: IS, NO, SE; all >= 60%
bottom: MT, LU, BE <= 15%

Question 13

GHG emissions in 2019 (1990 = 100); based on tonnes of CO2 equivalents

Answer 13

• 24% compared with 1990

Question 14

EU population as of 1 Jan (2023)

Answer 14

448.4m people (+2.8m from previous year)

Question 15

MS with biggest and smallest population

Answer 15

Biggest:
DE, FR, IT, ES, PO

Smallest:
LV, EE, CY, LU, MT (smallest)

Question 16

unanimity in council required on

Answer 16

• taxes,
• social security and social protection of workers,
• determining whether a Member State has infringed constitutional principles,
• decisions laying down principles for common foreign and security policy and implementing it,
• certain decisions in the area of police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters

Question 17

decision making in Commission

Answer 17

as collegiate body = majority of its members (Art 250 TFEU)

Question 18

appointment of the Commission

Answer 18

1) European Elections
2) President is nominated by European Cuuncil
3) European Council proposes president by QM to EP
4) vote of EP must be taken into consideration
5) Council and EC president need to find agreement on college of commissioners (president designate needs to consent to HR and can veto other candidates)
6) Council adopts by consensus other candidates for commissioners upon proposal of MS
7) HR is appointed by QM
8) college is approved by vote by EP (simple majority)
9) council appoints college by QM

Question 19

Appointment of members of ECA

Answer 19

• After consultation with EP appointed for 6 years by the council by QM
• president elected among members for 3 years

Question 20

2 committees in comparison

Answer 20

ESEC: created 1958, 329 members -> civil society (Employers, Workers, Civil Society Organisations) members are proposed by MS and approved by Council.
is consulted and draws up opinions

CoR: created 1994, 329 members -> selected by regional or local assemblies, must have a mandate;
advisory function

Question 21

Which country received the highest share of asylum applications in 2022?

Answer 21

Germany at 25%

France at 16%
Spain at 12%
Austria at 11%
Italy at 9%

collectively, they receive almost 3/4 of all first time asylum applications in the EU

Question 22

According to the 2023 Standard Eurobarometer of July, what are Europeans biggest concerns?

Answer 22

27% of Europeans think that ‘rising prices/ inflation/ cost of living’ is one of the two most important issues facing the EU at the moment (-5 pp since January-February). The international situation comes second at 25% (-3 pp), closely followed by immigration (24%, +7 pp) and the ‘environment and climate change’ (22%, +2 pp). Energy supply (16%, -10 pp) has seen a sharp decrease, dropping from the third position to the sixth.

Question 23

In what year was the EEA established?

Answer 23

1994 (entry into force)

Question 24

How many EU citizens are likely to vote?

Answer 24

More than 2/3 - 68%

Question 25

Regulatory scrutiny board rejection quotas

Answer 25

37% negative first opinions
in 2021
13% second negative opinion

34% negative first opinions in 2022 (before close of year)
0% second negative opinion