Business in Candidate Countries : Facts and Figures - Data 1995-1999

This publication provides standardized data on a wide range of key business activities within 11 EU candidate countries (Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia). The first part of this publication sums up the major methodological remarks - main discrepancies with respects to the SBS Regulation laid out in the Council Regulation (EC, EURATOM) no.58/97 of 20 December 1996 - that have to be bourne in mind to interpret the SBS data of the candidate countries. Part two deals with the various industries surveyed in this publication, namely: Industrial activities, regrouping mining; manufacturing; energy; construction; distribution; hotels and restaurants; transport, storage and communication; and real estate, renting and business activities.

Enterprises demography, employment, sales, competitiveness and productivity measures for 1998 give an overview of the state of candidate countries businesses in that year. Economic activities are further detailed in Part Three.

This sectoral analysis is made up of 20 chapters, the main industrial and construction activities being the focus of the first 15 chapters and services the focus of the last five.