Call for proposals � Timely high-frequency indicators for global and regional trade

The Commission is seeking to establish a framework partnership agreement with one institute for a period of four years for the construction and monthly production of timely indicators of global and regional trade developments. The global indicators will be constructed bottom-up from regional indicators. The regional level includes all EU Member States, as well as the candidate countries.

The indicators of global trade will be essential elements in the timely assessment of the global cycle. The project will also improve the assessment and forecast of the trade and GDP forecasts of non-EU countries and regions in the Commission’s full-fledged and interim forecasting exercises.

The regional indicators will be used by the Commission to calculate timely monthly measures of export performance for the EU, the euro area and each individual Member State. Such measures will be very useful tools in the EMU economic surveillance process, for present as well as future euro-area Member States.

The purpose is to construct a fairly homogenous and exhaustive set of regional trade variables that together cover the whole world. The set needs to be available at short notice, in order to signal to European policy-makers possible changes in the strength of the external environment or possible competitiveness problems of specific Member States. The set of variables are not statistics in a strict sense, as many missing data will need to be estimated.

The indicative total budget available is €200,000 (€50,000 per year). EU funding will not exceed 50% of the eligible costs.

The call for proposals is open to bodies and institutes with legal status in one of the EU Member States. No subcontracting is allowed. In cases of joint proposals, the tasks and financial contribution of all members participating in the proposal must be clearly identified.

The deadline for applications is 30 April 2012.

Reference: 2012/C 93/09

(Added 2012-03-30)