Research Projects

European Gas Infrastructure

DIW Berlin investigated the role of the Russian natural gas company Gazprom in the European natural gas market for The Greens / European Free Alliance in the European Parliament. One focus of the study was the importance of Gazprom in European infrastructure (pipelines, storage, LNG harbors) as well as in subsidiaries in the European Member States. The qualitative analysis was complemented by...

European Observatory on the Social situation – LOT 1: Demography

The aim of the project is to analyse the current demographic situation as well as the development in the past and to show the impact of demographic change on the socio- economic situation in 27 European countries and in the candidate countries.

Evaluating the Minimum Wage Introduction in Germany (EVA-MIN)

Innovative Knowledge Transfer and Evidence-Based EvaluationHow the new minimum wage legislation, which goes into effect on January 1, 2015, is an open question. It is thus all the more important that the effects of the new minimum wage should be evaluated scientifically, for which this project will provide an important database. Researchers from the Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) research...

Evaluation and Further Development of the European Emissions Trading System (EU ETS 5)

The project will contribute to the evaluation and further development of the European emissions trading system (EU ETS). The goal is to provide scientific advice to the Federal Environmental Agency (UBA/DEHSt) and the Federal Ministry for the Environment in the national implementation, evaluation and further development of the EU ETS. The project builds on previous projects on national allocation...

Evaluation of "Zwanzig20 - Partnerschaft für Innovation"

Evaluation of Business Coaching for Start-ups

During the first five years after start-up, entrepreneurs in Germany can receive public funding for external business coaching, within the program "Gründercoaching Deutschland". The program was introduced in October 1, 2007 and one year later extended by a variant especially designed for start-ups out of unemployment "Gründercoaching Deutschland - Gründungen aus Arbeitslosigkeit". For the latter...

Evaluation of the effectiveness of the rent control introduced in 2015 to dampen rent increases in tight housing markets (Mietpreisbremse)

The project investigates the effectiveness of the rent control for new rental contracts introduced in 2015. The effects of regulation on price formation in the regulated and unregulated housing market will be analyzed. In addition, the effects of the rent control on supply will be examined and the extent to which the law may have prevented investment will be studied.

Evaluation support study on the EU rules on State aid for access to finance for SMEs

As part of the evaluation process of the current State aid rules, the European Commission has awarded to the consortium of Lear, DIW Berlin, and Sheppard Mullin, a specific contract to carry out a study of the EU rules for State aid facilitating access to finance for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). These rules comprise the Guidelines on State aid to promote risk finance investments (RFG) and...

Expertise on Employment potential of older people

Families in Germany (FiD)

Subproject of the overall evaluation of the monetary family related benefits Families in Germany (FiD) was the first systematic, large-scale evaluation of the entire spectrum of public benefits to married people and families in Germany. The study was commissioned by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women, and Youth (BMFSFJ) and the Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF). The...

Family Ties and Household Behavior as Insurance against Health Risks and their Interaction with Public Insurance Mechanisms (Family Ties)

Feasibility Study - How can the economic importance of the social economy be measured

Financial Education: Measures, Experiences, Evaluation and Outlook

Fiscal competition, community expenditures and human capital

The aim of this project is to undertake theoretical and empirical analyses of the effects of fiscal competition on the structure of expenditures at the community level taking into account the impact of human capital. The main research questions are: (1) How is the provision of public goods and in particular community expenditures influenced by the mobility of human and real capital and the...

Fiscal competition, local expenditures and human capital

This project studies the theoretical and empirical analysis of the relation between qualification structure and fiscal competition. The existing literature will be elaborated by examining labour with differing skills (high/low) as well as capital as factors of production. Questions to be addressed include: How does fiscal competition distort the composition of public spending? For instance, if...

Fossil Resource markets and climate policy: Stranded assets, Expectations and the political Economy of climate change (FoReSee)

Project synopsis Achieving the Paris agreement requires a radical transformation of the inherently inert energy system. Assets in the form of fossil energy resources and existing infrastructure along the fossil value chain are at the risk of rapidly losing value and becoming „stranded assets”. Asset owners, therefore, have incentives to delay or even prevent the implementation of climate policies...

Framework Contract for Workshops on Current Issues of Economic and Financial Policy

Conceptual and technical preparation and execution of workshops on current topics in close coordination with thematically responsible staff of the BMF (up to 6 workshops per year)

Further development and implementation of an integration bonus according to article 64 of the German Renewable Energy Act

The recent amendment of the German Renewable Energy Act (EEG) aims at improving the integration of renewable electricity. Therefore, a special regulation should allow for financial incentives for the demand-oriented feed-in and for the improved grid and market integration of renewable electricity. This project supports the Federal Ministry for the Environment in the further development and...

Further development and implementation of an integration bonus according to article 64 of the German Renewable Energy Act

The recent amendment of the German Renewable Energy Act (EEG) aims at improving the integration of renewable electricity. Therefore, a special regulation should allow for financial incentives for the demand-oriented feed-in and for the improved grid and market integration of renewable electricity. This project supports the Federal Ministry for the Environment in the further development and...

Further development of instruments for the promotion of renewable electricity

The electricity generation from renewable energies in Germany is supported by the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG), which was amended in 2004. With regard to the long-term promotion strategy the objective of this project is to analyse the further development of the EEG and other instruments for price or quantity regulation. In this context it is of particular importance to consider the...