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Wood is a natural resource which is used for different purposes, including as a renewable source of energy. In 2010, wood and wood waste contributed 5% to total gross inland energy consumption in the EU27, and it was the leading source of renewable energy, accounting for almost half of the EU27's consumption of renewables.

The G-20 brings together the world’s major advanced and emerging economies. It includes the EU, four EU Member States (Germany, France, Italy and the United Kingdom) and 15 countries from the rest of the world (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey and the United States). Together the members of the G-20 covered over 60% of the world’s land area, generated 87% of the global GDP and were home to 65% of the world population in 2010.

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index®, which had increased in October, posted a moderate increase in November. The Index now stands at 73.7 (1985=100), up from 73.1 in October. The Present Situation Index was virtually unchanged at 56.6 versus 56.7 last month. The Expectations Index rose to 85.1 from 84.0 last month.

Over recent years, social protection expenditure in the EU27 rose from a low of 26.1% of GDP in 2007 to reach 29.6% in 2009 and 29.4% in 2010, according to data from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. This increase in the ratio is in large part a result of the economic crisis, as in nominal terms total social protection expenditure in the EU27 grew by around 10% between 2007 and 2010, while GDP remained nearly stable. While expenditure on main categories of benefits (pensions, health care, family) all rose by about 10%, expenditure on unemployment increased by a third. In 2010, the two main sources of funding of social protection at EU27 level were general government contributions from taxes, making up 40% of total receipts, and social contributions at 56%.

EU27 international trade in services increased in 2011, with EU27 exports of services to the rest of the world rising by 7%, from 567 billion euro in 2010 to 604 bn in 2011, and EU27 imports by 4%, from 464 bn to 483 bn. As a result, EU27 trade in services recorded a surplus of 121 bn in 2011, compared with +103 bn in 2010 and +83 bn in 2009. These data, issued by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, are subject to revision.

comScore reported holiday season retail e-commerce spending for the first 18 days of the November – December 2012 holiday season, as well as its official spending forecast for the season. For the holiday season-to-date, $10.1 billion has been spent online, marking a 16-percent increase versus the corresponding days last year. Thursday, November 8 has been the heaviest online spending day of the season to date at $829 million.

Black Friday might traditionally be the most frenzied shopping day of the year, but this year two-thirds (68 percent) of Americans will not be hitting the stores, according to new Consumer Reports Holiday Poll. Thirty-four percent said they'll shop online during the weekend after Thanksgiving, and an equal number will shop online on Cyber Monday.

In the construction sector, seasonally adjusted production fell by 1.4% in the euro area (EA17) and by 1.8% in the EU27 in September 2012, compared with the previous month, according to first estimates released by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. In August 2012, production rose by 0.6% and 0.2% respectively. Compared with September 2011, production in September 2012 dropped by 2.6% in the euro area and by 5.8% in the EU27.

The first estimate for the euro area (EA17) trade in goods balance with the rest of the world in September 2012 gave a 9.8 bn euro surplus, compared with +1.7 bn in September 2011. The August 2012 balance was +5.2 bn, compared with -5.9 bn in August 2011. In September 2012 compared with August 2012, seasonally adjusted exports fell by 1.1% and imports by 2.7%. These data are released by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

In 2010, 810 500 persons acquired citizenship of an EU27 Member State. The highest number of citizenships were granted by the United Kingdom (195 000 persons), France (143 000), Spain (124 000) and Germany (105 000) which together accounted for 70% of all citizenships granted by the EU27 Member States. Compared with 2009, the number of acquisitions rose by 4% in the EU27 in 2010, mainly due to an increase in the number of citizenships granted by Spain.