Long-term forecasting in Western Europe

In the last decade several investigations into the scope of forecasting activities in Europe and elsewhere have confirmed that there is an increased awareness of the need for forecasting both inside and outside government. The focus of this comparative study is the practice of long-term forecasting in Western Europe and its contribution to social and economic planning. National planning systems, their objectives, institutional frameworks, and methods employed are examined. The appendix gives a country-by-country description of forecasting in the EEC, and outlines activities in Eastern Europe, Japan and the USA.