Eine englische Über-setzung des Handelsblatt Newcomers gibt es kos-tenlos auf unserer Inter-netseite als PDF. Mehr Infos unter: www.handelsblattmacht-schule.de/newcomer

Handelsblatt Newcomer auf Englisch

IN THEIR OWN WORDS ...››It’s similar to play-grounds for children. Even those without children have to [...] pay for this infra-structure.‹‹

Monika Piel on the broad-casting fee: She was

the Director of the TV station WDR when she said this (page 5)

sWeeTsHow the industry is reacting to consu-mers’ desire for a healthier lifestyle.PAGES 2/3

TV FeesThe new broad-casting fee is un-popular with many Germans. PAGE 5

eXChAngePROgRAMMeA pupil goes to school in Ireland for six months.PAGE 7

British Prime Minister David Cameron

Handelsblatt Düsseldorf Editorial Staff

The Britons have never really felt completely at home in the European Union (EU).

But British Prime Minister David Cameron’s open questioning of his country’s membership in the

EU is a statement for the history books. By the end of 2017 at the latest, voters in the UK will be able to vote on whether or not their country should remain in the EU. Cameron has been criti-

cized for his statements from Hel-sinki to Madrid, but he has also received much praise from his compatriots. There are many euro sceptics on the British Isles.

Some British politicians, though, still hold to the idea of a united Europe. The UK is Europe’s third largest economy behind Ger-many and France. Critics fear that this might change due to Cam-eron‘s statements. They worry that great uncertainty could dominate the country in the years leading up to the vote, which would discour-age consumers and companies from making larger purchases or investments during this time. The result would be a loss of jobs and a reduction in economic growth. Ac-cording to analysis by the econom-ic institute NIESR, the UK’s gross domestic product (GDP), which is the value of all goods and services manufactured or provided in a country over a period of one year, could sink by 2.5 percent as a re-sult. In 2012, the UK’s GDP amount-ed to 1.9 trillion euros.

Other EU countries would also feel the pinch – including Germany. After all, the EU mem-bers created a “domestic market” within Europe where no customs are paid on products moved from one member country to another. Another advantage is that prod-ucts sold in one member country can be sold in another. If the UK were to end its membership, com-panies would have to deal with

increased bureau-cracy and higher costs. In other words, there’s a great deal riding

on the UK’s decision.

The British Prime Minister has suggested that his country may leave the European Union. That would be a negative development for all EU members.

Britons are to decide on their country’s

membership in the EU by 2017.

Bye-bye, EU

casting fee: She was the Director of the

TV station WDR when she said this (page 5)

April 2013ISSUE 23NEWCOMER

H

www.handelsblattmachtschule.de/newcomer Photos: Ina Fassbender/Reuters/Corbis; Bimal Sharma/Demotix/Corbis, Image Source/Corbis, Neil Guegan/Corbis

dietmar eiden

Dietmar Eiden is responsible for events organised with Koelnmesse GmbH (see cheat

sheet, page 8) related to nutrition. This includes the International Sweets and Bis-cuits Fair (ISM) for example.

Where are the current trends in the sweets industry?There are many trends. Fair trade prod-ucts remain a consumer focus and the in-dustry is constantly testing new fl avours. Current fl avours include chocolate with liquorice fi lling or bee pollen. Special nu-tritional needs are also a major topic. This includes foods that are specially labelled as being gluten or lactose free.

A growing number of consumers are fo-cusing on a healthy diet. Is that having an impact on your industry?Yes. That’s why many sweets are now off ered with reduced fat and low sugar versions. Other products have also been specially developed for specifi c consumer groups that cannot eat certain foods or in-gredients, such as lactose, gluten or nuts. Many people also want to know where the ingredients come from. But even with this new focus, the most important factor when it comes to purchases is still taste.

Is there a noticeable diff erence between German and international products in this industry?German manufacturers have a very good reputation, but that also applies to the top brands in Switzerland, France and Bel-gium as well. The most important require-ments for production are generally set by the markets. There are major diff erences in fl avour preferences between countries. Eastern Europeans prefer very sweet fl a-vours, for instance. And fruit gums with gelatine, which is often made from pig by-products, cannot be sold in countries where pork is not consumed due to reli-gious reasons.

The interview was conducted by Maren Kienaß from the Institute of Economic Education at Oldenburg. The complete interview can be read at: www.handelsblattmachtschule.de/newcomer

Q&A with:

Chocolates, crisps and gummy bears – hardly anyone can resist a sweet temptation. But as con-sumers increasingly focus on maintaining healthier diets, the industry is forced to adapt.

Christoph KapalschinskiHandelsblatt Düsseldorf

According to fi gures released by the Association of the German Confec-tionery Industry (BDSI) the average

German consumed nearly 32 kilograms of sweets in 2012. A total of 114 billion euros was spent on the tasty treats, somewhat more than in the previous year. Children and pre-teens generally spend a majority of their al-lowances on sweets. But as a growing num-ber of people reach for healthier foods at the supermarket, manufacturers are forced to create healthier products – or at least give the impression that their products are

healthier.The sweets industry in Germany is

dominated by small to medium-sized com-panies (SMEs). Long-standing manufac-turers like gummy bear producer Haribo, fruit and liquorice specialist Katjes and chocolate manufacturer Ritter Sport are characteristic of the German industry. Haribo generates annual sales of about two billion euros according to its latest report. Ritter Sport posted sales of about 330 mil-lion euros in 2011. Some companies, such as chocolate manufacturer Rübezahl, pro-duce almost exclusively seasonal products

throughout the year. The company mainly produces chocolate Santa Clauses and Easter Bunnies. Aside from the SMEs, there are

also multinational companies like Monde-lez (previously known as Kraft), which gen-erates sales of 35 billion euros with brands such as Milka, or the chocolate bar manu-facturer Mars with global sales of 30 billion euros annually. Overall, the German sweets

The industry produced about 3.8 million tons

of sweets in 2012.

Sugar-free Sweets?

HANDELSBLATT FOCUS April 2013, ISSUE 23H2

Photos: Koelnmesse GmbH; Holger Schauf www.handelsblattmachtschule.de/newcomer

Tim Mälzer, Steff en Henssler, Cornelia Poletto – for years, cooking show fans have been peek-

ing over the shoulders of these top chefs. The pros show us how they work on a day-to-day basis in restaurants, hotels, cafeterias, hospitals or cruise ships: They cook, bake, prepare and arrange appetizing meals.

But cooks learn much more during their apprenticeships. They have to create menus, set prices and

organise work processes in the kitchen. In the professional world, these tasks are often performed under deadline pressure. Those looking to wear the chef’s hat need to be not only creative and skilled, but also resilient, struc-tured and a good team player.

The working hours for cooks are often irregular. They generally work evenings and weekends. At the same time, the workday can begin at very early hours: Select-ing fresh meat, fi sh, vegetables, fruit and other ingredients for the

current menu at various markets.A three-year internship in a res-taurant or hotel is required to work as a cook. The instructors teach the basics of the profession and impart crucial knowledge about foods and how to prepare them. Cooks can work as employ-ees, tradesmen or freelancers (see cheat sheet, page 8). Addi-tional information is available at: www.dehoga-bundesverband.de

Izabela BiedaInstitute of Economic Education at Oldenburg

Multi-talents in the Kitchen

PROFESSIONAL PROFILE: COOK

A cook checks for optimal fl avour.

You said it:“I don’t believe in ‘light’ products.” Melina, Year 13

industry exported goods valued at 5.7 bil-lion euros in 2012 according to the BDSI.

The industry is currently feeling pres-sure though from consumer protection groups. These groups are concerned about consumers’ health. Their reasons for worry can be seen just about anywhere you look: 67 percent of men and 53 percent of women in Germany are overweight and 16 percent of the population is obese. These fi gures were established by the Rob-ert Koch Institute – a central federal institution respon-sible for disease prevention and control. Health insurance funds pay out about 17 billion euros each year to combat dia-betes, cardiovascular diseases and joint disorders that occur as a result of obesity.

Consumer protection groups want manufacturers of foods containing sugar to list the ingredi-ents in their products more clearly. Recent-ly, these groups helped pass similar laws for fast-food chains and restaurants in New York, which require these establishments to show the calorie content of the food and drinks on the menu. So far, manufacturers in Europe have been able to prevent similar laws from being enacted. A traffi c light col-our coding system for beverages is just one of many ideas that have failed to become law. If the law had been passed, a red-light

label would alert consumers to a beverage’s especially high sugar content.

In an eff ort to pre-empt such regula-tions, the industry is currently focusing on enhancing its health-conscious image. Mars, for example, has launched a web-site where parents can get informed about “healthy snacking”. The company also says that it has stopped using especially un-healthy fats in its candy bars.

Such initiatives aren’t limited to sweets, but extend to all foods containing sugar. The world’s largest food company Nestlé, for instance, lowered the sugar content of its breakfast fl akes after being criticised by the consumer protection agency Food-watch. Another muesli producer, Kölln, also started off ering reduced sugar versions of its products.

Coca-Cola has even run commercials encouraging its customers to switch to the company’s sugar-free product, Coke

Zero. These days, most new bever-ages contain less sugar – the newly released coconut water is just one example. Many manufac-turers are now including the nutritional values on their packaging as well.

But even with all of these eff orts, a problem remains: The voluntary labelling

system lacks a standardised framework. Manufacturers of-ten use odd serving sizes in or-der to make the product seem like it contains fewer calories. Frozen pizzas often list a serv-ing size of only half a pizza, while beverages often use 100 millilitres.

Critics like Foodwatch see these kinds of moves as an at-tempt at distraction. “There is

a long line of companies that are showing concern for obesity simply because it is cur-rently popular to do so,” a spokesperson for Foodwatch said. They just hope to avoid legal regulations. After all, new regulations could lead to a loss of business or make pro-duction more expensive.

Politicians and offi cial agencies, like the EU Commission in Brussels (see cheat sheet, page 8), will therefore be occupied with possible regulations for the industry well into the future.

Germany USA

Percentage of population that is overweight

1999 2012Source: OECD, Robert-Koch-Institut, das-ist-drin.de

11,5 %

21,5 %

12,9 %

23,5 %

13,6 %

25,5 %

16,0 %

27,5 %

20,7 %

36,0 %

April 2013, ISSUE 23H HANDELSBLATT FOCUS 3

www.handelsblattmachtschule.de/newcomer Photo: Tim Pannell/Corbis

Beate FaulbornInstitute of Economic Education at Oldenburg

Marissa Mayer has been hired by Yahoo to turn the struggling inter-net pioneer around. She has taken

on this enormous challenge with great determination and her fi rst manoeuvres

seem to have been successful: Since she ac-cepted the position of CEO in July 2012, the American internet portal’s revenues have increased for the fi rst time since 2008.

The 38-year-old is no stranger to the industry. Before joining Yahoo, she was employed at Google. Mayer began her ca-reer there after completing her studies at Stanford, an elite American university, in 1999. She was 20 at the time. Back then, she was merely an employee at a relatively small and unknown company. Together

with her colleagues, she turned the small search engine into an internet giant.

Yahoo, one of Google’s competitors, is now hoping to benefi t from the top man-ager’s skills. At the end of the 1990s, the website was one of the most popular and well-known on the internet. But as time rolled on, it was steadily pushed aside by the search engine that greeted users with a search bar and six colourful letters. The objectives for the new Yahoo boss are clear: Visitor numbers and advertising revenues need to return to growth.

This will be no easy task. As an increas-ing number of people surf the web on smartphones and tablets, advertisements have less screen space to utilise then on normal computer monitors. The adver-tisements shown on these devices are therefore generally sold at cheaper prices. But thanks to a photo service and the Ya-hoo mail program, more users are staying on Yahoo pages for longer durations. The company boss has already hired 120 new IT experts to expand these services.

Regarding her life outside of work, Marissa Mayer has been married to a lawyer for four years. In October, shortly after joining Yahoo, the couple had their fi rst child – a son. According to reports, she continued working directly from her hospital bed.

Michael KochInstitute of Economic Education at Oldenburg

Oh, how times change: It wasn’t so long ago that the

mere mention of Heino would have teenagers covering their ears and fl eeing in all direc-tions. Many mocked the blond singer, with his trademark black sunglasses and rolled ‘r’s. They found his songs about the “Blue Gentian” (a fl ower) and the “black-brown hazelnut” more fi t-ting for the 65 and older crowd.

But today? 46 years after releasing his fi rst album, the

Düsseldorf native has reached the top of the German charts for the fi rst time. A clever mar-keting idea led to unimaginable success: In his new album “Mit freundlichen Grüßen”, Heino covers songs from popular German pop and rock stars such as Sportfreunde Stiller, Rammstein and Die Ärzte. He even modifi ed his look to bet-ter fi t the part – wearing a skull ring and leather jacket.

The element of surprise was fully on Heino’s side. Some-thing old, something new – the project was a complete success.

The album has done more than just make headlines – it’s selling like hotcakes. At the same time, some of the original artists have been criticising the “reinterpre-tation” of their songs. According to German law, Heino didn’t need their permission for the album, because he plays the songs in the exact same way as the originals. But Peter Fox and Co.

aren’t too sad about the develop-ment. As the original authors of the songs, they earn a share from every CD and download sold.

heino sings Rammstein

Marissa Mayer has been tasked with restoring Yahoo’s image and profi tability. No easy job for the young executive.

First

now

That’s the pupils’ view

PROFILE April 2013, ISSUE 23H4

Photos: Google Inc., Yahoo!, Martin Klimek/ZUMA Press/Corbis; Karikatur: Melina Maurer www.handelsblattmachtschule.de/newcomer

Hans-Peter Siebenhaar Handelsblatt

There are so many media off ers available to us today that we can hardly keep up. Requiring citizens to provide the “basic support” for

ARD, ZDF and Deutschland radio with an annual fee of € 215.76 is not only authoritarian, it is also incredibly outdated. It’s amazing that not a single political party has made a serious attempt at capping this excess support for public broadcasting, with its cur-rent portfolio of 22 TV stations and 67 radio stations. Less is defi -nitely more in this case.

Why don’t public broadcasters use a voluntary model when it comes to fi nancing? Those that use the programs and internet off ers provided by ARD, ZDF and Deutschlandfunk should pay for these services – but of their own free choice. They should pay be-cause they fi nd the content, busi-ness model or institutions worth supporting.

Churches are the perfect ex-ample for this fi nancial model. Those that don’t want to pay church taxes or don’t agree with the churches’ views can simply drop their membership. And yet, 24.6 million Catholics and 23.9 million Protestants voluntar-ily pay over nine billion euros in church taxes each year in Ger-many.

COMMENT Ask, Don’t Take

Many Germans see the new broadcasting fee for the public television networks as unfair and outdated.

Hans-Peter SiebenhaarHandelsblatt Düsseldorf

Once again, complaints about the broadcasting fee are fi lling up the airwaves. At the beginning

of the year, ARD, ZDF and Deutschland-radio changed the fee for Germany’s public TV and radio broadcasting ser-vices. Up until the end of 2012, the rules required anyone who received the sta-tions via television, radio or PC to pay the fee. Now everyone (with limited ex-ceptions) is being asked to pay for pub-lic broadcasting even if they don’t use the service. And not just once, but for life. Since January, the monthly fee per household has been set at 17.98 euros.

The German government owns 22 TV stations and 67 radio stations – the most expansive public broadcasting system in Europe. No other European country gives its institutions as much money as Germany does. The broad-casting fee brings in over 7.5 billion euros each year for these stations. Whether the new fee will lead to great-er income for the broadcasters is debat-able. ARD and ZDF argue that there will be practically no diff erence. Economic

experts counter that several hundred mil-lion euros more will wind up being paid.For decades, ARD and later ZDF were the only broadcasters in Germany. That changed when private competition was allowed in the 1980s. That’s when channels like RTL, Pro Sieben, Sat 1 and others cropped up. To-day, the private TV landscape is dominated by two major corporations: the RTL Group,

which also owns Vox and N-TV, and ProSiebenSat.1, which also operates Kabel 1 and Sixx. Both companies are publicly listed (see cheat sheet, page 8) and are considered highly profi t able – eventhough they don’t receive a single cent from the broadcasting fee. They mainly earn their money through advertising and activi-ties outside of television. Public broadcast-

ing, on the other hand, makes very lit-tle money from advertising. After all, they are supported by the fee.

As diff erent as the fi nancial mod-els for the two types of broadcasting may be, their programs are becoming increasingly similar. That’s why many can’t understand why they are forced to pay for one while receiving the oth-er for free. The hosts and presenters on various shows also highlight just how similar the stations have become. Many have switched back and forth between public and private broad-casters. Joko and Klass, for instance, recently left ZDF for Pro Sieben. Ac-cording to their own statements, they do the exact same work on their show “Circus Halligalli” as they did previ-ously on “Neoparadise”. Presenters like Günther Jauch are even hired by both private and public stations si-multaneously – RTL and ARD. Insiders report that Jauch earns 10.5 million a year for presenting and producing his Sunday talk show on ARD.

Two Thumbs DownYou said it:„I think it is fair to pay for indepen-dent reporting.“ lea, Year 11

April 2013, ISSUE 23H COMPANIES AND MARKETS 5

www.handelsblattmachtschule.de/newcomer Photos: ©Ocean/Corbis; Pablo Castagnola for Handelsblatt

Total equalisation volume

20127,9 bil. €

Financial Equalisation Scheme, per capita payments and allocations in euros

Who pays and who collects

Bavaria

Baden-Württemberg

Hesse

-309 €

-249 €

-218 €

+944 €

+782 €

+12 €

+22 €

+23 €

+45 €

+56 €

+91 €

+217 €

+233 €

+238 €

+244 €

+277 €

Hamburg

Lower Saxony

North Rhine-Westphalia

Schleswig-Holstein

Rhineland-Palatinate

Saarland

Brandenburg

Saxony

Saxony-Anhalt

Thuringia

Mecklenburg-WesternPomerania

Bremen

Berlin

Source: Handelsblatt-Research

Germany has 16 states, whose economic structures vary greatly from each other. In Southern Germany, for example, there are many companies and therefore a higher concentration of jobs. Most East German regions have a very different outlook (i.e. high unem-ployment). As a result, the states receive different amounts of tax income. To keep the standard of living fairly even across Germa-ny, legislators passed a law that added the Financial Equalisation Scheme into Basic Law in 1950. It

determined that states with high-er incomes would have to sup-port those with lower incomes. A set allocation formula establishes how much each state pays or re-ceives.This means that a state could pay into the scheme one year and re-ceive money the next depending on its economic developments.North Rhine-Westphalia, for ex-ample, used to always pay into the scheme. But due to changes in its economic structure, it has been a recipient state since 1985. Baden-

Württemberg and Hesse are the only states that have had to pay into the scheme every year since its inception.

Why is this scheme controversial?This year, there are only three pay-ing states. The state governments of Hesse and Bavaria believe they have found a problem with the scheme. In their view, the money is unfairly distributed. They espe-cially criticise that a state’s budget is not considered in the alloca-tions. For instance, while families

in Bavaria have to pay for nursery school services, Berlin residents receive these services for free in many cases. This naturally in-creases a state’s expenses. At the same time, money is transferred from Bavarian taxpayers to make up for the difference. If the paying states have their way, the alloca-tion of funds will consider how in-dividual states spend their money.

Michael Koch Institute of Economic Education at Oldenburg

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

The Federal Constitutional Court is the highest court in Germany. It is considered the protector of the Ger-man Constitution, which is known as the Grundgesetz (Basic Law). Its judg-es examine whether laws that have been passed comply with Basic Law. If not, they declare these laws unconsti-tutional and force the political actors to make changes. With this power, the Karlsruhe-based court has great po-litical importance.

A state budget includes various types of income – mainly taxes and public levies. This money is then used by the states for diverse public tasks, such as building schools or roads. Budgeting describes the way in which the re-sponsible politicians have generated income and how they have spent it. If expenses are higher than income over a longer period, this results in a budget deficit.

A Handelsblatt article explained

Bavarians Pay Berlin’s Bills Axel SchrinnerHandelsblatt, 17 January 2013

The wealth gap between German states is constantly growing. This can be seen in the figures from the Financial Equalisa-

tion Scheme for 2012. For the first time in the history of the pan-German equalisation sys-tem, there are only three paying states – and 13 needy recipient states. [...] Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg and Hesse paid out a total of 7.9 billion euros as part of the Financial Equalisa-tion Scheme. That is roughly 600 million eu-ros more than in the previous year (see chart).

The Financial Equalisation Scheme is very controversial these days. Bavaria and Hesse are currently preparing a lawsuit for the Fede-ral Constitutional Court. They want to see a cap placed on the payments for the equalisa-tion scheme. […]

Currently, the state receiving the most funds from this program is Berlin by a clear margin. With 3.3 billion euros, the German capital received over 40 percent of the total funds allocated. This corresponds to 944 euros per Berlin resident in 2012. That is 69 euros more per person than in the previous year. […]

Contrary to some politicians‘ claims, there is no connection between good budgeting and

being a paying state in the Financial Equalisa-tion Scheme. The decisive factor as to whether a state pays into the scheme or receives money is exclusively its financial strength, meaning the level of its tax income. A state’s expenses and the possible budget deficits that result do not play a role in the scheme.

HANDELSBLATT EXPLAINED April 2013, ISSUE 23H6

www.handelsblattmachtschule.de/newcomer

Wir wollen euch kennenler-nen! Berichtet uns doch etwas über eure Schule, schreibt einen Leser-brief, kommentiert die Artikel oder postet eure Meinung auf Facebook. Hier könnt ihr euch auch untereinander austauschen. Eure Ideen sind jederzeit willkommen: www.facebook.com/handelsblattmacht-schule oder hb.schule@vhb.de

FACEBOOKLea Schönborn in Ireland.

Paula Koch enjoys reading.

Every year there is a fl ood of new books hitting store shelves. It’s not always easy to choose the right one. Paula explains how she makes her purchasing decisions.

Paula Koch (Year 8)Herbartgymnasium Oldenburg

Reading is one of my favourite hob-bies. Since the number of books to choose from is practically endless,

some strategy is required to fi nd the right material.

My method starts with simply going to a book store and taking time to check out the books on off er. The book cover is very important to me when it comes to mak-ing a selection. It is what makes that initial

impression. I am immediately interested if the design is out of the ordinary.

The title of a novel is also an important factor. If it strikes me as boring, I immedi-ately continue my search. When the title is creative and original, I take a closer look and also read the text on the back cover.

If I enjoy reading a novel, I usually read further books by that particular author. I also usually give popular books a try as well, such as with “The Hunger Games” and “Twilight” for example. I tend to be less infl uenced by recommendations made by acquaintances.

Unfortunately many books for young people deal with the same topics: falling in love and breaking up. That can get boring and predictable after a while. That’s why I prefer fantasy books. When they or other books are made into movies, such as the new “Percy Jackson” fi lm, I always read the

book before I watch it in the cinema. I pre-fer imagining the places and characters of a story myself without constantly having the actors of a movie in my mind’s eye.

Be Diff erent

ireland – an unforgettable experienceLea Schönborn (Jahrgang 11)Helene-Lange-Schule Oldenburg

Over a year ago, I decided to spend some time abroad

– in Ireland. After some plan-ning, I fi nally set off for the island nation at the end of Au-gust 2012. I lived with an Irish family in the northern part of the country and attended a school there for half a year. The stay was organised by a language exchange agency.

I had two younger host siblings in my Irish family. An Italian exchange student the same age as me was also staying with my host family. My family is from the German city of Old-enburg, in Ireland however, I was living in the countryside among cows and sheep. It was a ten minute drive to the nearest town: Monaghan, with 5,000 inhabitants.

Although Ireland isn’t too far away

from Ger-many – it only takes a two-hour fl ight to get there – I no-ticed many c u l t u r a l diff erences. I had to get used to the amount of meat they eat and left-hand traffi c

for example. But it’s exactly those diff er-ences that make an exchange such an stay interesting and worthwhile experience.

We had to wear a school uniform at the school in Monaghan. I didn’t know how to tie a tie at fi rst, but I learned it with time. I was placed in the 6th year, which is the graduating class in Ireland. Teachers

and students were all busy preparing for the fi nal exams and planning for life af-ter school. My friends had to decide what college they wanted to go to. Many of my classmates were contemplating leaving Monaghan and even Ireland since youth unemployment is very high there.

I am glad that I have two more years to think about my future. Yet the exchange was a great step towards independence.

April 2013, ISSUE 23H STUDENT JOURNALISTS 7

www.handelsblattmachtschule.de/newcomer Photos: privat

GmbH, page 2 The acronym stands for “Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung” - a limited liability company, which is a legal form for busi-nesses. These types of companies are usu-ally owned by a few people who invest a relatively high amount of private capital in the firm. In order to start a limited liabil-ity company, the proprietors need at least 25,000 EUR starting capital. The proprie-tors then appoint a Management Board which runs the company.

European Commission, page 3 The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union (EU) head-quartered in Brussels. It represents Euro-pean interests, proposes and formulates draft laws, helps establish the EU budget and ensures that treaties and agreements are observed. Each EU member state nomi-nates a Commissioner who is allocated an area of responsibility (similar to a minister on a federal or state level).

Freelancer, page 3 There are two types of self-employment in Germany: either as a tradesperson or as a freelancer. It isn’t always easy to differenti-ate between the two. In general tradespeo-ple are self-employed workers who work in small trade, industry or retail. Freelancers, however, usually offer artistic or social ser-vices or professional writing. Self-employed physicians, lawyers and architects are also classified in the freelance group.

Public listing, page 5 To be publicly listed means that a company is traded on a public stock exchange. Stock brokers can buy and sell shares in a compa-ny that is publicly listed. The share price for a company listed on a stock exchange is de-termined by the interplay between supply and demand. This relationship can change very quickly. The most important German stock exchange is located in Frankfurt.

Cheat SheetAn overview of the mostimportant words and phrasesfrom this issue

Dieter Fockenbrock (Chefkorrespondent Handels-

blatt) und Hans Kaminski (Direktor IÖB)

Dear readers,

Perhaps you have a few leftover chocolate Easter bunnies still stowed in your cabinets at home. Seasonal chocolates are a very pro-fitable business for chocolate manufacturers. We take a closer look at the industry on pa-ges 2 / 3. Sweets are very popular in Germany. At the same time, consumers are becoming increasingly health conscious. Companies are reacting to this development with vari-ous strategies. We also examine some of the latest news from Great Britain: Recently, the British government discussed the possibility of leav-ing the EU. In our cover story, we explore the possible effects such a step would have on both the UK and the EU (page 1). And we have a German pupil writing about her experien-ces at an Irish school (page 7). We hope you will enjoy this spring edition of the Handelsblatt Newcomer!hier Auswirkung

VocabularyenglisCh deuTsCh

compatriots Landsleute

to hold to sth. fest bei etw. bleiben

to have a great deal riding on sth.

sehr viel hängt von etw. ab

nutrition Ernährung

liquorice Lakritz

by-products Nebenprodukte

temptation Versuchung

allowance Taschengeld

to post sales of XXX

einen Umsatz von XXX erwirtschaften

consumer protection group

Verbraucherschützer

to combat sth. etw. bekämpfen

to enact a law ein Gesetz erlassen

beverages Getränke

to pre-empt sth. etw. zuvorkommen

to peek schauen / blicken

englisCh deuTsCh

resilient belastbar

to impart sth. etw. vermitteln

to be tasked with sth. einen Auftrag bekommen

to mock s.o. jmd. verspotten

to sell like hotcakes der Renner sein

airwaves Äther

expansive ausgedehnt

to crop up entstehen

profitable rentabel

to cap sth. eine Grenze setzen

wealth gap Wohlstandskluft

needy arm, bedürftig

levy Abgaben

inception Gründung

worthwhile lohnenswert

to allocate zuteilen

ImpressumHerausgeber: Dieter Fockenbrock, V.i.S.d.P. (Handelsblatt) und Hans Kaminski (Institut für Ökonomische Bildung IÖB, Uni Oldenburg)Redaktion: Melanie RübartschKonzept: Katrin Eggert, Dieter Fockenbrock, Hans Kaminski, Michael Koch Art Director: Stefan Vieten Koordination: Maren Kienaß, Melanie RübartschLayout und Fotos: Sandra Janzsó, Corinna ThielHandelsblatt Newcomer-Online: Eva Erb-SchulzeMarketing und Vertrieb: Elisabeth AlbersEnglische Übersetzung: John Dalbey für PONS GmbHVerlag: Handelsblatt GmbH Geschäftsführung: Gabor Steingart (Vorsitzender), Jörg Mertens, Claudia Michalski Kasernenstr. 67, 40213 Düsseldorf Tel.: +49 (0) 211-887-0Druck: kuncke druck GmbH, Kornkamp 24, 22926 AhrensburgMitarbeiter dieser Ausgabe: Paula Koch, Lehrer und Schüler des Alten Gymnasiums und der Hele-ne-Lange-Schule Oldenburg (Ortrud Reuter-Kamin-ski, Emely Bagge, Martha Heeke, Anton Herrschel, Jonas Klusmann, Lena Matthes, Melina Maurer, Yannoh Mügge, Lea Schönborn, Luca Schüler) Fragen und Feedback: hb.schule@vhb.de oder über Facebook (www.facebook.com/handelsblatt-machtschule). Für Unternehmen mit Interesse an einer Partnerschaft: hb.schule@vhb.de Handelsblatt Newcomer erscheint alle zwei Monate.Sie als Lehrkraft können Handelsblatt Newcomer für Ihre Schüler kostenlos bestellen: www.handelsblattmachtschule.de/newcomer

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FUN & FACTS April 2013, ISSUE 23H8

Photos: Judith Wagner/Handelsblatt; Institut für Ökonomische Bildung www.handelsblattmachtschule.de/newcomer