We should probably apologise: our recent report on the consulting market in the Benelux region wasn't the cheeriest report we've produced this year - finding, as it did, a market contracting by more than 3% - but then the consultants we spoke to in the region weren't exactly in a good mood to start off with. Of course our reports aren't designed to put anyone in a mood, good or bad, but rather to inform people about what's going on, as accurately as possible. Nevertheless, if they did make anyone feel downbeat then we're sorry about that.