Memos to the new Commission- Europe's economic priorities 2010-2015
by Zsolt Darvas, Jürgen von Hagen, Jean Pisani-Ferry, Bruno van Pottelsberghe , Lars-Hendrik Röller, Indhira Santos, André Sapir, Reinhilde Veugelers, Nicolas Véron, Jakob von Weizsäcker on 27 August 2009
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Category: BOOKS
Topics: Budgetary and monetary policies, Climate change and energy, Competition and single market, Currencies and International finance, Emerging economies and development, Financial markets and regulation, European and global governance, Labour, migration and ageing, Research, innovation and growth, Trade, investment and competitiveness, New Member States, Enlargement and Neighbourhood
These Memos, addressed to the next Commission President and to the new European commissioners, are written by Bruegel Scholars and edited by Senior Research Fellow André Sapir and focus on key economic aspects of EU policy-making.
The new Commission will enter office at a challenging time for Europe, the EU and the Commission itself. The crisis has clearly exposed weaknesses in EU governance which need to be addressed and the memos make a number of concrete recommendations of relevance for major economic fields, as well as for the EU and Commission as a whole.
Addressing the next Commission President, André Sapir and Jean Pisani-Ferry propose that effective leadership will be necessary to give strategic direction to the Commission, ’you [the president] should therefore be ready to fight for ideas and take risks" (JPF-AS). The Memos suggest that the EU will need to assert a position on commonly agreed rules, propose new solutions and, importantly, has an opportunity now to redefine the European narrative in the global arena.
Focusing on the most important economic questions at EU level, the Bruegel memos are intended to be strategic, outlining the state of affairs that will be met by the new Commission and the key challenges and priorities they will need to consider over the next five years.
Of markets, products and prices- the effects of the euro on European firms
by Lionel Fontagné , Thierry Mayer , Gianmarco Ottaviano on 09 February 2009
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Category: BLUEPRINTS
Topics: Competition and single market, Currencies and International finance, Trade, investment and competitiveness
In this Blueprint, Lionel Fontagné, Thierry Mayer and Gianmarco Ottaviano, show that trade flows have not increased meaningfully since the introduction of the euro. However, trade volume can be a misleading yardstick. Other obstacles – be it differences in regulation, legal framework, taxes or language – are significant enough to continue to act as binding constraints on internationalisation. In terms of prices, the authors find that the euro has resulted in less volatile and lower prices, especially within the euro area, and this is a clear plus for consumers.
Avoiding a new European divide
by Zsolt Darvas, Jean Pisani-Ferry on 21 December 2008
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Category: POLICY BRIEFS
Topics: Competition and single market, Emerging economies and development
The financial crisis, which is now hitting the new member states severely, highlights the shortcomings of the existing institutional architecture in Europe. Current strains reflect a revaluation of risks but they also result from policy mistakes. In this policy brief, Zsolt Darvas and Jean Pisani-Ferry show that some of the non euro-area new member states suffer from serious vulnerabilities, to which policy has been slow to respond. They believe that the crisis management in the euro area has had the unintended consequence of putting non euro-area new member states at disadvantage. These are unhealthy developments and without decisive action, a new political and economic divide within Europe may emerge.
A European recovery programme
by Jean Pisani-Ferry, André Sapir, Jakob von Weizsäcker on 25 November 2008
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Category: POLICY BRIEFS
Topics: Budgetary and monetary policies, Competition and single market, European and global governance
Jean Pisani-Ferry, André Sapir and Jakob von Weizsäcker
have put together a programme which combines an immediate budgetary
stimulus by all EU countries with country-specific measures via the
implementation of four concrete steps:
1. budgetary boost
2. reform commitment
3. enforcement and
4. prudent borrowing.
The new corporation in Europe
by Dalia Marin on 02 September 2008
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Category: POLICY BRIEFS
Topics: Competition and single market, Emerging economies and development, Labour, migration and ageing, Trade, investment and competitiveness
This Policy Brief examines how Europe‘s corporations are changing the way they do business since the 2004 EU Enlargement. Dalia Marin argues that firms are adapting to heightening global competition by shifting decision-making processes. The author gives policy recommendations in the areas of EU neighbourhood and trade policies.