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Microeconomic data for fact-based trade, growth and jobs policy design

Date and time: 5 October 2012 13:15

Organised in parallel to the public release of the Bruegel-Unicredit EFIGE dataset, this event introduced the new data, took stock of the original policy insights gained through their analysis and discussed the future of a micro-founded fact-based agenda for policy design.

One of the most important lessons learned during the crisis is that the informational toolbox on which policy makers base their decisions would greatly benefit from the addition of new data sources and data analysis. In particular, the new information available has not yet fed the set of economic indicators used by policy makers.
The toolbox needs to include microeconomic data on the behaviour of people and firms. In order to meet this need, Bruegel has coordinated since 2008 a pioneering project in micro data collection and analysis called “European Firms in the Global Economy” (EFIGE). The aim of EFIGE is to show how such information can enrich the policy makers’ toolbox in the specific area of international competitiveness. The project is funded by the European Commission and UniCredit and is supported by the Central Banks of Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and Spain as well as by the OECD. It involves top academic experts in the US and in Europe through a network of leading research institutions in Belgium, France, Hungary, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK.

This event was organised jointly by Bruegel and the Directorate-General Trade of the European Commission.

Event materials

Event summary here
The Bruegel-Unicredit EFIGE dataset, presentation by Carlo Altomonte here
Policy insight from EFIGE, presentation by Gianmarco Ottaviano here
Microeconomic data for fact-based trade, growth and jobs policy design, presentation by Isabel Grilo here
Firm-level data and trade policy making, presentation by Lucian Cernat here
Video interview with Carlo Altomonte and Gianmarco Ottaviano
The EFIGE dataset and manual