Publications

Is the EU Chips Act the right approach?

Measures to safeguard semiconductor supplies proposed in the Chips Act could prove to be wrongly focused, could tip over into harmful protectionism.

Europe’s Russian oil embargo: significant but not yet

The ban on most Russian oil significantly scales up the EU response to aggression against Ukraine, but the bloc should stand ready for retaliation.

Technology, trade, work councils and income distribution: new insights from MICROPROD

Economics of access to energy

This chapter discusses the key obstacles that have so far prevented 840 million people worldwide from gaining access to electricity.

REPowerEU: will EU countries really make it work?

By acting together, the European Union can optimise its response to the energy crisis in all scenarios but each country will have to make concessions.

Does the war in Ukraine call for a new Next Generation EU?

The European Union should take significant economic measures in response to the war in Ukraine, but a new Next Generation EU is not needed yet.

The EU needs transparent oil data and enhanced coordination

The EU lacks the coordination structure and transparent data necessary to most effectively navigate an embargo on Russian oil.

Now is not the time to confiscate Russia’s central bank reserves

As the costs of Ukraine’s resistance mount, there are increasing calls to confiscate these frozen reserves to finance Kyiv’s war and reconstruction.

Is the workforce ready for the jobs of the future? Data-informed skills and training foresight

For many newly emerging jobs, labour-market mismatches prevail as workers and firms are unable to apply precise occupation taxonomies and training lag

Insights for successful enforcement of Europe’s Digital Markets Act

The European Commission will enforce digital competition rules against big tech; internally, it should ensure a dedicated process and teams.

Beating burnout: identifying bad jobs and improving job quality

To improve wellbeing at work, job quality policy should pay more attention to imbalances in job content and the social environment at work.

How a European Union tariff on Russian oil can be designed

The European Union should apply a tariff on imports of Russian oil; it can be accompanied by a quota for a gradual, conditional phase-out.

Fiscal support and monetary vigilance: economic policy implications of the Russia-Ukraine war for the European Union

Policymakers must think coherently about the joint implications of their actions and avoid taking measures that contradict each other.

Cutting Putin’s energy rent: ‘smart sanctioning’ Russian oil and gas

Infrastructure bottlenecks prevent Russia from selling all the oil it wants to bring to market, even at lower prices.

Owning up to sustainability risks: the EU should champion international standards

To keep European Union capital markets open and integrated, new international standards should be reflected in future European law.

The low productivity of European firms: how can policies enhance the allocation of resources?

Economists take total factor productivity (TFP) as one of the most informative indicators of the state of a country's economy.