Global economy and trade
Explore recurring issues in Europe’s relationship with its extended neighbourhood, and economic relations with China, India and the rest of the world.
The global economy in continues to be affected by the pandemic. However, it is also marked by major geopolitical developments, from President Biden’s inauguration and a revival of the transatlantic relationship, to the continued rivalry with China, with the EU caught in-between these global trends.
Bruegel’s scholars cover the European Union’s increasing assertiveness towards neighbours over the past year, including the external repercussions of the European Green Deal, managing a crisis at its borders, building a future relationship with a former member, strengthening the international role of the euro and tackling a resurgent China.
Recently published and updated
The Covid–19 Pandemic and China’s Economic Slowdown
Any convergence with the U.S. economy will not continue for long.
China protests add to uncertainty for investors
Demonstrations show how the country is struggling to deal with Covid and an easing of lockdowns.
Does inflation hit the poor hardest everywhere?
Low-income households suffer most from high inflation, but in some European Union countries the inflation burden is felt more equally than others.
Xi Jinping’s new smiles got China off the hook at climate talks
Beijing's bandwidth to deliver is shrinking as its economic performance wanes.
Lessons for Europe from China’s quest for semiconductor self-reliance
This paper explores China's quest to become a domestic-demand-driven economy, and the lessons that can be learnt from its quest for self reliance.
Deglobalisation and Protectionism
This paper presents a data-driven examination of whether deglobalisation has happened and whether protectionism was the cause.
Russian foreign trade tracker
Biden, Xi focus on Taiwan and forget about Ukraine
The meet did not seem to offer solutions to the two most pressing problems for the international order.
Lessons from China’s semiconductor technology push
China’s semiconductors push already has lessons for the rest of the world.
Upcoming events
Global cooperation in times of geopolitical strife
How can we build a sustainable system of international cooperation that allows for nations to work together despite their differences?
Working paper
11 April 2022
Measuring the intangible economy to address policy challenges
The purpose of the first work package of the MICROPROD project was to improve the firm-level data infrastructure, expand the measurement of intangible
Working paper
05 April 2022
The private sector advances in China: The evolving ownership structures of the largest companies in the Xi Jinping era
This paper documents recent structural changes in China’s corporate landscape, based on company level data.
Policy brief
24 March 2022
Better pensions for the European Union’s self-employed
What is the current state of pensions policy in Europe and how are independent workers treated compared with their traditionally employed counterparts
Book
23 February 2022
Greening Europe’s post-COVID-19 recovery
This Blueprint includes some of the Group’s most prominent voices on the different aspects of the multidimensional issue of green recovery.
Policy brief
21 February 2022
Is the post-war trading system ending?
This policy contribution assesses how the trading system has changed over the last five years
Policy brief
17 February 2022
The failure of global public health governance: a forensic analysis
In this Policy Contribution, we seek to understand the reasons for these failures of global collective action.
Policy brief
08 February 2022
Does Europe need a Health Union?
This Policy Contribution assesses the rationale for a Health Union.
Working paper
17 January 2022
The effect of COVID certificates on vaccine uptake, public health, and the economy
An analysis of the incentive effects of COVID certificates on vaccine uptake, health outcomes and the economy.
Policy brief
13 January 2022
Decarbonisation of the energy system
Given the size and urgency of the transition, the current knowledge infrastructure in Europe is insufficient.
Working paper
23 December 2021
Timely measurement of real effective exchange rates
This paper contributes to the measurement of monthly consumer price index-based real effective exchange rates with two main novelties.
Working paper
16 December 2021
Market power and artificial intelligence work on online labour markets
We investigate how labour demand and supply elasticities relate to an exogenous change in platform policy.
Working paper
13 December 2021
mRNA vaccines: a lucky shot?
How can the background of mRNA technology development help us understand how public vaccine research and development policy can be improved?
Policy brief
30 November 2021
What is holding back artificial intelligence adoption in Europe?
To accelerate the roll-out of AI technology across the European Union, policymakers should alleviate constraints to adoption faced by firms.
Policy brief
17 November 2021
Biometric technologies at work: a proposed use-based taxonomy
We define biometric technologies as AI technologies that rely on biometric data to derive inferences about the individual whose data is collected.
Book
12 November 2021
Instruments of a strategic foreign economic policy
Study for the German Federal Foreign Office produced by Bruegel, the Kiel Institute for the World Economy and DIW Berlin.
Working paper
10 November 2021
Towards efficient information sharing in network markets
In this paper, we turn our attention to market failure due to information asymmetry between platforms and their users and between competing platforms.