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
China’s tales of the future
How science fiction is shaping China’s economics, politics and society.
The European Renewal: Making the most of pandemic recovery
COVID-19 remains dangerous, but if Europe can continue its unprecedented fiscal co-operation the crisis could give way to a new era of prosperity.
EU Enlargement in a New Light
A collection of articles compiled following a joint Bruegel-Intereconomics event on EU enlargment.
Euro-dollar parity: beyond symbolism
Lack of certainty that the euro will stay prevents it from a greater international role. Until addressed, the dollar will continue to be hegemon.
What role for China in the global refining crunch?
Despite high prices, China’s substantial spare oil refining capacity remains restricted.
Revisiting Europe’s energy independence
Challenges of an energy independent Europe.
A possible G7 price cap on Russian oil: issues at stake
A price cap on Russian oil might improve the current western sanctions regime, but effectiveness will depend on the west’s willingness
Ukraine and Taiwan on the Biden-Xi chessboard
Overall, Biden and Xi seem to be converging on their strategies for global dominance
A decade of economic policy
Guntram Wolff looks back at the past decade of Bruegel contribution to economic policy in Europe.
Policy brief
17 November 2021
Biometric technologies at work: a proposed use-based taxonomy
Technology may not have a significant negative impact on the quantity of jobs available to humans, but it certainly transforms them, changing how jobs
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.
Policy brief
10 November 2021
Next Generation EU borrowing: a first assessment
The Next Generation EU programme is radically changing the way the EU finances itself and interacts with financial markets. This paper assesses the fi
Policy brief
04 November 2021
COVID-19 financial aid and productivity: has support been well spent?
While support schemes during the pandemic were not targeted at protecting ‘good’ firms, financial support mostly went to those with the capacity to su
Working paper
04 November 2021
Does money growth tell us anything about inflation?
Attention should be paid to a possible sequence of negative events: if inflation would start to be volatile and money growth remains high, efforts to
Policy brief
05 October 2021
Do robots dream of paying taxes?
The digital transition should be managed – and taxed – alongside other societal transitions, but any tax on companies that replace employees with aut
Policy brief
23 September 2021
A new integrated-value assessment method for corporate investment
To contribute more to the green transition, companies should start to make investment decisions based on integrated-value assessment, weighing up the
Working paper
16 September 2021
Can climate change be tackled without ditching economic growth?
The notion of degrowth to reduce greenhouse gas emissions appears unrealistic; decoupling of emissions from growth is in principle possible but requir
Policy brief
09 September 2021
A green fiscal pact: climate investment in times of budget consolidation
Increasing green public investment while consolidating deficits will be a central challenge of this decade. A green fiscal pact would address this ten
Policy brief
15 July 2021
A new direction for the European Union’s half-hearted semiconductor strategy
The EU needs a more targeted strategy to increase its presence in this strategic and thriving sector, building on its existing strengths, while accomm
Policy brief
08 July 2021
The risks from climate change to sovereign debt in Europe
European Union institutions and national fiscal authorities should incorporate climate risk in debt sustainability analysis.
Policy brief
01 July 2021
Commercialisation contracts: European support for low-carbon technology deployment
To cut the cost of decarbonisation significantly, the best solution would be to provide investors with a predictable carbon price that corresponds to
Working paper
15 June 2021
Platform mergers and antitrust
This paper sets out a framework for addressing competition concerns arising from acquisitions in big platform ecosystems. This is a June 2021 update
Working paper
15 June 2021
Stability of collusion and quality differentiation: a Nash bargaining approach
How do incentives to collude depend on how asymmetric firms are? For low levels of differentiation, an increase in quality difference makes collusion
Policy brief
09 June 2021
Blending the physical and virtual: a hybrid model for the future of work
The pandemic has shown that many workers can efficiently work remotely, with benefits for wellbeing and even productivity. The European Union should d