Topics
Bruegel researchers tackle a range of economic topics and issues, grouped across wider topics which cover the breadth of our expertise.
Through publications, events, social media, and a lively blog, Bruegel has carved a unique discussion space for everyone interested in improving the quality of economic policy. Through a dual focus on analysis and impact, and dynamic relationships with policymakers at every governance level, it has also established itself as a vibrant laboratory for economic policies.
Explore some of the hot topics in economic policy below:
Climate change
The role of competition in the transition to climate neutrality
The transition to climate neutrality requires the reallocation of production factors from polluting activities to non-polluting activities.
How can the European Union adapt to climate change?
A stronger adaptation governance framework would benefit adaptation efforts.
Energy
European natural gas imports
Germany’s gas-price ‘defence shield’: problems and redeeming features
The €200 billion “defence shield” risks undermining European solidarity. This could be avoided by designing it well.
An assessment of Europe’s options for addressing the crisis in energy markets
Action to intervene in the gas and electricity wholesale markets is also being taken at European Union level, which is what we analyse in this paper.
COVID-19
COVID-19 in the European Union: health impacts and effects on economic activity
What matters when it comes to managing the pandemic is to prevent intensive-care admissions and deaths arising from COVID-19.
COVID-19 and the shift to remote work
Hybrid arrangements in which part of the week is spent at the office, and part at home, are likely to become the norm.
Ukraine
Enlarging and deepening: giving substance to the European Political Community
The EPC would not be, and should not be, regarded as a substitute for EU accession, but should be designed to work as an accelerator.
Ukraine and what it means for European Union enlargement
The real issue for EU leaders when they discuss Ukraine’s application at a 23-24 June summit and beyond, is what kind of club the EU should be.
Xi, Biden switching strategies for dominance
The US now sees Asia more through an economic lens, while China shifts toward a security focus
Filter publications by topic
Working paper
23 March 2021
Interest in European matters: a glass three-quarters full?
Everything that increases the interest of European citizens in the EU, independently of whether it has a critical or a supportive character, will serv
Policy brief
10 March 2021
Low interest rates in Europe and the US: one trend, two stories
Interest rates have been on a long-term decline, associated with declining productivity growth. To tackle this, the priorities are to reduce market co
Policy brief
09 March 2021
A whole-economy carbon price for Europe and how to get there
Putting carbon pricing at the centre of the EU climate policy architecture would provide major benefits. Obtaining these benefits requires a uniform,
Working paper
02 March 2021
Talking about Europe: exploring 70 years of news archives
This paper aims to contribute to the understanding of Europe as reflected in European media.
Working paper
24 February 2021
COVID-19 credit-support programmes in Europe’s five largest economies
This paper assesses COVID-19 credit-support programmes in five of the largest European economies, and examines how countries have dealt with trade-off
Policy brief
23 February 2021
China’s state-owned enterprises and competitive neutrality
The concept of competitive neutrality can be used to assess how far a market is from being a competitive environment. In China, competitive neutrality
Working paper
04 February 2021
European Union cohesion project characteristics and regional economic growth
A new approach, which estimates 'unexplained economic growth', provides insights into the types of European Union cohesion projects that produce bette
Policy brief
02 February 2021
The geopolitics of the European Green Deal
The Green Deal will redefine Europe’s global policy priorities; as such, it is a foreign policy development with profound geopolitical consequences
Policy brief
27 January 2021
The nonsense of Next Generation EU net balance calculations
Estimates of payments countries will receive from the Next Generation EU instrument can be made with some degree of precision. But estimating countrie
Working paper
26 January 2021
Platform mergers and antitrust
This paper sets out a framework for addressing competition concerns arising from acquisitions in big platform ecosystems.
Policy brief
21 January 2021
Economic Crisis in the Middle East and North Africa
In the 2010s, the economic outlook of the countries in the Middle East and North Africa region deteriorated, with numerous long-term socio-economic an
Policy brief
06 January 2021
The productivity paradox: policy lessons from MICROPROD
The objective of MICROPROD, an EU-wide research project that runs until the end of 2021, is to understand what is driving the current productivity slo
Policy brief
21 December 2020
Deglobalisation in the context of United States-China decoupling
After decades of increasing globalisation, there now seems to be a slowing, or even a turn to deglobalisation, meaning decelerating trade and investme
Book
17 December 2020
A green industrial policy for Europe
This Blueprint examines how the European Union can develop a coherent green industrial policy that will serve the goals of the European Green Deal.
Working paper
26 November 2020
Understanding the European Union’s regional potential in low-carbon technologies
This research identifies existing and potential specialisation in green technologies in European Union regions, and proposes an approach to identify p
Policy brief
26 November 2020
Green certificates: a better version of green bonds
"The current design of green bonds means they aren't fulfilling their potential. We propose an alternative: issuance of regular bonds with attached gr