Economic Policy Perspectives Of Estonia In The European Union

The Economies of European Union Small Member and Candidate States deals with the small states and candidate states of the EU, with a focus on their economic structure and performance, and the impact of EU membership (past, actual and potential) on the economy. The small states to be covered are those with a population of 3 million or less, namely: Cyprus, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Macedonia, Montenegro and Slovenia. This title adds to the literature on the EU, on regional integration generally and on small states. It delves into the special constraints of small economic size, and examines why and how the small states of Europe manage to compete, albeit not without difficulty, with the larger states in the block, where free trade prevails. The book answers the following research questions: What are the special economic development constraints faced by the small states of the EU? What policy options have been used by, or are available to, these small states to address these constraints? How can the economic resilience and competitiveness of these states be enhanced? Has EU membership been mostly advantageous for these small states? What are the economic prospects for these states as EU member states? The book is aimed primarily for students of EU affairs and of regional integration in general. It will also be useful for students of subjects relating to small states. It may also appeal to policy makers of small states, and to officials of international and regional organisations that have a constituency that includes small states.

What purpose does the EU serve? Why and how was it set up? How does it work? What has it already achieved for its citizens, and what new challenges does it face today? In a globalised world, can the EU compete successfully with other major economies while maintaining its social standards? How can immigration be managed? What will Europe’s role be on the world stage in the years ahead? Where will the EU’s boundaries be drawn? And what future is there for the euro? These are just some of the questions explored by EU expert Pascal Fontaine in this 2017 edition of his popular booklet Europe in 12 lessons. Pascal Fontaine is a former assistant to Jean Monnet and former professor at the Institut d’Études Politiques, Paris.

Der Verfasser untersucht die – im Verhältnis zu Aktualität und Praxisrelevanz – wenig erforschte Frage, ob die Euroeinführung für alte und neue Mitgliedstaaten mit dem EU-Beitritt verpflichtend wird. Er analysiert hierzu zunächst, ob die Euroeinführung im Prinzip – zunächst unter bewusster Ausblendung des problematischen Wechselkurskonvergenzkriteriums – einen verpflichtenden Charakter hat. Nach Bejahung dieser Frage wendet er sich dem Wechselkurskonvergenzkriterium zu und stellt fest, dass die formelle WKM II-Teilnahme ein notwendiges, aber nicht hinreichendes Kriterium zur Erfüllung dieses Konvergenzkriteriums ist. Da die WKM II-Teilnahme aber ihrerseits freiwillig ausgestaltet ist, macht dies im Ergebnis auch die Euroeinführung insgesamt freiwillig. Ein Mitgliedstaat kann die Euroeinführung daher wie Schweden einfach umgehen, indem er dem WKM II nicht beitritt. Der Autor zeigt immer wieder auf, wie verschiedene Gruppen von EU-Mitgliedstaaten hinsichtlich der Euro-Einführung in der Vergangenheit behandelt wurden.