Industrial Policy In The European Community A Necessary Response To Economic Integration

As global corporate rivalry intensifies there is rising concern about the state of industries that have to compete with foreign firms often suspected of being aided by their governments with the aim to dominate world markets. In the European Community, in particular, many industrialists believe that the completion of the single market will make them even more vulnerable to foreign competition. The essays compiled in this book re-examine the arguments for industrial policy. They go beyond the sterile and doctrinaire debate on whether the government should intervene in the economy. Rather, they ask what kind of industrial policy should national governments and the European Community pursue in the light of the increasing openness of their economies, expanding global corporate alliances and faster technological obsolescence. These essays have a distinct policy orientation. They review the latest theoretical developments in order to identify the relevant policy parameters and draw conclusions on what the aim and instruments of industrial policy should be.

This volume looks at the role industrial policies play in the context of European integration. A new range of policies for regional integration are developed aimed at allowing a new common market to effectively enter the global marketplace.

'This book is a most valuable contribution to the understanding of the complexity of European policies and their impact on individual businesses and industry as a whole. That focus makes this book unique. All in all, there are only a few books about the industrial policy of the European Union and none with such a focus.' - Karel van Miert, Universiteit Nyenrode, The Netherlands 'Contrary to standard works covering community industrial policy, this book is based on the experience of those involved in the actual formulation of policies. It documents the evolution of this policy towards a horizontal approach combining various instruments that need to be made consistent with each other. This book will be very valuable to scholars and policymakers alike.' - Alexis Jacquemin, European Commission and Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium European policies increasingly affect the daily decisions of European firms. Better understanding of the motivation and reasoning behind policies that affect industry is therefore essential to those interested in or affected by industrial policy. Industry and the European Union explores different European policy areas, focusing on aspects that are of particular importance for business.

The main objective of this book has been to carry out research into the definition of industrial policy and its goals; to evaluate previously-introduced policies and instruments; and to identify the future challenges for and features of a modern EU industrial policy. A modern industrial policy is seen as a non-traditional policy towards the industrial sector, based not necessarily on only the elimination of market failures (within the sectoral and/or horizontal approaches), but rather on the expanding the scope of industrial economic activities within the framework of both the pre- and post-fabrication stages. The book targets three market segments: academics; policy and decision-makers at the EU, national and regional level, as well as business practitioners. It includes a wide-ranging analysis of different spheres of industrial policies conducted within the European Union, making it of interest to an international audience. Each chapter also offers detailed and valuable comments, as well as conclusions that can be generally applied, ensuring the book’s universality. The book presents the results of a research project conducted in the Collegium of World Economy at the Warsaw School of Economics.

First published in 1996. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Economic integration is one of the most noteworthy issues in international economic policy at the end of the twentieth century. The recent examples of the European Union (EU) and the North American Free Trade Association (NAFTA) have raised important questions about the economic integration process and the possible establishment of economic unions in other parts of the world. Against the backdrop of the financial crisis in Europe and prospects of increasing integration in Asia, this volume showcases research from an international array of researchers to provide a basic understanding of the current issues, problems, challenges, and opportunities for achieving integration, addressing both empirical and theoretical aspects of such topics as monetary union, social policy reform and social union, public finance and technology policy. The chapters in Part 1 are focused primarily on economic issues, while Part 2 covers on social policy, the welfare state, and political reforms, with a particular emphasis on the European Union. Among the questions addressed: What are the main determinants and implications for socio-economic integration? How can economic policy influence the growth and integration process? Why is innovation important for regional economic development? What has been the policy response so far and what lessons have we learned from it? And finally, what are our action lines for the future?