The Political Economy Of Competitiveness In An Enlarged Europe

Central and Eastern European countries are entering the development race at a crucial juncture in EU enlargement and the wider phenomenon of globalization. In the face of hesitant and controversial EU policy, these countries need to engage sound development strategies. International production networks are expected to be decisive in helping them strengthen their competitiveness and establish knowledge-based economies. In this book, Julie Pellegrin looks at whether and how production networks develop in Central and Eastern European countries and assesses their chances of catching up with the rest of Europe.

The Political Economy of Integration in the European Union has gained a well-deserved reputation as the key textbook in the area of European studies, economics and politics. This new and fully revised edition comprehensively surveys recent changes - such as the deepening and widening of European integration through eastward expansion and the Maastricht and Amsterdam Treaties - whilst continuing to offer a thorough overview of integration. The core material has been revised to ensure the best possible grounding in the political economy of the EU. Jeffrey Harrop presents an accessible account of European integration, including: * free trade, the customs union and the internal market * agriculture and fisheries * industrial and technological policies * regional and social problems and policies * monetary integration * fiscal policy: taxation and the EU budget * world-wide trading links * an in-depth discussion of EU enlargement, including the proposed integration of Central and East European countries * an assessment of energy, transport and environment policies * an overall view of the progress and possible future of the European Union. The book has been widely adopted for both specialist courses in economics as well as interdisciplinary courses in European studies. Teachers who are already using the book or who would like to consider it are invited to send for a 60-day examination copy of the third edition.

The Political Economy of Competitiveness offers an original perspective on the relationship between economic theory and policy. It places the issues within an accessible political economy perspective. Rejecting the narrowness of mainstream economics the authors deploy an interdisciplinary approach to the problem of economic growth, placing it in its historical and political context. Issues covered include: * trade theory and policy * industrial decline and policy * markets, competition and innovation * globalisation, unemployment and government policy. The book provides a valuable guide to the major economic policy issues for both economists and business students.

The Politics of European Competition Regulation provides an original and theoretically informed account of the political power struggles that have shaped the evolution of European competition regulation over the past six decades. Applying a critical political economy perspective, this book analyses the establishment and development of competition regulation at European Community and national level since the 1950s. It puts forth the central argument that competition regulation came to reflect the broader shift towards a neoliberal order since the 1980s. Buch-Hansen and Wigger argue that this shift, which took place against the background of the gradual transnationalisation of capitalist production and the economic crisis of the late 1970s, was driven by the European Commission in alliance with the emerging transnational capitalist class. The authors examine the political responses to the current global economic crisis in the fields of state aid, cartel prosecution and merger control and conclude that an alternative type of competition regulation, which forms part of a much broader transformation of the current socioeconomic order, is needed. This book will be of interest to students and scholars of (global) political economy, European integration and competition law.

This book seeks to analyse the development of the European Union (EU), which was founded upon the principle of the free movement of capital, goods, services and people in 1957. Its central thesis is that, from a practical and theoretical point of view, such a basis is fundamentally at odds with the creation of an interventionist regime that the construction of a social Europe would require. The authors argue convincingly that - economically: the EU does not currently possess the budget or the economic tools to pursue such a strategy; politically: close to none of the institutions of the EU have backed such a policy; practically: conservative and neo-liberal forces (among member states and the institutions of the EU) have repeatedly thwarted any moves in this direction. In reality, the Single Internal Market, Economic and Monetary Union, enlargement, the Lisbon Agenda and European Constitution projects all prioritise supply-side measures and expanding the scope of the market rather than the boosting of demand and other economic intervention. Consequently, constructing a social Europe in the face of this would appear problematic. Hence, in both theory and practice, the idea that there can be a social Europe vis-à-vis neoliberalisation is a contradiction in terms. This controversial book will be an educating and refreshing read for advanced students and academics involved with European politics, the European Union, European Economics and Economic instititutions.

This book is about changes in the competitiveness and the restructuring of manufacturing industries in the three leading transition economies of Central Europe (Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic), their integration into the European Union, and their catching up with the old member states in the pre-accession period.

The enlargement process, the creation of the Monetary Union and the need to promote further the political and economic integration of Europe have ignited an intense debate at the European level among researchers and policy-makers. Examining the effects that political, legal, and regulatory institutions have on economic development, this book provides new contributions on the political economy of the European constitution. It covers many issues including social protection, fiscal reform and regional policies that are on the table of European policy makers. Furthermore, it provides ideas and analysis of such issues as the problem of voting reform, the centralization and decentralization of the policy process and the allocation of new policy prerogatives at the EU level which are crucial for the design of a new European constitution.