Competition Policy and EU Governance

This paper focuses on competition policy in the European Union from an economic, micro-governance point of view. It analyses recent developments in economic governance in the field of the common competition policy, which had for a long time been the exclusive competence of the European Commission (Community method), notably the nature and governance implications of recent developments associated with single market integration, the 5th EU enlargement, and the workload backlog of the Commission. The common competition policy has been subject to various changes against the background of increasing market integration and the expansion of the single market (for instance, the European merger regulation and the liberalisation of network industries, regulated at the national level), most recently by the new institutional framework (EC regulation 1/2003 by the EU Council) which entered into force on the day of the EU’s fifth enlargement on 1 May 2004 and which implies the direct and parallel application of EU anti-trust laws by national competition authorities (NCA).These developments in terms of the economic governance of competition policy render it important to analyse the competences of NCAs with respect to the European Commission but also in regard to each other and to sectoral national regulators. The paper concludes that although the single market and competition policy had looked profoundly Europeanised in the Community sphere, single market integration has not led to parallel centralisation at the Community level but to decentralisation and that challenges as to legal uncertainty and consistency of application remain to be resolved.EU Competition Policy, European Union, Economic Governance, Regulation, European Union, Portugal

Is the “European Model” viable in a globalized world?

The issue of whether the 'European model' is viable in a globalized world raises the question as to what defines and conditions any European model and its competitiveness in the context of globalisation and the new economy. For the sake of sustainability of its model but also to sustain support for globalisation the European Union (EU) needs to take economic advantage of globalisation and the knowledge-based economy. Challenges in a high-cost, high-productivity economy mean that there is a premium on dynamic efficiency gains from the liberalisation and reform of markets and an economic and institutional framework that fosters innovation and flexible adjustment. The paper examines how the EU deals with governance issues and political economy factors from this perspective. The EU model, if able to legitimize itself with respect to the European integration process may as well contribute to a legitimate political governance of globalisation.Globalisation; Liberalisation; European regulatory model and economic integration; Preferential trade; Global and European Governance; European Union; Single Market; Lisbon Agenda.

TOWARDS A COMPETITIVE LOW-CARBON ECONOMY: ON FIRMS’ INCENTIVES AND THE ROLE OF PUBLIC RESEARCH

This paper considers the prerequisites for implementing a competitive low-carbon economy in the European Union from the point of view of firms’ incentives, the role of policy and the contribution of public research. It suggests that the reduction of the environmental impact of energy can be a new competitiveness factor. Rather than being treated as a constraint and cost-aggravating factor, addressing climate change can offer economic opportunity and contribute to growth. The paper looks at both static (energy efficiency) and dynamic (innovation – new products, processes, technologies or sectors and consumption patterns) dimensions of competitiveness.Economic competitiveness; low-carbon economy; energy; technology; and public research.

Is the ‘European Model’ viable in a globalized world?

The issue of whether the ‘European model’ is viable in a globalized world raises the question as to what defines and conditions any European model and its competitiveness in the context of globalization and the new economy. For the sake of sustainability of its model but also to sustain support for globalization the European Union (EU) needs to take economic advantage of globalization and the knowledge-based economy. Challenges in a high-cost, high-productivity economy mean that there is a premium on dynamic efficiency gains from the liberalization and reform of markets and an economic and institutional framework that fosters innovation and flexible adjustment. The paper examines how the EU deals with governance issues and political economy factors from this perspective. The EU model, if able to legitimize itself with respect to the European integration process may as well contribute to a legitimate political governance of globalization.Globalization; Liberalization; European regulatory model and economic integration; Preferential trade; Global and European Governance; European Union; Single Market; Lisbon Agenda.

Institutions, Governance and Economic Growth in the EU: is there a role for the Lisbon Strategy

In order to ensure that the internal market delivers (growth, jobs) in the face of a changing market and technological environment (internal market liberalisation, globalisation, the knowledge-based economy) and to take advantage of the opportunities that it presents, the European Union (EU) needs to create an adequate institutional framework that promotes its efficiency potential and adaptive capacity. In the reality of European mixed economies, its capacity to solve the structural problems that impair productivity and economic growth in Europe hinges very much on governance, in particular when reforms to realise international synergies and complementarities or policy-learning with a view to common goals involve not only the EU but as well the Member State level. The Lisbon Agenda can be considered an exercise of policy coordination that needs to ensure that Member States’ over-regulated economies comply both with liberalisation in the Single Market and with an adequate European-wide institutional environment for sustainable growth without coordination mismatches, protectionism and market segmentation. This ultimately raises the question, central to this paper, of the adequate governance level and of the regulatory model to adopt (systems competition and/or European regulation).Economic Integration; Governance; European Union; Single Market; Lisbon Agenda; Open method of coordination; Liberalisation; Regulatory model; Growth and competitiveness.

The Role of Overseas Chinese in Europe in Making China Global: The Case of Portugal

This paper aims at analysing the characteristics and dynamics of the Chinese business community in Portugal in the context of the growing phenomenon of Chinese migration flows to Portugal and to Europe. By means of original research based on primary data obtained through questionnaires and interviews applied to Chinese entrepreneurs and business associations the paper provides an in-depth analysis of the role that this community plays both as a facilitator of China’s integration in the world economy and a potential bridge between the European Union (EU) and China. The study concludes that the Chinese business community in Portugal is rather heterogeneous, dominated by immigrants from Zhejiang province, who operate predominantly in the service sector (retail and wholesale trade), taking advantage of the guanxi network within Europe so as to make use of the advantages of the European single market in order to consolidate competitive advantages. Moreover, this community plays a pro-active role in fostering China’s integration in the global economy by acting as windows for the penetration of Chinese exports on the one hand and by capturing and channelling foreign direct investment to China on the other hand.Chinese business community in Portugal; Overseas Chinese network (guanxi); EU Single Market; EU-China trade and investment relations

Lessons from the Coronavirus crisis for European integration

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Institutions, governance and economic growth in the EU : is there a role for the Lisbon strategy?

Forthcoming in Intereconomics – Review of European Economic Policy, Springer, Vol. 42, No. 1, 2007. The authors are Associate Professor, Universidade Moderna, Lisbon, and Research Fellow at IEEI and Professor and Research Coordinator, IEE, Universidade Católica, Lisbon, and National Institute for Public Administration (INA), respectively.In order to ensure that the internal market delivers (growth, jobs) in the face of a changing market and technological environment (internal market liberalisation, globalisation, the knowledge-based economy) and to take advantage of the opportunities that it presents, the European Union (EU) needs to create an adequate institutional framework that promotes its efficiency potential and adaptive capacity. In the reality of European mixed economies, its capacity to solve the structural problems that impair productivity and economic growth in Europe hinges very much on governance, in particular when reforms to realise international synergies and complementarities or policy-learning with a view to common goals involve not only the EU but as well the Member State level. The Lisbon Agenda can be considered an exercise of policy coordination that needs to ensure that Member States’ over-regulated economies comply both with liberalisation in the Single Market and with an adequate European-wide institutional environment for sustainable growth without coordination mismatches, protectionism and market segmentation. This ultimately raises the question, central to this paper, of the adequate governance level and of the regulatory model to adopt (systems competition and/or European regulation).This paper stems from the authors’ joint research and teaching on European Economics at the University of Victoria, Canada, at INA and at the University of Aveiro in 2005 and 2006 and is part of an FCT research project on Economic Growth, Convergence and Institutions (research grant POCI/EGE/55423/2004, partially funded by FEDER)

For the EU to work, outlying member states should opt for associative membership

Brexit has triggered a qualitative change in the nature of EU membership. Annette Bongardt and Francisco Torres argue that countries with preferences that are too divergent from the rest of the EU should opt for an associative membership status. They conclude that with the eurozone having established itself as the de facto core of European integration, the UK’s preference for a stand-alone economic union had become untenable even before the vote

EU trade and regulation: economic and political dynamics

The EU’s new generation of deep and comprehensive free trade agreements not only promote EU trade but also have a bearing on the shape of the European model and in consequence on the sustainability of the integration project. They reach much further than conventional free trade agreements. Their benefits hinge on the abolition of non-tariff and regulatory barriers and enter into areas that are member state competences. Much depends on the agreements in question and similarity of preferences between trading partners. It is up to the EU, ultimately for the sake of the sustainability of its political integration project, to explicitly contemplate not only trade impacts but impacts on the Union’s economic model instead of letting rather than being pushed further down the road by unfolding trade dynamics.A nova geração de acordos globais de comércio bilateral não promove apenas o comércio externo da UE mas tem igualmente um impacto no seu modelo de desenvolvimento e, em consequência, na sustentabilidade do projeto de integração europeia. A nova geração de acordos vai para além dos convencionais acordos de comércio livre. Os seus benefícios dependem da abolição de barreiras não tarifárias e barreiras regulatórias, o que entra na esfera de competências dos Estados Membros. Muito depende dos acordos em questão e da similitude de preferências entre os parceiros. Em última análise, cabe à UE tomar em consideração não apenas os impactos comerciais desses acordos mas também o impacto no seu modelo económico, evitando assim ser condicionada pelas dinâmicas económica e política deles resultante.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio