Economic Impact and Manufacturing: The Implications of Brexit

The Presentation assessed the potential implications of Brexit on SMEs by drawing on three scenarios, a soft Brexit, a hard Brexit and a very hard Brexit

The Franco-German Alliance and its Role in the Process of European Monetary Integration: 1944-2010- Lessons for Today

The aim of this paper is to assess the evolution of the Franco-German alliance and the likely directions in its development. In particular, the question of whether the two countries’ close relationship would survive the current economic and political obstacles is addressed. Emphasis is, placed on the way the alliance facilitated the creation of European Monetary Union. Therefore, the signing of the Treaty of Rome, the establishment of the European Monetary System, the creation of the Single European Act and the Maastricht Treaty are evaluated within this perspective. An underlying assumption throughout the analysis is that the prospects of the alliance and EMU will proceed in tandem. If the alliance continues to evolve successfully then the process of European economic integration will also progress, whereas if the two countries relations increasingly attenuate then the process of economic integration would at best stagnate. The main conclusion is that, following the Eurozone debt crisis the Franco-German alliance has been, replaced by “German Hegemony”. This has rendered the main driving force of the European Union ineffective and as such has undermined the evolution of its institutions

Europe at a Crossroad

In this chapter, we explore the key economic problems the European Union (EU) is facing, namely the crises of the Eurozone and its inability to promote economic growth in the wider Single Market. Here, we go back to the political and economic foundations of the Euro in the Maastricht Treaty, the creation of a ‘two-tier’ EU, and the background of the European debt crisis – with its epicentre in Greece

The Stability and Growth Pact, and Balanced Budget Fiscal Stimulus: Evidence from Germany and Italy

© 2015, ZBW and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. This paper assesses the limitations that the Stability and Growth Pact has imposed on Italy’s economic recovery and its debt reduction. By evaluating Germany’s fiscal policy since 1997, the paper offers recommendations for the Italian authorities. Measures put forward by European Union institutions are hampering Italy’s economic recovery, and evidence indicates that fiscal consolidation is ineffective in reducing the debt-to-GDP ratio. A balanced budget fiscal injection seems the only way for Italy to escape from its economic slump without further violations of the SGP. The paper concludes that the Pact either needs to be reformed or replaced by a central fiscal authority

Determinants of voluntary international financial reporting standards adoption in Poland

The paper examines the determinants of voluntary International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) adoption in Poland. In doing so, it empirically confirms the impact of diverse CEO and supervisory board characteristics on voluntary IFRS adoption. The paper focuses on 446 publicly traded production companies from Poland. The analysis is based on logistic regression analysis. The empirical investigation confirms the impact on voluntary IFRS adoption of such factors as company size, international investors, international supervisory board, number of supervisory board members, CEO nationality. The paper contributes to the assessment of voluntary IFRS adoption determinants, by presenting for the first time CEO and supervisory board characteristics and their impact on voluntary International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) adoption, and the determinants of IFRS adoption from Central and Eastern Europe. The paper enhances existing knowledge of voluntary IFRS adoption by incorporating new CEO and supervisory board characteristics, thus closing a gap in the relevant literature. The results of the paper are significant from the supervisor’s perspective, the quality of financial statements and the effectiveness of corporate governance systems

Many hamsters: How the EU can enable private firms to provide renewable energy

This paper investigates the energy investment needs of the European Union (EU), including renewable energy. Europe currently has little or no economic growth, and interest rates are expected to rise. Given the state of many EU countries' economies, this is a good time to encourage investment because - according to Keynesian economics - extra spending can stimulate economic activity. The current economic situation limits options for many governments in EU countries, so new approaches may be required. This paper uses ideas from the European Commission, on how a 'smart' electricity grid can enable renewable energy - such as solar power. The EU Parliament could enable a market-provided solution by offering incentives to the private sector. Private investment will be encouraged if the EU gives long-term low-interest-rate loans for renewable energy generation. Also, a Europe-wide grid makes it profitable to locate solar panels in low-wage countries in southern Europe, and sell electricity in richer countries

On the Greek National Debt

The Greek economy has been struggling in deep recession and facing major problems with its national debt. Dimitrios Syrrakos examines some of the factors that led to the crisi