This ambitious Handbook covers the history, functioning and impact of cohesion policy, arguably the most tangible presence of the European Union in its twenty-eight member states. The contributions combine world-renowned scholars and country experts to discuss, in six parts, the policy's history and governing principles; the theoretical approaches from which it can be assessed; the inter-institutional and multi-level dynamics that it elicits; its practical implementation and impact on EU Member States; its interactions with other EU policies and strategies; and the cognitive maps and narratives with which it can be associated. This Handbook will be an invaluable resource to students and scholars of EU policies and politics and other related disciplines. In particular, they will benefit from the clarity with which the history and functioning of cohesion policy is laid out. Policy makers and other practitioners will also find this book of interest, due to its presentation of relevant debates. Contributors include: A. Agh, J. Aprans, R. Atkinson, J. Bachtler, J. Balsiger, J. Baudner, I. Begg, M. Brunazzo, R.L. Bubbico, A. Catalina Rubianes, D. Charles, N. Charron, R. Crescenzi, M. Dabrowski, A. Dahs, F. De Filippis, S. Ganzle, D. Hubner, A. Faina, A. Faludi, V. Fargion, U. Fratesi, P.R. Graziano, E. Gualini, E. Hepburn, C. Holguin, G. Karakatsanis, E. Kazamaki Ottersten, A. Kovacs, A. Lenschow, R. Leonardi, J. Lopez-Rodriguez, E. Massetti, P. McCann, C. Mendez, P. Montes-Solla, T. Muravska, T. Notermans, R.l Ortega-Argiles, I. Palne Kovacs, S. Piattoni, L. Polverari, S. Profeti, A.H. Schakel, J. Schoenlau, M.K. Sioliou, P. Stephenson, I. Toemmel, M. Weber, K. Zimmermann

This book explores the origins, rationale, problems and prospects of the European fiscal policy framework. It provides the reader with a roadmap to EMU's budgetary framework by exploring its theoretical and empirical foundations, uncovering its historical roots and emphasising its supranational nature. The authors, who have been at the forefront of the academic and policy debate on economic policy in Europe, argue that fiscal policy has always been at the core of the EMU debate. The Maastricht criteria and the Stability and Growth Pact are the most contentious building blocks of EMU's institutional architecture: they have aroused heated controversies between academics and policymakers ever since their adoption. As EMU's budgetary rules undergo their first severe shock, Europe is still searching for its fiscal soul. The book's basic premise is that one cannot fully understand EMU's fiscal framework and the recent debate on its reform without placing them in a historical and institutional perspective and abstracting from the uniqueness of EMU, where sovereign countries retain a large degree of fiscal independence, and monetary policy is entrusted to an independent central bank with the overriding mission of maintaining price stability. Analysing all aspects of EMU's fiscal rules and institutions, this book will strongly appeal to students, academics and researchers of macroeconomic policy and European integration. Policymakers and fiscal policy experts at both national and international levels will also find the book to be of great interest.

Thoroughly updated, this extensive reference source provides in-depth information on all matters relating to the European Union (EU): EU energy policy in the context of the Russian Federation's invasion of Ukraine is covered in depth, as is the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on EU policy; EU citizenship after Brexit is discussed, together with EU migration policy and the EU's social framework; EU-Africa relations are reviewed, and current issues in overall foreign policy and security are addressed. Key Features: an up-to date chronology of the EU from 1947 to present an A-Z section contains definitions and explanations of organizations, acronyms and terms, and articles on each member state. Comprising some 1,000 entries, terms listed include: Brexit; the European Institute for Gender Equality; Next Generation EU; REPowerEU; and Team Europe articles written by experts on the EU provide an overview of its policies and activities. a directory of principal names, addresses, telephone numbers, and e-mail and internet addresses of all major European Union institutions and their official bodies. This information is supplemented by summaries of important treaties, and details of EU-level trade and professional associations. Users will also find details of MEPs and the political groups and national parties contributing to the European Parliament a statistical survey gives tables covering: population, employment, agriculture, energy and mining, industry, the environment, finance, trade, transport and communications, tourism, health and welfare, and education across the EU This title will prove valuable to academic and public libraries, politicians and government agencies and the media, as well as to all those in need of accurate and reliable information on the European Union.

This topical book analyses the main difficulties facing both existing, and candidate, EU countries in the area of Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) on the eve of enlargement. It also presents an excellent compendium of constructive policy recommendations, which the authors believe are needed to pave the way towards and after enlargement. The policy recommendations reflect the richness and difficulty of the debate as well as the sensitivity of the issues at stake - seeking to strike a balance between security, liberty and justice in the EU at this challenging time.The contributions have been grouped under three main headings, preceded by an overview of the progress and obstacles in the area of JHA. Practical recommendations are presented for each of the three areas: the fundamentals of JHA policies in a post-enlargement EU scenarios for crime, law and justice in an enlarged European Union towards an immigration and asylum policy for Europe. Written by academics, high-level practitioners and policymakers, this book will appeal to scholars of European studies and law, European-level policymakers and policy analysts. A wide variety of civil servants and lawyers will also find much of interest.

How are the deals and decisions of the EU made - in the meeting rooms and at the conference tables, or by informal networks in the back corridors of power? This book addresses an issue of paramount importance concerning the politics of the European Union: aspects of governance and policy making in the EU that are labelled 'informal'. Much of the literature on the EU focuses on the formal facets of EU politics, but uniquely, the subject matter within this book deals with informal aspects such as: the role of personal relationships, the presence of non-hierarchical policy-networks and non-institutional channels of interest representation, and the relevance of the unwritten rules and routines which govern these aspects of EU politics. The contributors ascertain that the study of sectoral policy making in the EU is incomplete without attention to this informal governance, which is normatively and conceptually more complex than is generally assumed. They provide a number of different approaches to the subject, illuminating the nature of informal governance in the EU and demonstrating the way in which its analysis can contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of politics and policy making in the EU. This highly original book will be a fascinating read for a wide-ranging audience - including academics, students, researchers and practitioners - with an interest in the governance of the EU.

The legal, political and economic rationales that underpin trade policy are reflected in the establishment and implementation of EU trade relations with the rest of the world. This comprehensive Handbook provides readers with a multidisciplinary overview of the major perspectives, actors and challenges in contemporary EU trade relations. Changes in institutional dynamics, Brexit, the politicisation of trade, competing foreign policy agendas, and adaptation to trade patterns of value chains and the digital and knowledge economy are reshaping the European Union's trade policy. The authors tackle how these challenges frame the aims, processes and effectiveness of trade policy making in the context of the EU trade relations with developed, developing and emerging states in the global economy. This Handbook presents students and practitioners with an accessible introduction to the policy processes in the EU?'s trade policy. Policy-makers, especially those outside of the EU, will also gain key knowledge regarding the trade policies of the EU by reading this. Contributors include: J. Adriaensen, L. Choukrounel, P. De Lombaerde, F. De Ville, M. Eagleton-Pierce, J. Eckhardt, M. Filadoro Alikhanoff, C. Gammage, M.J. Garcia, T. Heron, W.A. Kerr, S. Khorana, L. Kuhnhardt, D. Martens, P. Murray-Evans, L. Nilsson, J. Orbie, L. Perdikis, N. Perdikis, G. Rosen, G. Siles-Brugge, A. Smith, M. Smith, N.R. Smith, M. Shu, L. van der Putte, S. Velluti, W.G. Voss

The decision to enlarge the European Union by ten (eventually thirteen) countries has surprisingly not been accompanied by much discussion of the implications for Social Europe. This has led to criticisms that enlargement is a purely economic process that will sweep aside important social considerations: * Will the much lower labour costs and social standards in the applicant countries - especially those from Central and Eastern Europe - lead to 'unfair' competition or 'social dumping'? * Will this process in turn encourage current EU member-states to run-down their own social provisions in order to be able to compete with the newcomers? * Do the specific features of this new accession wave - the largest enlargement so far and including markedly less-developed countries - threaten the global survival of the so-called 'European Social Model'? * What policies should be implemented in order to avoid a weakening of current European social standards? These are the main questions this book attempts to answer, on the basis of a comprehensive assessment of the social policy areas most relevant to EU enlargement - wages, working conditions, social protection, employment, industrial relations - while also addressing its most sensitive 'social dumping' aspects: capital relocation, labour migration, and redirection of trade. EU enlargement is higher than ever on the policy agenda and scholars and researchers of European Studies and social policy will find this book an invaluable reference.

This book offers a generic explanation of the political economy of the EU, demonstrating in a clear and comprehensive way how the present institutional set-up makes it vulnerable to lobbyism, corruption and the destruction of social capital. Gert Tinggaard Svendsen contends that this 'EU disease' may be avoided by strengthening the power of the EU Parliament at the expense of the EU Commission. The book also discusses issues surrounding policy design, international negotiations on climate change and renewable energy sources. Using an interdisciplinary framework, the author examines how the current institutional set-up of the EU will determine future economic performance and will adversely affect policy outcomes. He looks at whether fundamental EU policies, such as the CAP, are consistent with economic growth or whether these policies will instead distort markets, leading to economic decline. Focusing in detail on international climate negotiations and wind energy, the author explores the way in which the design of a policy proposal can be affected by the interactions between interest groups and the institutions and bureaucrats of the EU. The case of greenhouse gas emissions trading is a unique example because it allows the author to actually measure lobbyism as the difference between the proposed design and the final EU directive. The interdisciplinary approach of the book and the original treatment of a very pertinent subject will appeal to academics, economists, political scientists and decision-makers. It will also interest and inform a wide readership in the social sciences, particularly those with an interest in the institutional structure of the EU.

This forward-looking volume offers insights into the globalization of the Chinese economy and its accession to the WTO. The contributors provide updated accounts of recent developments in the Chinese economy and examines the implications of China's accession for the rest of the world. Firstly, the volume offers an overview of possible changes in industrial policies and analyzes new developments in some important sectors, including agriculture, telecommunications and automobiles. It addresses the key concerns in China regarding its entry into the WTO, such as whether the WTO membership will cause massive unemployment and/or exacerbate inequalities among regions. Finally, it evaluates the implications of increased trade and financial ties with China for the rest of the world, investigating the conditions facilitating foreign direct investment in China and assessing potential trade disputes as trade between China and the rest of the world grows. The Globalization of the Chinese Economy provides a comprehensive picture of the political, economic and social environment in China as a whole. It will be of particular interest to academics of Asian studies and international relations as well as policymakers in the US, China and other Western economies.

The design of infrastructure policies is a controversial issue in the transition economies of Eastern Europe, where the dismal state of infrastructure was widely regarded to be one of the major obstacles to economic recovery and sustained growth. With the imminent enlargement of the EU, Christian von Hirschhausen provides a detailed, reflective analysis of the state of infrastructure development in Eastern Europe. The author illustrates the different approaches to modernizing infrastructure and the successes that have been achieved in terms of fiscal relief, private investment and increased efficiency. Based upon a comparative institutional analysis and extensive field research and case studies, he provides empirical evidence from different sectors (power, gas, railways, roads, R&D), with particular emphasis on countries such as Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, the Baltics and Russia. Given the substantial institutional instability of the early years of transition, the author promotes a gradual but time-consistent approach to liberalization as a more promising path towards a market economy and increased efficiency. The author offers sound policy recommendations on how best to achieve the successful modernization of East European infrastructure in the course of EU-enlargement. This book will be indispensable to all researchers and academics of European integration and transition economics, policymakers in the EU, and institutions such as development banks which are active in the restructuring process in Eastern Europe and EU-enlargement.

A new international standard of national accounts is being implemented worldwide under the auspices of the United Nations. The New National Accounts is an authoritative introduction to this new system and provides a comprehensive explanation, with illustrative data, of the accounts and accounting concepts that all countries will use in the future. The book assumes no previous knowledge of either economics or national accounting. Beginning with an overview of the entire structure of the new system of accounts, both for flow transactions and their derived balancing items and also for stocks of economic assets and liabilities, Dudley Jackson explains the system's main balancing item - gross value added - and its relation to gross domestic product, to final expenditures, to primary incomes and to transfer payments. The book concludes by explaining the accumulation accounts and the resulting 'wealth of the nation' as recorded in the new system's balance sheets. The New National Accounts will be essential reading for both students and practitioners concerned with macroeconomics, economic policy, national accounting and comparative studies of the economic performance of advanced and developing countries.

Globalizing Europe examines the involvement of the European Union in the deepening integration that results as trade and transnational production link markets and economic systems across the world. This process is posing a unique challenge to European decision-makers to implement measures that will maximize the benefits and reduce the costs of globalization. As Europe expands and becomes more integrated it is being obliged to assume greater control over the development of its external economic relations. To effect this, the authors propose that member states play a more active and constructive role in the global political economy. They advocate the planning and implementation of major initiatives that could ensure greater stability in the world economy. Because of the magnitude of the economic bonds developing between the EU and the USA, special attention is paid to the trends and issues associated with the evolution of Atlantic relations. One of the greatest challenges the authors highlight, and a theme implicit throughout the book, is that the EU's external problems may receive inadequate attention due to the complexities of its decision processes. EU-level decision-making may become more introspective, rather than global, in outlook. Combining firm, industry, regional and country levels of analysis with the diverse and provocative views of the authors, this book will be essential reading for scholars of international economics, international political economy, and international business and finance.

This new edition covers each of the current issues concerning the development of the EU - for example, enlargement, EMU, security and defence policy, the Treaty of Nice, the European Charter of Fundamental Rights, Justice and Home Affairs and relations with countries outside Europe. Jargon-free and accessible, this substantial textbook opens with an introduction to the historical and theoretical perspectives on European integration. The book then examines the EUs institutional machinery and policy processes. The final section provides a wide-ranging review of the main EU policies, seeking to enhance understanding of the main issues and controversies surrounding development of the EU. Intended for students undertaking courses in European integration and as a supplementary book for other courses, this textbook is useful for anyone seeking a concise yet authoritative introduction to the institutions and policies of the EU. Robert Jones has drawn on his wide teaching experience to produce a text which students will find both accessible and stimulating.

Highly topical and with an interdisciplinary focus, this book explores the recent political and social developments in EU citizenship. Bringing political scientists, sociologists and law scholars together, this book analyses the implications of identity categorisation regarding gender and generations in the EU and what this means for the realisation of citizens?' rights, particularly of women, young adults and migrant care workers throughout the EU. Established researchers explore the stories of social and civil rights in the EU, covering family mobility and migration issues, the precarious positions of female migrant workers across member states and the EU?s promotion of diverse family rights. Moreover, the book focuses on the prominent issues facing the new generation of young adults: particularly social mobility, civil rights and political parties?' differing views on gender and family issues. With insight into national and regional perspectives on these significant topics, the authors argue that the European Parliament is currently striving for a new consensus to unite member states and dissipate current divisions. An important read for academics and students from across the social sciences, specifically public and social policy, gender studies and European studies, interested in the future direction of the EU surrounding gender and generational division. Contributors include: G.M. Dotti Sani, J. Gal, T. Knijn, A. Krizsan, D. Lepianka, J. Long, M. Luppi, M. Naldini, R. Oomkens, L. Rolandsen Agustin, A. Santero, B. Siim, J. Sipic, D. Sirinic, C. Solera, L.J. van den Braken, M.A. Yerkes

This important book presents a comprehensive and systematic investigation of the effectiveness of environmental policy within the European Union at the dawn of the twenty-first century.The development of environmental policy, including the policymaking process, is analysed from an historical perspective. The authors then examine implementation and enforcement and present a critical appraisal of the impact of environmental policy throughout Europe. Key issues discussed include: trade and the environment environmental protection and the maintenance of industrial competitiveness agriculture and the environment energy and environmental policy transport and the environment tourism and the environment The authors provide insight into the problems of reconciling differing national interests, and present a number of proposals for environmental policy in the future. They conclude that what is required for effective environmental policy is not more radical measures but the opportunity for the measures already in place to be effectively implemented. This book will be of interest to a wide audience including students interested in environmental issues and the European Union, as well as postgraduates and academics working in the fields of environmental management and environmental studies. It will also be of use to environmental policymakers, consultants, advisers and non-government organizations.

In the first interdisciplinary work focused on the European Ombudsman, expert observers of EU institutional affairs provide a thorough evaluation of the Ombudsman and its constitutional role, powers, activities and future potential. The book addresses the Ombudsman's impact on accountability in the EU's executive branch and offers new suggestions for the further development of the practice of 'ombuds review'. The contributions to the discussion within this book come from law, political science, administrative science and economics. Looking at comparative developments in EU law and policy they critically review, from a variety of perspectives and methodologies, the Ombudsman's role in the review of activity of EU institutions, bodies, offices and agencies. They then evaluate this role, and its achievements, against the original objectives for creating an Ombudsman some 20 years ago. This timely book will appeal to scholars and advanced students of the EU political and legal system. It is a also must-read for policy advisors and practitioners looking to enhance their understanding of alternative modes of dispute settlement and anyone interested in the future of administration in the EU. Contributors include: P.N. Diamandouros, D. Dragos, I. Harden, H.C.H. Hofmann, R. Mastroianni, J. Mendes, B. Neamtu, C. Neuhold, G. Tridimas, T. Tridimas, J. Trondal, A. Wille, J. Ziller

Concerns about European prospects for competitiveness, jobs and growth are high on the European Union agenda and regulatory reform, both at national and EU levels, is widely recognised as a crucial tool for improving the performance of European companies. Despite the single market, selective sectoral regulatory reform and certain reforms at the national level, regulation in Europe still tends to discourage new entrants, impede new production methods and inhibit the exit of existing competitors. It often increases costs without providing compensatory benefits, reduces operational flexibility and distorts capital expenditure, creating obstacles to innovation. The authors in this book argue that regulatory reform can, more often than not, help improve the competitiveness of companies while generating net growth effects for the European Union as a whole.In this book, the authors discuss the horizontal issues involved in regulatory reform. Following an extended introduction by the editors, two general chapters address regulation and growth, and the regulatory burdens and failures in Europe. Other chapters deal with national competition policy, state aid, EU environmental policy, reforms in product markets, labour market reforms, the regulatory environment of small and new firms, and the current, insufficient EU reforms to improve regulatory quality. Throughout the book the authors aim to demonstrate how the market can function more efficiently and offer policy recommendations to show how regulatory reform can improve competitiveness at the firm level as well as performance at the industry, national and EU levels.

Professor Philip McCann has contributed to a revival of regional and urban economics. His ideas and research have stimulated views about how regions and cities grow, and also how they can be better governed. He offers here another major contribution to improved regional policy design. By its scale and scope, EU regional policy reform merits a thorough and enlightening analysis such as this. This is an important book by one of the finest scholars in the field.' - Joaquim Oliveira Martins, Head of OECD Regional Policy Division, France'Geographical economics has come a long way in the past two decades. It has generated new ways of thinking about how to improve development in less-favoured cities and regions, in the context of a commitment to enjoying the advantages of trade and the mobility of people and knowledge. Philip McCann's magisterial analysis of one of the most ambitious efforts ever undertaken in this area - the EU Cohesion Policy - argues powerfully for a new way forward based on respecting the different starting points of cities and regions and mobilizing their potential, and yet doing so with rigorous respect for efficiency and openness.' - Michael Storper, London School of Economics, UK The regional and urban development policy of the European Union, or more precisely, EU Cohesion Policy, is undergoing change. This development is driven by the enormous transformations in European regions and by shifts in thinking and analysis. The issues raised by the changes to regional and urban development policy in Europe span many academic disciplines and build on different research methodologies. A broad approach is required in order to address these issues and this book explicitly incorporates insights from a range of different disciplines. After examining the major regional and urban features of the European economy and discussing the analytical underpinnings of the current re-design to EU Cohesion Policy, the book also aims to provide a road map of the various EU regional and urban data-sources which are available to researchers and policy-makers. This volume is aimed at all economists, geographers, regional scientists, spatial planners, transportation scientists, sociologists, urban studies researchers, environmental scholars, political scientists and policy-analysts who are interested in regional and urban issues. Contents: Preface 1. The Backdrop to EU Cohesion Policy Debates: Europe 2020 and the Post-Crisis Economy 2. The Regional and Urban Economies of the European Union 3. The Logic and Workings of EU Cohesion Policy 4. A Reformed EU Cohesion Policy 5. Innovation, Regions and the Case for Regional Innovation Policies 6. Smart Specialisation and European Regions 7. Conclusions on the Reforms to the Regional and Urban Policy in the European Union Bibliography Index

Environmental Policy in Europe focuses on the creation of environmental policy, how new legislation is formed and the influence brought to bear by industrial interest groups. By addressing the nature of this consultation process between interested parties and public authorities, the authors show why public policy in the European Union is so different in practice from the prescriptions of academic scholarship. European environmental legislation results from a process of consultation and negotiation which is extensively explored in this volume by a distinguished group of authors. Focusing on such issues as pesticide registration, combustion emissions, the European waste management industry, recycling regulations and eco-auditing, they offer unique insights into the development of public policy. While the analysis focuses on the actual behaviour of firms and public authorities, the authors also discuss the involvement of firms within the regulation devising process - to determine whether their behaviour distorts the public interest - and the strategic use by firms of the regulatory process by firms leading to restrictions of competition. Scholars, students and policymakers will welcome Environmental Policy in Europe for seeking to enlarge the traditional perspective of environmental economics on public policy while integrating the recent advances of both the economics of regulation and industrial economics.

Based on an extended agonistic pluralism perspective, this book offers a novel notion of a transnational public sphere that goes beyond the questions of whether a European public sphere exists or is possible and instead provides a solid understanding of its key features. This book offers an alternative concept of European integration based on the idea of integrative and constitutive conflicts. Not only an exploration of the emerging European public sphere, this groundbreaking book evaluates the outcomes of the EU polices aiming to create it as well as the trans-European networks' efforts to become a pan-European civil society. Expert contributors also explore the European public sphere's contribution to democracy and present enhanced empirical knowledge of the role of supranational institutions and pan-European networks in facilitating European integration, thus challenging the liberal intergovernmentalist, neo-functionalist and multi-level governance approaches. Integration, Diversity and the Making of a European Public Sphere will be of interest to scholars and upper level students of European studies, politics and public policy. Global, regional and national civil society organizations, think tanks and media corporations will also find value in this book. Contributors include: W. Dressler, D.N. Duru, M. Klicperova-Baker, J. Kostal, M. Mokre, M. Perez, R. Sata, H.G. Sicakkan, H.-J. Trenz, J.H. van de Beek, F. Vermeulen

Exploring the EU's Legitimacy Crisis provides a profound analysis of the causes and the consequences of the EU's growing legitimacy problem. Since the onset of the eurozone crisis the EU's governance has been narrowly driven by the semi-hegemonial leadership of Germany - manifesting itself in functionalist and technocratic policy reforms concentrated on strengthening economic governance coordination. Other crucial policy areas have been neglected as member states show decreasing solidarity and a growing emphasis on national interests in response to mounting external challenges. This book examines these developments in detail by scrutinising the EU's ability to maintain legitimacy through political leadership, democratic accountability and governance efficiency. This state-of-the-art exploration of the EU's internal and external challenges, including the eurozone and the migration crisis, provides critical analysis of the EU's leadership in the context of diverging national interests. The author outlines the essential background to understanding the rise in euroscepticism in the EU and provides an insightful analysis of the 2014 European Parliament election Spitzenkandidaten system. A comprehensive critical analysis of the latest developments in the EU's major policy areas in terms of their problem-solving capacity and democratic legitimacy is also included. This timely exploration of the reality of the EU's governance in light of persistent crises will appeal to students, academics and practitioners interested in the development of the EU, its member states and European politics more generally.

Institutionalist analysis is increasingly used as a key research tool for economists confronted with the shortcomings of mainstream economic analysis and the problems presented by the transformation of socio-economic systems in Eastern Europe. On Economic Institutions brings together leading economists working in a wide range of research traditions who examine theories of institutions and institutional change. This important volume shows that the failure of most neoclassical economic analysis to consider economic institutions is a major shortcoming in scholarship which seeks to describe and understand crucial economic phenomena. After discussing the dynamics of institutional change, the contributors examine the explanatory variables necessary for researching institutions and pay particular attention to 'efficiency' as the key variable used by neoclassical institutional analysis. Later chapters examine the processes of institutional change focusing on issues such as path dependency, selection mechanisms and institutional dynamics, and methodological issues in analysing economic institutions. An introduction by the editors places these papers in context and traces the development of economic research across the various schools. Economists from both neoclassical and institutionalist schools, as well as economic historians, are making increasing use of institutionalist analysis as a key research tool. In bringing together cutting-edge theory and research on economic institutions, this important volume will be welcomed by scholars working in evolutionary and institutionalist research traditions, as well as by organizational theorists and sociologists.

The policy framework advocated by Minford et al. . . . is grounded in economic theory and an incisive empirical analysis of the costs of UK's membership of the EU. Their thesis that the EU is a political union practising economic protectionism in the guise of gradualism towards free trade makes sense. . . . Minford and his associates' analysis suggests that the EU's policy framework of free trade for members but restrictions on trade of non-members with the EU countries is a second best policy adopted to promote political rather than economic objectives.' - V.N. Balasubramanyam, Lancaster University, UK'The EU got the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2012, but such an award is not forthcoming for economics. In fact, the EU faces a stern public discontent throughout Europe. For years EU leaders have been unable to agree on almost anything. The eurozone's toxic monetary embrace is a colossal failure that has provoked misery in most of the participating countries and, worst of all, suffocated the hopes of prosperity for many years to come. The EU is no longer a venture that inspires people to run on barricades to defend it. Should Britain be a part of the crumbling EU project? This book provides a timely and documented answer. It is highly recommended reading.' - Miroslav N. Jovanovi , University of Geneva, Switzerland 'Much too much of the debate about the UK's relationship with the European Union relies upon general declarations unsupported by facts and assertions and claims not substantiated by evidence. This is why we need so badly the careful quantitative analysis provided by Patrick Minford and his colleagues. The UK electorate will have a momentous decision to take when the EU referendum takes place. History and emotions will be important, but getting the facts straight is even more vital.' - John Mills, Founder and Chairman of JML and Co-Chairman of Business for Britain 'Patrick Minford and his team have performed a hugely valuable service by quantifying the costs of Britain's EU membership. In particular, they show that Britain pays too much for too high a proportion of its imports. The EU's protectionism in its trade with the rest of the world costs Britain a significant slice of its national output. Their demonstration of this vital point is thought-provoking and sophisticated, and greatly strengthens the case for the UK to leave the EU.' - Tim Congdon, CBE, International Monetary Research Ltd Placed in the context of the upcoming referendum, this second edition brings up to date a thorough review of all economic aspects of the UK's membership of the EU. It notes the intention of the EU to move to 'ever closer union' and the nature of the regulatory and general economic philosophy of its dominant members, whose position is enforced by qualified majority voting. The book highlights the UK s dilemma that, while extending free markets to its local region is attractive, this European philosophy and closer union are substantially at odds with the UK's traditions of free markets and freedom under the common law. This comprehensive examination of the economic costs and benefits of membership uses state-of-the-art modeling methods and includes estimates of its net costs as a percentage of GDP. The book explains how the decision to leave would follow from a judgement on the political economy of the EU as compared with that of the UK. It details the misconceptions involved in much of the debate about trade with the EU, and argues that the key issue is not access to markets but rather the prices at which trade takes place. Covered in careful detail is the economics of the UK's trade with the EU in the key sectors of agriculture, manufacturing, and services.

Methodologically rigorous and geographically exhaustive, Post-Communist Welfare States in European Context is an insightful empirical analysis of social policy patterns in Central and Eastern Europe. It is a must-read for everyone interested in comparing hybrid emerging social protection models in the divergent new Europe with established worlds of welfare in Western Europe. Kati Kuitto has written a state-of-the-art study in comparative welfare, emphasizing regime change and variability over regime coherence and stability.' - Pieter Vanhuysse, University of Southern DenmarkWelfare reforms in post-communist countries are determined by economic and social hardship, democratization of the political systems and rapid structural change. This groundbreaking book provides a comprehensive and systematic empirical assessment of the Central and Eastern European post-communist welfare states in the context of their Western European counterparts. Basing the study on new data on welfare entitlements and cluster analysis, Kati Kuitto systematically compares 26 European welfare states across three empirical dimensions. The author employs a multidimensional framework to analyze patterns of welfare policies and highlight spending priorities, financing and the generosity of welfare entitlements. Kati Kuitto thus sheds light on the hybrid patterns of welfare policies in post-communist countries as they have emerged after the period of transformation and discusses their future challenges. Unique and comprehensive, this is essential reading for researchers in the fields of comparative welfare state research and Central and Eastern European studies, as well as students and practitioners of social policy, social security and political economy.

Questions of European economic and political integration have been placed firmly on the policy agenda as we enter the late 1990s. The Economic Emergence of a New Europe? explores the arguments and forms of analysis deployed by those who have been pressing for closer integration since the early 1980s.Although events in Denmark and the United Kingdom have thrown the future of the post-Maastricht European Community into some confusion, the agreements already reached will propel the Community along a path of ever closer economic co-operation. Casting a sceptical eye over much of the economic analysis used to explore the effects and implications of the integration process, this book critically examines the reasons behind the contemporary imperative for greater integration among the European states, and assesses the likely limits of this programme.