European integration and economic methodology and research: Questions and speculations

This paper will discuss the role of methodology in connection with different theoretical approaches. It is shown that a multitude of paradigms is appropriate when dealing with complex developments such as integration. The question is raised whether it makes sense to discuss a special European approach. Divergent views exist, but some differences between a European and an American tradition seem to exist due to a continent-wide competition among U.S. economists and a more fragmented European scene. Closer integration and academic cooperation in Europe could result in a more unified research environment resembling the U.S. picture. However, the role of language differences must not be overlooked and can contribute to a continuing diversification.Distinguished Address presented at the Forty-Seventh International Atlantic Economic Conference, Vienna, Austria, March 16–23, 1999.     

Finland and the question of West European economic integration, 1947–1961

Abstract

The study deals, on one hand, with the international politics connections, and, on the other, the endogenous economic policy implications of Finland's relationship with West European economic arrangements from the Marshal! Plan up to the FINN-EFTA Agreement. In the 1950s, the Finnish economy was, in fact, a closed economy, albeit highly dependent on foreign trade. Finland's international position in the Soviet sphere of influence imposed restraints with regard to participation in international economic integration. Finland, for example, remained outside the Marshal! Plan and the Organization for European Economic Cooperation (OEEC), and even Nordic cooperation was a delicate matter from the point of view of relations with the Soviets. However, the protectionist foreign trade policies, consisting of both tariffs and quantitative restrictions, explain at least as much of the relative isolation of the Finnish economy. In these circumstances, Finland's participation in EFTA cooperation, within the framework of the FINN-EFTA agreement, from 1961 onwards was the decisive turning point towards an opening economy.     

European integration or world integration?

Zusammenfassung Europ?ische oder weltweite Integration? -In dem Aufsatz wird untersucht, ob die europ?ische Integration seit Mitte der 70er Jahre auf Kosten der weltweiten Integration betrieben wurde oder ob die Europ?ische Gemeinschaft zunehmend in die Weltwirtschaft integriert wurde. Eng damit verbunden ist die Frage, ob-wie einige neuere Studien anzudeuten scheinen-der Au?enhandel innerhalb der Gemeinschaft einiges von seinem Schwung verloren hat. Es zeigt sich, da? nicht nur immer mehr Binnenm?rkte durch ausl?ndische Lieferanten versorgt wurden, sondern da? auch die Einfuhren aus Drittl?ndern st?rker gestiegen sind als die Einfuhren aus Partnerstaaten der Gemeinschaft. Im übrigen scheint der relative Rückgang st?rker auf sektorspezifischen Umst?nden als auf nationalen Besonderheiten zu beruhen.

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Résumé Intégration européenne ou intégration mondiale? -Dans cet article les auteurs analysent si l’intégration européenne fut poursuivie depuis le milieu des années soixante-dix aux dépens de l’intégration mondiale ou si la Communauté s’est intégrée de plus en plus dans l’économie mondiale. Etroitement lié à cette question est l’aspect si, comme des études récentes semblent l’indiquer, le commerce intra-communautaire a perdu un peu de son élan. Les auteurs démontrent que les producteurs étrangers ont gagné une part accroissante des marchés locaux et que, en même temps, les importations extra-communautaires ont accru plus rapidement que les importations des pays membres. De plus, les auteurs indiquent que la réduction relative est associée plus aux facteurs sectoriels qu’aux caractéristiques spécifiques des économies nationales.

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Resumen ?Integración europea o integración en la economia mundial? -Este trabajo analiza si la integraci?n europea desde la mitad de los a?os setenta ha sido perseguida a expensas de la integración en la economía mundial o si la Comunidad se ha integrado paulativamente a la economía mundial. Este aspecto esta vinculado con la pérdida de ímpetu en el comercio intraregional, como parecieran indicar algunos estudios recientes. Se muestra que no sólo una parte creciente de los mercados nacionales están siendo servidos por proveedores extranjeros, sino que las importaciones de países terceros también han aumentado más rápidamente que las importaciones de los pafses miembros. Además, la disminución relativa parece estar asociada más con factures sectoriales que con características nacionales específicas.

     

European integration and unemployment

Symes, V. 1995: UNEMPLOYMENT IN EUROPE - PROBLEMS AND POLICIES. London and New York: Routledge, £40.00 cased, £12.99 paper.

Alogoskoufis et al 1995: UNEMPLOYMENT: CHOICES FOR EUROPE. Monitoring European Integration 5, London: Centre for Economic Policy Research, £10.00, paper.

Blanchard et al 1995: SPANISH UNEMPLOYMENT — IS THERE A SOLUTION? London: Centre for Economic Policy Research, £14.95, paper.

Coates, K. and Holland, S. 1995: FULL EMPLOYMENT FOR EUROPE — THE COMMISSION, THE COUNCIL AND THE DEBATE ON EMPLOYMENT IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 1994-95. Nottingham: Spokesman for European Labour Forum, £9.99, paper.

Local Economy Policy Unit: CAN UNEMPLOYMENT BE CUT BY HALF BY 2000? A DISCUSSION STATEMENT PRESENTED BY THE BERLIN SENATE'S ADVISORY COUNCIL FOR LABOUR MARKET POLICY. London: Local Economic Policy Unit, £12.00, paper.     

Regionalism and East Asian economic integration

The wave of economic globalization moves to all the countries in the world to be integrated with multilateralism and by promotion of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade/World Trade Organization （GATT/WTO）. Meanwhile, the growth of regional economic integration has been one of the major developments in international economic relations, and undoubtedly regionalism is a part of the global economic environment. The objective of the paper is to review the trends and highlight the prospects for enhancing economic integration in East Asia. This paper has argued that the emerging East Asian economies have achieved sustained economic development and poverty reduction through domestic structural, institutional and governance reforms as well as through market-driven integration with the global and regional markets. Though this process was temporarily interrupted by the Asian financial crisis in 1997-1998, the economies have pursued further liberalization and reforms, deepened economic integration through trade, FDI and finance, and regained dynamic growth. The author argues that the reasonable choice for Eastern Asian countries is to deepen their economic integration and the optimal strategy is fostering economic integration with institutional cooperation.     

珠三角经济波动传导机制研究

本文在珠三角经济一体化趋势不断加强的背景下,从内外部传导渠道的角度探讨了珠三角经济波动的传导机制.实证分析表明珠三角反映外部经济传导渠道的FDI和出口的波动程度明显高于内部传导渠道,且FDI和出口对经济波动产生显著的正向作用,对经济波动起催化剂作用;珠三角从根本上稳定经济需要发挥居民消费的稳定器作用,同时政府支出的导向作用也不容忽视.     

Credibility of European economic convergence

Credibility of European Economic Convergence. — The authors analyze economic convergence and its relation to European real interest rate differentials using a clustering method on seven macroeconomic key variables for 1979–1995. The results indicate that monetary convergence has progressed considerably but that there is hardly any real convergence in the EU. They also perform pooled nominal and real interest rate regressions with the individual cluster indicators as explanatory variables. The authors find significant positive effects of external (current account) and internal (unemployment ratios, government finance) imbalances on real interest rates. They also group countries according to economic reputation and find that real indicators remain significant for the high-reputation countries.     

European integration: the third step

A perception of declining EU competitiveness has intensified calls for structural reforms within the EU. This paper examines recent evidence on changes in relative EU competitiveness and considers the observed changes in relation to the evolving competitive environment facing EU firms. Our analysis suggests that recent declines in EU competitiveness reflect changes (or lack thereof) within the EU in response to an evolutionary “Third Step” in the process of EU integration: global market integration. Starting from the mid-1990s, we find that the EU began to face unprecedented increases in external sources of competition. The rising competition from external sources and declining export market competitiveness created pressures for EU firms to alter their organizational and product market strategies to meet the challenge of a globally integrating market. While many leading EU firms have responded to this challenge, most EU firms remain hampered by anachronistic EU product and labor market regulations that have inhibited adjustments that could better restore the competitiveness of EU based firms. In particular, our analysis points to labor market rigidities and limited growth in the services sector as factors limiting adjustment to the realities of a global market. The growing calls for structural reforms therefore reflect the rising external competitive pressures on EU firms as they attempt to respond to growing global competition.

North American economic integration and industry location

Does regional economic integration affect the location of economicactivity inside countries? Discussed in this paper is recentacademic literature on whether the movement towards free tradein North America has influenced the spatial organization ofproduction in Canada, Mexico, or the United States. In Mexico,closer economic ties with the United States appear to have contributedto a contraction of employment in the Mexico City manufacturingbelt, a rapid expansion of manufacturing employment in northernMexico, and an increase in the wage premiums paid to skilledworkers. The effects of economic integration on industry locationin Canada and the United States seem to have been much weaker.One exception to this finding is US cities on the Mexican border,whose employment growth is strongly positively correlated withexport production in neighbouring Mexican regions. The implicationof a possible hemispheric free-trade agreement are also discussed.     

西陇海—兰新经济带区域经济整合条件及其发展战略研究

《西部开发“十五”总体规划》中明确提出,要促进西陇海—兰新经济带的经济整合,带动周围地区和农村发展。确定西陇海—兰新经济带这一重点建设区域,能使分散的生产要素集中使用,提高资源的空间配置效益,获取较大的投资边际效益,有利于快速提高西部整体的经济发展水平。本文正是基于上述背景,研究了西陇海—兰新经济带区域经济整合条件及其发展战略。     

European Union enlargement: An historic milestone in the process of European integration

Ten European countries with economies in transition and two market economies are negotiating full membership with the European Union. This paper considers the economic dimension of the forthcoming enlargement of the European Union, especially on the characteristics of the economies in transition and on the economic implications of the enlargement for European Union agriculture. The transition of the central and eastern European countries from a centrally planned to a market economy, although already in progress for a decade, is far from complete. Uneven macroeconomic developments in the various countries can be attributed to some extent to their individual situation at the start of the transformation. However, they also reflect the varying extent to which institutional reform programs have been implemented in these countries.Distinguished Address presented at the Fifty-First International Atlantic Economic Conference, March 13–20, 2001, Athens, Greece.     

Asian economic integration: a perspective on South Asia

This paper argues in favor of open regionalism and continent-based integration in Asia. These are the effective instruments of outward-oriented development. The enlargement of trading blocs into continent-based integration also serves as a countervailing power to stem the excesses of economic globalism. The case made in the paper shows the need for institutional changes for promoting economic development. Institutional changes along with open regionalism are essential to enhancing outward-oriented development in South Asia. Respectable progress has been made in these areas across the continents in general, and in Asia in particular (ASEAN, SAARC, APEC). Efforts on these initiatives must be redoubled as we start the 21st century.     

发挥港口优势促进区域经济整合

在世界经济全球化背景下,生产要素跨地区流动和国际贸易蓬勃发展方兴未艾。港口、特别是作为交通运输枢纽的国际性港口,在发挥多种运输方式必经转运点作用的同时,组织外贸的战略作用也日益增强。作为对内对外双向开放型的港口经济,在一个国家和一个区域的经济发展中发挥着重要的作用。港口作为综合运输链中的一个主要环节,正在成为强化区域经济竞争优势、促进区域整合、带动区域发展的重要因素之一。一、港口对区域经济发展的整合作用区域是指有内聚力的地区,它以地域内部的同构型和功能一体化为特征,具有经济上的密切相关性、协调运转的整…     

The Western European marriage pattern and economic development

For several centuries before the First World War women's age at first marriage in the west of Europe was higher than in the east (and in the rest of the world). In their low mortality regimes Western Europeans chose lower fertility in part through a higher female age at marriage. This allowed women to increase their human capital both formally and informally in the years before child bearing so that more informed mothers brought up better educated offspring. The demographic pattern influenced the stock of human capital and directly contributed to Western Europe's development advantage. The predicted relations of this economic model of the household are tested with two datasets, one at the county level for England for the second half of the nineteenth century and the other at the national level for Europe 1870–1910.     

西部大开发如何对应东部区域经济一体化?

近期媒体发表了不少有关珠江三角洲、长江三角洲、京津冀区域经济一体化的报道,很值得关注。 比如,广东与香港召开了粤港联席会议。报道说:“来自上海和长江三角洲的竞争,决定了粤港两地的依存关系,决定了粤港两地最后形成一体化的基础。”为此会议提出了“大珠江三角洲”的概念,认为要改变过     

长三角区域经济一体化的当务之急

随着生产社会化的发展,世界经济和区域经济向全球化和一体化方向发展的趋势日益明显.区域经济一体化的发展能从整体上提高区域经济竞争力,因此它已成为一种必然趋势.