Building a Dynamic Europe: The Key Policy Debates

Description

This succinct book provides a broad panorama of the key economic policy challenges facing the European Union today. The enlargement of the EU and its lacklustre performance over the last decade in terms of employment and productivity growth have prompted wide-ranging calls for economic reform, both at the EU level and within member states. This volume brings together several leading thinkers in the key areas of policy under discussion, ranging from the institutional design of the enlarged EU for efficient policy making, to the extent and nature of the integration process in markets such as those of energy and financial services. It includes an analysis of the problems of macroeconomic policy co-ordination in the EU and an analysis of the reforms in the labour markets and welfare state institutions. Timely and authoritative, this book is accessibly written and will appeal to a wide policy audience.

Jordi Gual is Professor at IESE Business School and Departmental Chair of Economics at the University of Navarra, Barcelona-Madrid. He is editor and co-author of The Social Dimensions of Employment (1998), Job Creation: The Role of Labour Market Institutions (1998) and The Social Challenge of Job Creation: Combating Unemployment in Europe (1996).

'... this volume raises a number of interesting questions ... would be of interest to anyone who is concerned with the future development of EU integration.' Journal of European Affairs '... a very welcome contribution to the literature on some of the economic challenges currently facing the European Union. ... this book is timely and provides a thoroughly interesting and thought provoking work from start to finish.' Political Studies Review