An Agenda for a Growing Europe: The Sapir Report

by Philippe Aghion, Andrï Sapir, Giuseppe Bertola, Martin Hellwig, Jean Pisani-Ferry

Overview

Over the past decade European economic integration has seen considerable institutional success, but the economic performance of the EU has been varied. While macroeconomic stability has improved and an emphasis on cohesion preserved, the EU economic system has not delivered satisfactory growth performance.

This book is the report of a high-level group commissioned by the President of the European Commission to review the EU economic system and propose a blueprint for an economic system capable of delivering faster growth along with stability and cohesion. It assesses the EU s economic performance, examines the challenges facing the EU in the coming years, and presents a series of recommendations.

The report views Europe's unsatisfactory growth performance during the last decades as a symptom of its failure to transform into an innovation-based economy. It has now become clear that the context in which economic policies have been developed has changed fundamentally over the past thirty years. A system built around the assimilation of existing technologies, mass production generating economics of scale, and an industrial structure dominated by large firms with stable markets and long term employment patterns no longer delivers in the world of today, characterized by economic globalization and strong external competition. What is needed now is more opportunity for new entrants, greater mobility of employees within and across firms, more retraining, greater reliance on market financing, and higher investment in both R&D and higher education. This requires a massive and urgent change in economic policies in Europe.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199271481
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	05/06/2004
Pages:	236
Product dimensions:	9.30(w) x 6.20(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

André Sapir is Professor of Economics at the Université Libre de Bruxelles and a member of the Group of Policy Advisers at the European Commission. Philippe Aghion, Harvard University Giuseppe Bertola, Università di Torino and European University Institute Martin Hellwig, Universität Mannheim Jean Pisani-Ferry, Université Paris-Dauphine Dariusz Rosati, Szkola Glowna Handlowa w Warszawie and Narodowy Bank Polski José Viñals, Banco de Españ Helen Wallace, Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European University Institute, and Sussex European Institute Marco Buti, Group of Policy Advisers, European Commission Mario Nava, Group of Policy Advisers, European Commission
Peter Smith, Group of Policy Advisers, European Commission

Table of Contents

1. Overview2. Conceptual frameworkPART I - ASSESSMENT3. Policy implementation4. Economic performance: growth, stability and cohesion5. Economic trade-offs6. Economic governance in the EUPART II - CHALLENGES7. Is the European model sustainable? 8. Making a bigger Europe work9. Europe and the worldPART III - RECOMMENDATIONS10. Principles11. Policies for promoting growth12. Modes of delivery: governance methods and the budget

Editorial Reviews

"Bold in giving short shrift to the widespread notion in Europe that the gap in economic performance reflects a preference for a different social model. Still, it recognizes the central political dilemma: the long-term benefits of technology-driven growth, including higher standards of living, will come only at the short-term cost of disruption in jobs."—Strategy + Business

From the Publisher