economics of European integration

La realizzazione dell'Unione Europea ha aperto la strada a una serie di forme d'integrazione nel mondo e quindi a processi di modifica dei poteri degli stati nazionali che si accompagnano a quelli relativi al processo di decentramento. Per questo motivo, i temi di questo volume riguardano profili economici, politici e istituzionali rilevanti sia per gli obbiettivi di politica economica interna sia per la diffusione dello sviluppo economico e per la redistribuzione della ricchezza a loro volta fondamentali per la sicurezza e la pace.

The European Union has become a model of economic and political integration in the world and has led to changes of the national powers already challeged by decentralization. For this reason, the essays of this book deal with economic, political and institutional profiles which are relevant either for domestic policy objectives or for the spread of economic development and the redistribution of wealth which are fundamental, in their turn, for safety and peace.

Diritti fondamentali e governance economica europea
in
http://www.democraziaesicurezza.it/Saggi/Diritti-fondamentali-e-governance-economica-europea

The Court of Justice and the EU Treaties have gradually recognized among the principles to be pursued or the rights to be protected solidarity, economic and social cohesion, citizenship, human rights and, most recently, the Lisbon Treaty has equated the value of the Charter of Fundamental Rights to that of Treaties. This process has allowed a gradual shift of the centre of gravity of the Union from the original economic purpose, arising functionalist approach, to a political community perspective, designed also to protect those rights. Starting from this assumption the present essay, retracing the steps that led to the introduction of the euro, the Fiscal Compact and the framework of EU economic governance, looks into the issue of the compliance of this euro system with those principles and fundamental rights reaffirmed by the Union. This law economic and political verification is concluded with an exhortation to the revision of the EU economic governance, in the awareness of belonging to a common destiny, otherwise being the risk of a disintegration of the euro and perhaps the EU.

The article addresses current trends in European transformation and compares the structure which is being built to ancient and medieval empires. The imperial order appears to be productive for the EU due to it easily embraces the heterogeneity existing within the Union, as well as contributes to the strengthening of the EU institutional legitimacy and efficiency in global governance. The ongoing EU transformations, promoted by the German-French lobby and supported by the authorities in Brussels, are indirectly leading to the emergence of an imperial structure, which is secured by a soft power, instead of a rule of sword. Taking all this into account, an attempt is made to define the role of Poland, the largest post-2004 enlargement state, in the new structure. To make this attempt sufficient a brief analysis of current Polish foreign policy and economic growth is provided.

This paper analyzes the perspectives of a Euro area membership for Bulgaria by systematizing the reasons for the debt crisis and by reviewing the macroeconomic specificity of Bulgaria. The focus of investigation is on institutional and structural causes of the crisis. Recommendations are made on possible crisis-exit strategies and on the macroeconomic policies Bulgaria should pursue on its way to the adoption of the Euro.

Cet ouvrage est censé être un manuel et un manuel est fait pour des étudiants, ainsi que pour d’autre gens curieux en matière. Et celle là est l’économie de l’intégration, parfois appellée même ‘économie européenne’, à mon avis pas trop à juste titre. Un titre comme ‘économie européenne’ aurait plutôt plusieurs (autres) sens.
Mais c’est pas ça le vrai problème, au moins pour le contexte d’un ouvrage de manuel. Celui-çi est attendu à contenir ce que tout le monde (i.e. académique, biensur) convient que c’est correct en matière. En premier lieu, admettre que l’économie de l’intégration éxiste  en tant que réalité. Or, une telle ‘éxistence’ est éxigée par son avenir que se veut aussi réel, c’est à dire assuré, i.e. c’est ça la vrai question à être posée (?). Or, moi, je crois que la vraie réponse comprend encore quelques aspects à expliquer.
L’un d’entre eux y découvre l’un des mots d’ordre de l’intégration que est le changement continu. Çi et là, cette idée se fait complétée par les problèmes parfois majeurs à surmonter, même impossibles à résoudre en apparence, pour leur temps. Bref, il y a eu des problèmes spécifiques dans les années soixante-dix et quatre-vingt, ainsi qu’à présent ; encore, ils furent différents encore en tant qu’éspèces. Autant que l’une des questions çi-posées serait si l’Union d’aujourd’hui en est toujours capable de résoudre ses propres problèmes et si elle le sera désormais. 
Un autre aspect pourrait y être indirecte, bien que plein de symboles et de défis. Cette Organisation des États européens à s’intégrer économiquement jetta ses bases pas très loin du monde communiste que comprenait autrefois l’Union Soviétique et les pays de l’Europe de l’Est et de l’Europe Centrale. Or, il est profondément vrai que le communisme ne fut et n’est jamais ni intégration économique, ni démocratie occidentale y attachée, mais quelques choses de commun y éxistent quant même, e.g. interventionisme, développement(s) à long terme par programmes, aussi de la politique de même en initiatives qu’en ambitions et l’on découvre qu’aussi le communisme que l’intégration partirent chacun d’une disponibilité politique, comme une étrange ‘règle commune’.
En troisième lieu, d’autre doutes persistent pour le manuel et pour les programmes d’étude lorsque les questions et les concepts y changent, comme déja observé çi-dessus. En fait, en seront tous ces aspects jamais résolus or ... ?

This paper analyses the perspectives of a Euro area membership for Bulgaria by systematizing the reasons for the debt crisis and by reviewing the macroeconomic specificity of Bulgaria. The focus of investigation is on institutional and structural causes of the crisis. Recommendations are made on possible crisis-exit strategies and on the macroeconomic policies Bulgaria should pursue on its way to the adoption of the Euro

This paper analyzes the perspectives of a Euro area membership for Bulgaria by systematizing the reasons for the debt crisis and by reviewing the macroeconomic specificity of Bulgaria. The focus of investigation is on institutional and structural causes of the crisis. Recommendations are made on possible crisis-exit strategies and on the macroeconomic policies Bulgaria should pursue on its way to the adoption of the Euro.

This book offers a range of perspectives on European integration from different scientific disciplines. It aims to give its readers the opportunity to look at European integration from various scientific angles, such as history, political science, philosophy of science, economics, legal theory, social ontology, and evolutionary psychology.

By bringing together these disciplines, European Integration: A Theme hopes to contribute to the education of scientists who are able to place topics like European integration in a wider context and consider it from numerous perspectives. European Integration: A Theme takes this approach because European integration is a topic that can be given content from these several angles and about which several scientific disciplines have something to say. Also – and more importantly – it takes this approach because in an increasingly globalized and complex world, it is important to educate scientists who are able to address these complexities from more than one perspective.

The gloomy situation Europe is going through multiple crises: an economic crisis, a political and institutional crisis, a confidence and trust crisis. They are mutually reinforcing themselves. The difficulty to face both the migrant crisis and the inner economic crisis fostered narratives grounded on nationalism: the apology of good old times or the " we can do better by ourselves " encouraged debates à la Brexit in several countries, moreover some political parties didn't resist the temptation to blame foreigners or Europe for events which are really outside national and European control or which involve in various degrees the responsibility of local, national and European politics. The raise of anti-European parties, the walls under construction between countries and the step back on the Schengen commitments are all symptoms of a deeper problem. The main road to restore confidence in the European institutions is a bold reform of the European treaties, improving the democratic side of the economic and monetary union through an increased involvement of the European Parliament and the establishment of a fiscal union. The Eurozone still needs many elements which would make it a real optimal currency area, such as a bigger budget, real own resources (as some common taxes) and few elements of common welfare as would be an unemployment benefit. These would introduce automatic adjustments in case of crisis. Moreover, the discretion lost by national governments in the field of economic policy would finally be gained by the European level of government, which is now blocked by intergovernmental procedures and inadequate tools. Unfortunately (i) all this requires time, as a new treaty needs a minimum of two years to be negotiated and ratified, even more to be implemented3; (ii) all this postulates a strong and shared political will across Europe as treaty reforms require unanimous consent by member states. There is, vice-versa a need to act now, to restore the confidence in the Union and the credibility of the European integration project in order to prepare the ground for the so needed reforms. The best interventions are those able to answer to the immediate needs of the population and counter the narrative that Europe is damaging its own citizens. Only so, the raise of anti-European parties would be stopped. What is needed is something similar to the Marshall plan for Europe, or to the New Deal for the United States: a big and bold recovery program.
What if money could be found almost for free, out of generosity, for a good cause?
This paper is based on two assumptions:
1) Citizens are willing to contribute to Europe’s Recovery ;
2) European States are heavily indebted and the European budget is just too small for an ambitious investment plan, BUT private assets and savings are definitely relevant in Europe, making it (still!) one of the richest regions in the world