Many regions on the EU Eastern borders have developed favourably after the opening up of the border and the implementation of association agreements with the CEECs. This was often seen as a positive sign for the further perspectives of these regions after EU enlargement. In this paper we take a...

This paper argues that, in contrast to the popular bipolar view on exchange rate choices, intermediate regimes in general and regional exchange rate systems such as the European Monetary System (EMS) in particular should not be ruled out per se even in today?s world of highly mobile capital. The...

Das Papier untersucht die Arbeitsweise der Handelspolitik in der Europäischen Gemeinschaft, den Zusammenhang zwischen Binnen- und Außenmarktpolitik und weltwirtschaftliche Implikationen der EG-Handelspolitik auf verschiedenen Ebenen. Es wird gezeigt, dass die gemeinsame Handelspolitik...

In wenigen Monaten wird in Katar die Ministerkonferenz der Welthandelsorganisation (WTO) über die Abhaltung einer neuen Handelsrunde entscheiden. Auf Grund der gegenwärtigen Vorarbeiten werden zwei Themenkreise auf der Traktandenliste der Verhandlungen erwartet: erstens die weitere Umsetzung...

This paper discusses the nature, importance, and measurement of non-tariff barriers (NTBs) in services trade with particular reference to telecommunications services. It is shown that although more effectively addressed for the telecom sector at the multilateral level than for other service...

Technical standards in telecommunications – the central focus of this paper - were traditionally developed by official government accredited or intergovernmental organizations. In the last two decades, however, private forums and consortia of standardization have evolved which initiated a...

Im Zuge der europäischen Integration haben die nationalen Regierungen Kompetenzen an europäische Institutionen abgegeben. Die Folge ist, daß die ökonomische Entwicklung in der EU mehr und mehr von wirtschaftsräumlichen Faktoren anstatt von administrativen nationalen Unterschieden bestimmt...

This paper looks at the role of the key international agreements in the process of liberalization of the telecommunications industry. We analyse in particular the role of the WTO agreement in furthering liberalization around the world, and the extent to which it provides protection for foreign...

This paper analyses in the framework of a 2-region economic geography model the impact of transfers on agglomeration of economic activity. Two main results can be derived: First, subsidies to the activity of firms are more efficient to avoid agglomeration than subsidies to consumers (social...

Liberalization and regulatory reform of telecom markets has emerged as a high profile policy issue. This paper analyzes how the multilateral system under the World Trade Organization can help developing countries in promoting their own information infrastructures. We focus on a specific ?regime?...