The paper analyzes one important aspect of the constitutional debate: the allocation of econornie competences between the EU and the mernber states. It takes the theory of fiscal federalism as a starting point for an optimal allocation of economic competences. The main message of the theory is...

This paper provides a political-economy explanation of the degree of centralization in economic policy making. To determine which policies are to be centralized, regions select representatives who then negotiate the degree of centralization and the regional cost shares of centrally decided...

Education and health sectors are known to have massive impact on the quality of human life. In this context, the health sector is discussed in this study to analyse the impact of fiscal decentralisation on basic health infrastructure in Pakistan. Provincial datasets (1980-2001) from three...

In this paper, the authors analyze the behavior of local governments on capital taxation when the financial choices in terms of a public good quality are done by a central planner. More specifically, they ask the question whether a local government has an interest to tax the mobile factor in...

From a pure welfare economic viewpoint, there is no contradiction between a deepening and a widening of the EU. However, the analysis in this paper shows that the factual degree of deepening efforts within the EU by far exceeds the economically optimal one. Above all, the tendency of the...

This paper discusses the developments in the markets for CO2 emissions rights since the Kyoto Protocol has been signed. The different emission trading schemes dominated by the ETS of the European Union and the Clean Development mechanism are surveyed. These schemes will need to be incorporated...

In einer Regressionsanalyse werden mögliche Determinanten kommunaler Verschuldung untersucht. Von erheblicher Bedeutung sind die SGBII-Quote und das Zusammenspiel aus Einwohnerzahl und Einwohnerdichte. Zudem spielt die Länderzugehörigkeit der Kommunen eine große Rolle. Unterschiede gibt es...

This paper develops a model of the circumstances under which it is beneficial to participate in a currency area. The proposed two-country monetary model of trade with nominal rigidities encompasses the real and monetary arguments suggested by the optimum currency area literature: correlation of...

The European Unions's task of providing Trans-European Networks (TENs) in transportation, communications and energy transmission which has been enacted by the treaty of Maastricht, is not confined to internal networks in the EU. Since 1994 this task has been widened so as to give support to the...

The aim of this paper is to shed light on how real income has developed across the member states and regions of the EC and to consider what demands this will place on regional policy. According to the principle of subsidiarity, a necessary, though not a sufficient, condition for EC intervention...