Endogenous growth theory has significantly impacted most of the developing and developed countries, shifting priorities of industrial policies towards innovation. In line with this trend, the European Union significantly increased its budgetary allocation for R&D. However, statistical data show...

This book explores the role of national fiscal policies in a selected group of Euro-area countries under the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). In particular, the authors characterize the response of output to fiscal consolidations and expansions in the small Euro-area open economies...

The book is aimed at a wide audience, including academics, economic geography, spatial planning and regional policy researchers, institutional leaders and managers, national and institutional policy makers, practitioners, administrators, master's and senior bachelor's students on related...

The Economics of Monetary Union: the Theory of Optimum Currency Areas (OCAs) -- The Economic Rationale of Fiscal Rules in OCAs: The SGP and the EDP -- To Cope with Asymmetric Shocks in EMU: The Role of Labour Market Flexibility -- The Concept of Labour Market Flexicurity in the Eurozone -- The...

This volume highlights the importance of interactive, practice-based learning as a means to promote more thorough innovation dynamics in regional and national economies. Successful experiences in Scandanavia and southern European countries are examined, with insightful policy lessons extracted...

Spain and the EU takes the country's accession to the European Community in 1986 as its starting point and traces the changes in the national and regional economy, the shifts in national economic policy, and the fundamental restructuring of a public sector only recently enlarged as a result of...

This book presents findings and results from the recent European Union Company survey of Operating hours, Working times and Employment (EUCOWE) in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom. The EUCOWE-project is the first standardised company survey covering all...

The Big Picture: Global Trends Affecting Agricultural Finance -- Institutional and Process Innovations in Serving Rural Clients -- Dealing With Risks in Agricultural Finance -- Using Modern Technology for High-Quality Services in Rural Areas

The book uses archival data to examine how access to micro-finance credit played a role in facilitating adjustment to blight during the Great Famine of Ireland. The author argues that the worst affected districts with a microfinance fund experienced substantially smaller population declines and...

In the modern era, China’s rural credit landscape is transforming at a dizzying rate, but, in terms of financial development, these changes represent a second attempt in the past 100 years to reform China’s credit institutions and provide credit access to farmers. The first period was during...