Socially irresponsible behaviour by financial institutions played a major part in causing the financial crisis, which has developed into a serious economic, social and political crisis. Financial innovation and a general lack of transparency in the system have made it hard for the people of...

The mandate for this study was to undertake an evaluation of EU external action as managed by three DGs: DG RELEX, DG DEV and DG AIDCO. The Terms of Reference identified two main objectives (ToR, Feb 2010, Section 1 – reproduced in Annex 1): · To provide an overall independent assessment of...

We evaluate the Friedman-Schwartz hypothesis that a more accommodative monetary policy could have greatly reduced the severity of the Great Depression. To do this, we first estimate a dynamic, general equilibrium model using data from the 1920s and 1930s. Although the model includes eight...

In The Economics of Order and Disorder (1992), Jacques Lesourne reflects on the influence of what he calls "exceptional personalities". According to his description, such personalities are characterised by a devotion to their own specific objectives, an outstanding ability to judge the resources...

The "new industrial organisation" enshrined in game theory has elaborated important concepts, models and typologies that reveal the richness of corporate conduct. To some extent, these developments have improved the quality of analyses in European antitrust policy. Three illustrations are...

The present report gathers 21 contributions received from national Economic and Social Councils (ESCs) and similar institutions, civil society organisations and members of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) in relation to their implications and activities regarding the 2012...