The three essays of this dissertation contribute to the measurement of European economic integration and investigate the welfare effects of the European countries. The first study presents a newly developed index – the EU Index – which measures the extent of economic integration into the...

We use the case of EU enlargement in 2004 to investigate the impact of economic integration on regional income growth. Being particularly interested in studying the effects ‘at the margin’, we track the relative performance of regions adjacent to both sides of the integration border...

The imbalance between the costs and benefits of DCFTAs is a call to the EU to display greater thoughtfulness and pragmatism if it does not want to lose support for reforms in its neighbourhood. What has to happen so that their potential can be more beneficial? The Policy Brief written by Amat...

Einleitung -- Alexander Rüstow und die Vitalpolitik -- Rüstow als Vertreter des Ordoliberalismus und des "soziologischen Liberalismus" -- Die Vitalpolitik -- Relevante Einflüsse auf Rüstow -- "Liberaler Interventionismus" -- Vitalpolitik als Ansatz der Befähigung -- Jenseits...