The start of the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) has spurred a new interest in the debate on the effects of monetary unions on regional economic integration. This literature either investigates past episodes of monetary unions or attempts to gauge any effect with a few years of EMU...

Die Zahl regionaler Handelsabkommen, die Nicht-Mitglieder diskriminieren, ist zuletzt stark gestiegen. Ihre Wohlfahrtswirkungen sind aus Sicht der beteiligten Länder eher leicht positiv, aus globaler Sicht aber weitgehend unklar. Skeptisch stimmen die Erhöhung der Transaktionskosten des...

Despite significant economic reforms in many Southern Mediterranean EU neighbour countries, their growth performance has on average been subdued. This study analyses the differences in growth performance and macroeconomic stability across Mediterranean countries, to draw lessons for the future....

Der Handel zwischen der EU und Russland ist derzeit durch Sanktionen des Westens gegen Russland und gegenseitige Embargo-Maßnahmen schwer belastet, ohne dass eine sichtbare Veränderung der geostrategischen Ausrichtung Russlands erreicht wurde. Vielleicht erfordert ein Interessensausgleich...

The EU's Product Liability Directive (PLD) determines the rules for strict product liability in the EU. It establishes a framework in which manufacturers' liability is determined solely based on the presence of defects in the product, regardless of the manufacturer's fault. The PLD is intended...

This Policy Brief introduces the Gini Trade Index (GTI) as a new trade synthetic key performance indicator capable of capturing the different distribution of trade values across firm characteristics and across countries. The new indicator replicates the well-known features of the traditional...

This Policy Brief proposes the establishment of an agreement on conformity assessment between the EU and the US that covers machinery and electrical equipment. The initiative aims to increase the number of European and US conformity assessment bodies authorized to test and certify EU and US...

The Brussels Effect, once emblematic of the EU's alleged influence in shaping global regulations, has now become a factor contributing to global regulatory fragmentation. The EU must recalibrate its trajectory towards a liberal and rules-based trading order, prioritizing widespread regulatory...