Alasdair Smith – författare

Distribution of resources and opportunity has always been an important factor in European integration. As new and economically weaker join the EU in the future, this will become even more crucial. The reduction of inequalities occupies a prominent place on the European political agenda.This volume examines the cohesion impact of all of the main EU policies. Areas covered include the single market, external trade policy, competition and enterprise policies, research and technological development, the common agricultural policy, transport policy, telecommunications policy, social and employment policy, and structural policies. Two common themes emerge from the investigations. The first is the great complexity in the cause and effect relationships that exist between EU policy interventions and their final impact on the ground in different countries and regions, as well as on social groups. The second is the classical conflict that often exists between competitiveness and cohesion, or between efficiency and equity. This is the first comprehensive and thorough assessment of the cohesion impact of EU policies. It will be invaluable for policy advisers, academics and advanced students.

Since the 1980s, economists have used the concept of strategic trade policy, which takes account of imperfect competition and increasing returns in the international marketplace, to criticize conventional views about free trade. According to the new view, a government can take strategic steps to raise its income at another country''s expense—by subsidizing exports or erecting trade barriers, protecting certain firms from foreign competition, or promoting the development of new industries. This volume looks at the experience of specific industries in order to determine the effectiveness of strategic trade policy in promoting economic growth. The nine papers cover the U.S. and European auto industries, the U.S. steel industry, the commercial aircraft industry, airline deregulation in Scandinavia, and labor and industrial policy in Korea and Taiwan. The authors refine the basic techniques for measuring policy effectiveness, extend them to encompass industry dynamics, and test the implications of new trade models. International economists and trade experts in government and business will find important new insights into the role of strategic trade policy in international competitiveness.