INFER Advances in Economic Research series – Serie

This book contributes fresh theoretical and empirical evidence on competitiveness and growth in connection with the commitment made by European leaders at the Lisbon Summit in 2000 to 'render the European Union the most competitive and dynamic knowledge based economy in the world by 2010, capable of sustainable economic growth, with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion'. Until now, there has been little in-depth economic analysis of the objectives and policy implementations of the Lisbon Strategy. Competitiveness and Growth in Europe aims to fill this gap by contributing to a better and deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities of the Lisbon Strategy. This book presents, in a coherent framework, policy relevant research on the main aspects of the Lisbon Agenda: the determinants of growth, cohesion strategies and the role of institutions, education, R&D and technological progress in economic performance. It will be of particular interest to researchers and policy makers working in the fields of competitiveness and growth in the context of economic and monetary integration as well as to academics of European studies in general.

Regional Economic Policy in Europe presents a tightly focused selection of policy, empirical and theoretical perspectives on contemporary dimensions of regional economic policy in the EU. It concentrates on three areas; the dissimilarities and resulting convergence of disparate regions within the EU; the localisation of economic activities and how regions can understand and manage them and, finally, the experiences and lessons that can be drawn from European regional policy. While exploring EU cohesion and regional development more widely, the book also examines Spanish, Belgian and Eastern European experiences on growth, human capital, foreign investment and technological spillovers.This up-to-date and thoroughly researched study is one that will be appreciated by academics and researchers of European studies and regional economics in Europe. Policymakers will also find the conclusions reached within the pages of this book invaluable.

This book contributes to the current debates on the shadow economy and related issues of tax evasion and corruption. The approach taken here is one that will develop a better understanding of these related issues, which are increasingly seen as impediments to country competitiveness and economic growth.Economists and policymakers are increasingly focused on how the shadow economy operates. The contributors discuss how effective corporate governance may help to reduce both the occurrence and effects of illegal activities. The book begins by considering institutional governance and how issues such as economic growth and development can be better understood by gaining a deeper understanding of the decision-making process. The importance of collective persuasion and collective decision-making in an institutional context is illustrated. The remainder of the work details a series of empirical studies outlining the role of governance and institutional capacity in assessing economic performance, the role of political competition in reducing corruption and measures of, and influences on, corruption in different countries around the world.Institutions such as the WTO, World Bank and the IMF will find much to engage them in this book as will policy makers in government and research policy agencies. It will also hold great appeal to academics (postgraduate and above) in the fields of political economy, economic development and international economics.