Groupe d'Economie Mondiale How to use the acquis communautaire? Patrick A. Messerlin Groupe d’Economie Mondiale at Sciences Po Video-conference The World Bank Paris, France February 5, 2010
Groupe d'Economie Mondiale Overview Acquis communautaire (“acquis”): its growth and stock its two main goals Acquis: far to be the key Regulatory assessment Performances of the “New Member States” How to use the acquis?
Groupe d'Economie Mondiale Acquis: its growth & stock Rapid growth: GDP growth+1% (1990s), GDP growth+3% (2000) => Stock of texts. Covers complex issues: from industrial standards to services.
Groupe d'Economie Mondiale Acquis: its two main goals Setting pro-competitive rules raise few problems: positive impact when generates complex procedures => then should look for “simplification”. Setting norms raises (much) more serious questions: Norms are often function of the income level. Norms tend to raise (immediate) costs. Hence, the richer the people are, the more often they consider norms as desirable and the more they can afford cost-increasing regulations. Challenge for the EU neighbors, and increasingly internal EU challenge because the EU is increasingly heterogeneous.
Groupe d'Economie Mondiale Acquis: far to be the key (1)
Groupe d'Economie Mondiale Acquis: far to be the key (2)
Groupe d'Economie Mondiale How to use the acquis? (i) Areas with little work beyond WTO/ENP, (ii) areas where deep integration is in the ENP best interests, (iii) areas with significant regulatory costs and (iv) areas to be excluded.
Groupe d'Economie Mondiale How to use the acquis? Looking at alternatives (airlines)
Groupe d'Economie Mondiale Thank You for Your Attention
Groupe d'Economie Mondiale Additional slides (if necessary)
Groupe d'Economie Mondiale The EU: Sixteen Treaties plus one?
Groupe d'Economie Mondiale Acquis growth The acquis consists in (i) regulations and (ii) directives Acquis growth: 1990s: 3% pa (2% GDP) 2000s: 5.4% pa (2.2% GDP) Large turnover of EU regulations (bottom curves)
Groupe d'Economie Mondiale Acquis: pro-competitive vs. norm setting
Groupe d'Economie Mondiale Regulatory reform: a process much more competitive than expected The EU reality: EF: loosing ground with respect WE & reference countries WE: loosing ground with respect the reference countries EC: catching up Beyond averages: individual Member States show very different evolutions
Groupe d'Economie Mondiale Regulatory reforms: what for? Economists’ focus on the link between regulatory reforms and efficiency. But, need to adjust to the European environment: what about the link between regulatory reforms and ‘happiness’?