A New Era of Big-to-Big Free Trade Agreements
This year has seen two new initiatives to negotiate to free trade agreements between big economies – between the EU and the US, and the EU and Japan. Modelled on the recommendations from ECIPE’s Transatlantic Task Force on Trade, the transatlantic initiative should aim to craft a deep and comprehensive trade agreement that could spearhead new international liberalisation, Fredrik Erixon has argued. In a new study, Patrick Messerlin says an EU-Japan trade agreement is important for Europe, especially as it may be negatively affected by other big trade initiatives involving Japan. Hosuk Lee-Makiyama has argued that Europe needs an FTA with Japan in order to maintain its market shares.In focus
What Does the WTO Need From its Next Director General?
In a new online discussion about the race for next Director General of WTO Patrick Messerlin argues that the role of "middle powers" in the WTO should become more distinct as they typically represent forward-looking views on multilateral trade liberalisation. For the WTO to recover its role as a "bazaar" for trade negotiations, Ambassadors should play a more significant role in the negotiations, says Messerlin. In the same Forum, Fredrik Erixon argues that reviving the mechanics of effective mercantilism is necessary for WTO to deliver results. Focusing on how the current situation is, rather than how it ought to be, Erixon argues that while the WTO is in a bad shape, it is not about to be extinct, and it can come back if it figures out how to construct negotiation agendas that reflect today's economic relations in the world.French and German perspectives on transatlantic trade relations
Significant economic opportunities and political challenges lie ahead for France and Germany as the EU and the U.S. are likely to enter into negotiations on a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, writes Lisa Brandt in a chapter in Transatlantic Relations in a multipolar world (Genshagen Papier). Both France and Germany have close ties to the U.S. economy, illustrated by intense intra-industry and intra-firm trade. Traditionally strong in manufacturing of knowledge-intensive products, they both face increasing competition from emerging economies. France in particular is struggling with a large trade deficit and needs to improve the competitiveness of its economy. Closer transatlantic economic integration including regulatory cooperation could notably boost the services sectors in both the French and German economies.New Biofuels Reform Reinforces Discrimination
The Renewable Energy Directive (RED) in 2009 ushered Europe into the world of biofuels. But the policy was driven as much by protectionist purposes as by green ambitions. In a new reform proposal, the EU will worsen discrimination in its biofuels policy by introducing so-called ILUC factors in reporting requirements. ILUC, says Fredrik Erixon in a new brief, is a flawed and impossible concept, and it increases the risk that the World Trade Organisation will rule against Europe’s biofuels policy.Argentina – One Year After the Energy Grab
A year after Argentina’s foul confiscation if Repsol’s stake in energy firm YPF, the problems for Argentina have grown bigger, argued Fredrik Erixon in a new brief. The confiscation follows a larger pattern in Argentina’s international economic policy. Steeped in the tradition of Peronist economic populism, President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner has reinforced economic nationalism, analysed Lisa Brandt and Fredrik Erixon in a paper earlier this year. But the policy is not working. Inflation keeps rising to high levels and the post-crisis recover has petered out. And the fate of the country’s energy sector has just worsened, says Fredrik Erixon in a blog post. Few investors are willing to take the political risks of investing in a country and company that has been grabbed by the state.
Healthcare Expenditure Reforms and Obesity
In a new think piece on healthcare expenditure reforms, Lisa Brandt and Fredrik Erixon discuss how significant healthcare expenditures in the future could be “saved” if appropriate measures are taken now. Whereas governments in Europe are increasingly concerned about growing healthcare expenditures, it is critical that they look beyond the costs covered by the annual budgets. As presented at a recent ECIPE workshop the prevalence of obesity in Europe grows at the same time as the population is ageing. The cost effects on healthcare systems are thus very strong.Latest Publications
ECIPE Bulletin No. 02/2013
One Year After the Foul Expropriation of YPF: Argentina’s Road to Ruin
By Fredrik Erixon
Summary | Download (PDF)
ECIPE Bulletin No. 01/2013
On Camels and the Making of EU Biofuels Policy
By Fredrik Erixon
Summary | Download (PDF)
ECIPE Policy Brief No. 03/2013
Openness in Public Procurement Markets: Time for a Reality Check
By Patrick Messerlin
Summary | Download (PDF)
ECIPE Policy Brief No. 02/2013
A Fibre-Rich Diet for Europe: Is the EU’s Next Generation Access Strategy Compromising on Competition?
By Lisa Brandt, Hosuk Lee-Makiyama
Summary | Download (PDF)
ECIPE Policy Brief No. 01/2013
Pariah in the World Economy: How Should Countries Respond to Argentina’s Return to Economic Nationalism?
By Fredrik Erixon, Lisa Brandt
Summary | Download (PDF)
Upcoming Events
2013-06-04
ECIPE Afternoon Conference: China rise to global power: What does China want and what should Europe want from China?
Will China, as some observers claim, rule the world in the 21st century? Is it inevitable that China will become a global economic leader? And will China carve out a corresponding role in security and military policy – even be on par with the United States?
Speakers: Frank Lavin, Krishnan Srinivasan, Rebecca Fabrizi, Guy de Jonquières, Xu Qiuyan
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2013-06-05
Promoting broadband investment and sustaining competition – can both go hand in hand?
The Centre and ECIPE, Europe's leading think-tank on international economy, are organising a roundtable entitled “Promoting broadband investment and sustaining competition – can both go hand in hand?” on forthcoming 5 June.
Speakers: Hosuk Lee-Makiyama, Eduardo Martinez Rivero, Lisa Di Feliciantonio, Luigi Gambardella, Peter Strempel
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2013-06-11
ECIPE Lunch Seminar: Does the Eurozone Need a Monetary 'Kiss of Life'?
Is the entire world of central banks (but the European Central Bank) going off the rails – or are they deliberately moving in the direction of market monetarism: central banks that use other instruments than the interest rate to support demand and economic recovery by targeting the nominal gross domestic product?
Speakers: Lars Christensen, Matthew Dalton, Philippe Legrain
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2013-06-12
ECIPE Lunch Seminar: Is the United States poised for success, or failure, in its on-going trade-liberalizing negotiations with the Trans-Pacific Partnership countries and the European Union?
A busy trade agenda lies ahead for the United States. After years of relative inactivity in the trade field, the U.S. is now seeking to anticipate events while engaging on several fronts. The on-going negotiations on a Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) with South-east Asian and Latin American countries illustrate the so-called Asian pivot in current U.S. trade politics. At the same time, President Obama is also reaching out to Europe. Together, the U.S. and the EU are embarking on a major trade policy initiative as the launch of negotiations on a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Agreement is likely to be imminent.
Speakers: Greg Rushford, Fredrik Erixon
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2013-06-18
ECIPE Lunch Seminar: Gazprom Crisis and What it Means for Europe
Few companies have been able to exercise such an influence in foreign countries like Gazprom’s, Russia’s state-owned energy firm. But Gazprom’s standing in the European energy market is about to change profoundly. It can no longer control prices as it did in the past. The shale gas revolution and antitrust cases against Gazprom will force it to not only to reduce its prices but also change its coveted structure of long-term contracts. Gazprom has recently abandoned some its larger projects and new energy market competition will continue to erode its revenues.
Speakers: Anders Åslund
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Articles, Opinion and Commentary
2013-05-22
Divide Widens about the Viability of the EU Project
Fredrik Erixon interviewed by China Radio International on the future of the EU
2013-05-22
科技领域应限制滥用专利权 [The ICT industry must limit patent abuses]
Hosuk Lee-Makiyama's column in Economic Information Daily [经济参考报] on FRAND and competition policy in China
2013-05-18
Smartphone Armageddon: Patent wars undermine the tech industry
Hosuk Lee-Makiyama opines Euractiv on smartphone wars & EU patent reform
2013-05-16
Soap opera in high places
Fredrik Erixon opines in European Voice on Europe's regulatory unilateralism
2013-05-14
Eurozone in Search of Alternatives
Fredrik Erixon on euro skepticism in Germany