European Integration : An Economic Perspective

This textbook examines how far economic integration in Europe has come. Is it still more useful to view the European Union countries as a set of individual economies, or does it now make more sense to look at them as forming one larger economy? The book attempts to answer this question in a range of contributions.

European Integration introduces the reader to the practical economic issues lying at the heart of economic integration in Europe. It examines the extent to which economic development in the European Union is tending towards further integration and seeks to answer the question: is it still more useful to view the European Union countries as a set of individual economies or to regard them as forming parts of one larger economy? The book presents a solid and up to date bedrock of factual information regarding all the major areas of European integration and also introduces the core concepts of European integration theory. As such it provides an ideal introduction to the current state of economic integration in the European Union, written from a European rather than an American perspective. Each chapter is written by an expert in the field and together the chapters deal with all the major aspects of European economic integration, including trade, economic growth, demographics, labour markets, industrial structures, foreign direct investment, monetary integration and eastern enlargement. The final chapter then summarizes the conclusions of the previous chapters and discusses how far the economies of the EU countries have developed into one European economy.