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The Economic Impact of European Integration

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  • Eichengreen, Barry
  • Boltho, Andrea

Abstract

Economic integration, from the European Payments Union and the European Coal and Steel Community to the Common Market, the European Monetary System, the Single Market, and the euro, is one of the most visible, controversial and commented-upon aspects of Europe?s development since the end of World War II. It is hard to imagine that Europe?s economy would have developed the same way without it. Or is it? We see how far we can push the argument that European living standards, growth rates, and economic structure would have been little different in the absence of the institutions and processes that have culminated in today?s European Union. We adopt the methodology applied by Fogel to the railroads: suspecting that the results are small, wherever possible we adopt assumptions that bias upward the estimated impact. We conclude that European incomes would have been roughly 5 per cent lower today in the absence of the EU.

Suggested Citation

  • Eichengreen, Barry & Boltho, Andrea, 2008. "The Economic Impact of European Integration," CEPR Discussion Papers 6820, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:6820
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    2. Caselli, Francesca & Wingender, Philippe, 2021. "Heterogeneous effects of fiscal rules: The Maastricht fiscal criterion and the counterfactual distribution of government deficits✰," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 136(C).
    3. Sondermann, David & Lehtimäki, Jonne, 2020. "Baldwin vs. Cecchini revisited: the growth impact of the European Single Market," Working Paper Series 2392, European Central Bank.
    4. Brautzsch, Hans-Ulrich & Dany-Knedlik, Geraldine & Drygalla, Andrej & Gebauer, Stefan & Holtemöller, Oliver & Kämpfe, Martina & Lindner, Axel & Michelsen, Claus & Rieth, Malte & Schlaak, Thore, 2019. "Kurzfristige ökonomische Effekte eines "Brexit" auf die deutsche Wirtschaft: Studie im Auftrag des Bundesministeriums für Wirtschaft und Energie," IWH Online 3/2019, Halle Institute for Economic Research (IWH).
    5. Oliver Holtemöller & Götz Zeddies, 2013. "Has the Euro increased international price elasticities?," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 40(1), pages 197-214, February.
    6. Campos, Nauro F. & Coricelli, Fabrizio & Moretti, Luigi, 2019. "Institutional integration and economic growth in Europe," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 88-104.
    7. Stefano Micossi, 2016. "30 Years of the Single European Market," Bruges European Economic Policy Briefings 41, European Economic Studies Department, College of Europe.
    8. Halmai, Péter, 2018. "Az európai növekedési modell kifulladása [Exhaustion of the European economic model]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(2), pages 122-160.
    9. Economou, Emmanouel/Marios/Lazaros & Metaxas, Theodore, 2011. "EU and US security policy from the cold war era to the 21st century: the institutional evolution of cfsp and the factors that determine the American military supremacy," MPRA Paper 41003, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 2011.
    10. Ewald Nowotny, 2012. "Der Euro - Vergangenheit, Gegenwart, Zukunft," Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft - WuG, Kammer für Arbeiter und Angestellte für Wien, Abteilung Wirtschaftswissenschaft und Statistik, vol. 38(2), pages 273-284.
    11. Crafts, Nicholas, 2012. "Western Europe's Growth Prospects: an Historical Perspective," CEPR Discussion Papers 8827, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    12. Vladimir-Adrian COSTEA, 2019. "Quo vadis, European Union?," CES Working Papers, Centre for European Studies, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, vol. 11(3), pages 269-284, October.
    13. Thomas D. Willett & Orawan Permpoon & Clas Wihlborg, 2010. "Endogenous OCA Analysis and the Early Euro Experience," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(7), pages 851-872, July.
    14. Micossi, Stefano, 2016. "Thirty Years of the Single European Market," CEPS Papers 11919, Centre for European Policy Studies.
    15. Christian Beer, 2011. "Literature Review on the Economic Effects of the Euro on Austria," Monetary Policy & the Economy, Oesterreichische Nationalbank (Austrian Central Bank), issue 3, pages 22-34.
    16. Papaioannou, Sotiris K., 2021. "European monetary integration, TFP and productivity convergence," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 199(C).
    17. Jonne Lehtimäki & David Sondermann, 2022. "Baldwin versus Cecchini revisited: the growth impact of the European Single Market," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 63(2), pages 603-635, August.
    18. repec:clr:wugarc:y:2012:v:38i:2p:273 is not listed on IDEAS
    19. Hagemejer Jan & Michałek Jan J. & Svatko Pavel, 2021. "Economic impact of the EU Eastern enlargement on New Member States revisited: The role of economic institutions," Central European Economic Journal, Sciendo, vol. 8(55), pages 126-143, January.

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    Keywords

    European integration; European union;

    JEL classification:

    • F0 - International Economics - - General

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