Title: Andrs RodrguezPose
1THE EUROPEAN UNION ECONOMY, SOCIETY, AND POLITY
- by
- Andrés Rodríguez-Pose
- London School of Economics
- Oxford University Press
- ISBN 0-19-874286-X
2Part I
ECONOMY
3Chapter 1
Competitiveness
4The stages of economic integration
- Free trade areas
- Free trade between members, different external
tariffs - Little or no institutional co-ordination
- Customs union
- Free trade between members and common external
trade restriction - Common regulatory bodies
- Common (or single) markets
- Removal of all barriers to free factor mobility
- Free mobility of goods, capital, labour, and
services - Greater level of regulation and strong
institutions to monitor decisions adopted by
member states
5The stages of economic integration (II)
- Economic union
- Harmonisation of economic policies (generally
monetary or fiscal policy) - Members give up powers. Strong central
institutions which dictate common economic policy - Complete economic integration
- All economic policy areas are harmonised
- The capacity of states to implement independent
policies disappears - Central institutions become the centres of
economic decision-making
6The stages of economic integration in the EU
7Economic integration to achieve competitiveness
- Why did a customs union (the EC) decide to
increase the pace of economic integration during
the 1980s and 1990s? - Increasing globalisation of the world economy
(increased competition, especially from the US,
Japan, and the NICs) - More sophisticated systems to dodge trade
barriers (multinational corporations) - Belief that market fragmentation (nationally
divided markets) was reducing economies of scale
8GDP per capita (2000) in Europe, the US and Japan
9The limits of European competitiveness
- The costs of the non-Europe (Cecchini, 1991)
- Physical barriers Intra-European stoppages,
controls at border checkpoints, red-tape,
different currencies - Technical barriers Different national product
standards and technical regulations across Member
States - Fiscal barriers Lack of fiscal harmonisation
10Physical barriers
- Custom related costs
- Customs controls, border stoppages
- Paperwork and red-tape
- Exchange of low-value added perishable goods
suffered as a result - High administrative costs and regulatory hassles
- Higher cost of red-tape of SMEs (higher
proportion of their business volume, and lack of
expertise and human resources)
11Physical barriers (II)
- Protected markets (II)
- Fear of foreign dependence leads to protection of
national strategic sectors - Many sectors fall under this umbrella
petrochemical industries, shipbuilding, iron and
steel, tobacco, car manufacturing,
telecommunications, air transport,... - Formation of monopolies (BT, Deutsche Telekom,
SIP, Air France, Iberia,...) or oligopolies - Cost of protection born by the consumer
- Lack of competition and underperforming
industries - And companies
- Higher prices for services than their competitors
12Physical barriers (III)
- Different currencies
- Transaction costs of changing currencies
- Higher costs of holding higher international
reserves - Costs associated to exchange rate volatility
- Higher interest rates in many countries
13Technical barriers
- Different product standards and technical
regulations - Problems and additional costs for consumers
- Cost for firms which had to adapt their products
to different national standards - Cost premium for SMEs
- Protected public-sector procurement
- Government supply and construction contrast
restricted to national firms - Or technical regulations discriminating against
foreign bidders
14Fiscal barriers
- Different fiscal regimes
- Different regimes for companies
- Different VAT rates
- Different national accounting standards
- Duplication or multiplication of accounting
standards for multinational companies - Fiscal suspicion by national authorities in
order to prevent tax evasion - Premium for SMEs
15The expected benefits of economic integration
- Cecchini report (1988). Cost saving effects
- Static trade effect benefits reaped from
allowing public authorities to buy from the
cheapest suppliers - Competition effect Downward pressure on prices
as a result of greater competition - Restructuring effect Reorganisation of
industrial sectors and individual companies as a
result of greater competition - Other possible benefits
- Benefits on investment, innovation
(rationalisation of RD expenditure) and growth - Savings for the public sector (lower government
subsidies for inefficient firms
16The expected benefits of economic integration (II)
- Combination of cost saving effects results in two
kinds of benefits - Direct benefits from the eradication of economic
borders - Indirect benefits from economic restructuring,
increases in trade and competition and greater
economies of scale - Result
- The emergence of virtuous cycles of innovation
and competition - Lowering of prices for consumers
- Greater job creation
17Estimation of benefits
- Cecchini (1988) 4 to 7 of Europes GDP
- Baldwin
18The expected benefits of monetary union
- For all Member States adopting the Euro
- Price transparency across borders, inducing a
greater competition effect - Elimination of transaction costs of changing
currencies - Savings through holding lower international
reserves - Reduction of uncertainty caused by exchange rate
volatility - Specific benefits for peripheral economies
- Image premium and credibility in international
markets - Monetary and macroeconomic stability (lower
inflation, deficit, debt, and interest rates)
19The possible impact of monetary union
- Possible impact
- Large benefits expected
- But Commission reluctant to issue estimates (as
was the case of with the Single Market)
20The impact of economic integration
- Is European economic integration delivering the
benefits predicted by its supporters? - Has the EU experienced the increases in trade,
the more efficient allocation of resources, and
the greater growth and welfare gains expected? - Have European economies become more competitive?
21Trade
- Sizeable increase in trade across the EU
- Greater expansion in absolute terms than in other
developed areas of the world - But not in relative terms, where the US has
expanded more (but not Japan) - This means that in a world context the evolution
of European trade has been rather disappointing,
especially in comparison with countries like
Canada or Mexico, which have undergone milder
processes of integration
22Exports of goods and services as a share of GDP
23Trade at a national level
- Several countries have experienced significant
increases - Countries with relatively open economies Ireland
- Countries which were relatively closed Finland,
Sweden, Spain, or Italy - The trend is far from universal
- Germany, Greece, and Portugal have seen their
exports as a share of GDP decline - Luxembourg, Greece, and Portugal have seen a
decline in their import share - The lack of a clear pattern in the evolution of
trade suggests that no greater territorial
specialization is evident
24Changes in trade patterns
- Increase in intra-industry trade
- But, stability of inter-industry trade
- This has prevented a further concentration of
capital intensive industries in core countries to
the detriment of the periphery - Former lagging countries such as Ireland and
Spain have profited from integration to expand
trade and attract capital intensive industries - Portugal and Greece have been less successful
- The level of intra-industry trade suggests that
the expected specialization may be starting to
happen
25Foreign direct investment
- Early stages of integration seem to have had a
lower impact on FDI than on trade - Net inflows of FDI oscillate with economic cycles
- Flows of FDI reached their peak around 1990
- After the implementation of the Single Market
they followed a downward trend - In international comparisons the EU does not
score favourably - When compared to the US, net inflows of FDI into
the EU have declined with respect to the period
before 1993. - FDI flows among the member states have lost some
importance... - But, outflows to the rest of the world have
increased.
26FDI net inflows
27Economies of scale
- Ex-ante reports highlighted that economic
integration was to bring about a more efficient
concentration of resources - And a restructuring of companies
- Number of mergers and acquisitions has increased
by more than two and a half times between 1987
and 1998 - The bulk of this happened in anticipation of the
Single Market - Transnational MAs have taken off after the
Single Market and in anticipation of EMU.
28Economies of scale (II)
- Three stages in the process
- National MAs started to take place during the
late 1980s in anticipation of the Single Market - European MAs the percentage of MA involving at
least one foreign company almost doubled between
1990 and 1998. - Trans-national MAs Increasingly MAs are
global. In 1998 one third of all MAs involved at
least one non-EU partner. - During the 1990s there has been an important
increase in the volume of the deals. - The total volume of deals has been multiplied by
six between 1991 and 1998 - Greater expansion in outward MAs
29Mergers and acquisitions (1987-98)
30Economies of scale (III)
- European companies have become more ambitious and
aggressive - Probably in connection to the launch of the Euro
- But also as a result of the emergence of new TNCs
in Europe resulting from previous mergers - New mergers increasingly involve companies from
two different European countries - Orange and Mannesman
- Vodafone and Mannesman
- And also truly global MAs
- Daimler-Chriysler
- Terra Lycos
- Repsol-YPF
31Volume of cross-border MA's (Billion US)
32Volume of cross-border MA's ()
33Economies of scale (IV)
- But have EU companies become the leading actors
in international MAs? - Despite the increase in numbers and size, EU
companies have lagged behind the US... - And during much of the 1990s also behind Japan
and the Asian Dragons - Only the Asian crisis of 1997/98 changed the tide
- And a diminishing number of European companies
can be found among the top 50 in the world
34Location of the world's largest 50 corporations
35Productivity
- European labour productivity has been reducing
the gap with the US in the post-war decades - Convergence came to an end in the second half of
the 1980s - Increasing technology gap between the US and the
EU - Permanence of fragmented markets in Europe
(monopolies which prevented access to new
technologies) - Rigidity of European labour markets (which kept
the young out of work) - Productivity has grown faster in the US in the
1990s - Some encouraging signs for EU (advantage in
mobiles)
36Labour Productivity Growth
37Productivity in selected EU countries
Source World Bank World Development Indicators
(2000).
38Growth
- On average, the EU has had slightly greater
growth than the US and lower than Japan during
the post-war decades - Precisely at the time of European economic
integration, the roles have been reversed - Greater growth in the US (double that of the EMU
area) - Lower in Japan
- Strong internal divergence in growth patterns in
the EU - Extremely high growth in Ireland and Luxembourg
- Moderate in Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands and
Portugal - Low elsewhere in the EU
39Average growth in the EU, US, and Japan
(1960-2000)
40Conclusion
- The impact of economic integration on the
economic performance of the EU has not been as
spectacular and immediate as predicted by ex-ante
studies - The gap between the EU and the US has increased
in many areas (growth, productivity, trade, MAs) - Different economic cycles may have a lot to say
about diverging economic performances - However, economic integration may be setting the
bases for a quicker adaptation by the EU in the
future to new economic challenges
41Chapter 2
Cohesion
42Introduction
- Have the alleged benefits of economic integration
been evenly distributed? - How is uneven development within the EU likely to
affect the competitiveness and further economic
and political integration in the EU?
43National disparities in the EU
- The EU is one of the most developed spaces in the
World - GDP per capita below that of the USA and Japan...
- But well above any other large area of the world
- However, wealth is and has been unevenly
distributed across the EU - Until recently a core/periphery was visible
- The core Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland,
France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands,
Sweden, the UK, and Northern Italy - The periphery Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Spain,
and Southern Italy
44National disparities in the EU (II)
- Recent changes have led to a blurring of the
distinction between core and periphery - Poor economic performance of some of the
countries of the core (Finland, Sweden and the
UK) - High growth in the periphery (Ireland)
45National disparities in GDP per capita and
unemployment
46Regional disparities in the EU
- Strong national contrasts hide even greater
regional contrasts - In 1998, the GDP per capita of Luxembourg was
3.8 times greater than that of Portugal - Hamburgs GDP was 6.7 times higher than that of
Ipeiros (Greece) - Andalusia and Extremadura had unemployment rates
of 32.4 and 30.2, whereas Salzburg or Belluno
had a mere 2.2 and 2.3 respectively. - Internal economic disparities are evident in
almost every single country in the EU - Italy (GDP Lombardy 132.5 .... Calabria 59.2)
(Unemployment Trentino 3.8 .... Campania 25)
47Regional disparities in the EU (II)
- Strong regional contrasts also in
- Portugal (Lisbon and the North vs. the South and
Centre) - France (Paris vs. the rest)
- Spain (Northeast and Madrid vs. South and West)
- UK (South vs. North)
- Germany (South vs. North)
- Sweden (South vs. North)
- Belgium (North vs. South)
- No regional contrasts in
- The Netherlands
48(No Transcript)
49Factors behind the existence of territorial
disparities
- Factor endowment
- Inherited economic situation GDP per capita
- Quality and quantity of human capital Skilled
labour, matching skills with labour demands - Accessibility Infrastructure endowment
- Innovation Generation and assimilation of
innovation. Investment in RD - Sectoral structure
50The need for intervention
- Do territorial differences in factor endowment
justify the implementation of European
development policies? - Is a development policy really necessary?
51The economic debate
- Endogenous growth theory and new economic
geography - Greater accessibility, higher skills, and greater
capacity to generate and assimilate innovation
will lead to the concentration of economic
activity - A development policy is needed in order to
counterbalance this tendency - Classical Ricardian trade theory
- Factor endowment is less important
- Integration leads to a rearrangement of economic
activity - Investment and innovation will flow to low cost
areas - Labour will flow to high cost areas
- Disparities will even out and policies are not
needed
52The economic debate (II)
- Neoclassical growth theories
- Decreasing returns to scale will lead to
convergence - Even without economic integration
- No need for development policies
- Economic theory is inconclusive about the
territorial impact of economic integration
53The political debate
- Economic integration is likely to enhance
territorial disparities - A development policy is needed in order to
achieve greater economic and social cohesion - This has been the dominating view since the
Single European Act - Each additional step towards economic integration
has been accompanied by cohesion policies - Single European Market Þ Reform of Structural
Funds - EMU Þ Cohesion Fund
54The history of EU development policies
- Disregard for supra-national development policies
in the 1960s - High levels of economic growth (ca. 6 per annum)
- Regional convergence
- Strong national development policies
- Establishment of an early regional policy in the
1970s (ERDF) - Change of the political orientation of European
governments - British membership
- Power struggle between the Commission and the
states
55The impact of the early regional policy
- The early European regional policy failed to
correct economic disparities - Disparities did not shrink, they expanded during
the late 1970s and early 1980s - The reasons for the failure
- Lack of financial resources Modest amount of
funds - Lack of continuity of regional actions Five
different stages between 1975 and 1989 - Excessive extent of the range of operations and
investments Projects funded in almost every
region - Absence of a clearly defined structure and of a
system of priorities 41,051 projects funded
56The principles of the reform of the Structural
Funds
- The principle of concentration
- 3 objectives
- Objective 1 Promoting the development and
structural adjustment of regions whose
development is lagging behind (for regions below
the 75 threshold of the EU GDP per capita) - Objective 2 Supporting the economic and social
conversion of areas facing structural
difficulties (Industrial and rural areas with
high-long term unemployment and or high poverty
levels) - Objective 3 Adapting and modernizing policies
and systems of education, training, and employment
57The principles of the reform of the Structural
Funds (II)
- The principle of programming
- Individual projects should be included within a
development plan - Much greater emphasis of the design and
implementation of coherent development strategies
through multi-annual programming - Stages
- Regional development plans
- Community Support Framework
- Operations programmes
- The principle of partnership
- Involving as many actors as possible in the
process - Aim to achieve close co-operation between the
Commission and national, regional, and local
institutions
58The principles of the reform of the Structural
Funds (III)
- The principle of additionality
- In order to prevent European development policies
from becoming mere substitutes of national
development efforts - The principle of efficiency
- To guarantee the correct management and to
monitor the efficiency of the implementation of
European development actions
59The Cohesion Fund
- Political belief that EMU is likely to lead to a
concentration of economic activity - Cohesion Fund established to provide financial
contribution to projects in the fields of
environment and trans-European networks - Four beneficiaries countries whose GNP per
capita is below 90 of the EU average - Ireland
- Greece
- Portugal
- Spain
60The efficiency of EU development policies
- Development policies are, behind the CAP, the
second most important set of policies in the EU - One third to 36 of the EU budget 0.38 of EU GDP
- Has this effort paid off?
- Have the reform of the Structural Funds and the
introduction of a Cohesion Fund led to greater
territorial cohesion?
61The efficiency of EU development policies
- Before the Reform, little or no catch-up in the
cohesion countries - No convergence in Greece or Spain
- Slow convergence in Ireland and Portugal
- Since the Reform, the four Cohesion countries
have converged to the EU average - Greatest convergence in Ireland
- Lowest convergence in Spain
- Convergence has also been fuelled by slow
economic growth in the core - Especially in Finland, Germany, Italy, and Sweden
62Evolution of GDP per capita in the Cohesion
countries
63The efficiency of EU development policies (II)
- The catch-up since the Reform of the Structural
Funds has led some authors to claim that regional
intervention in the EU has been a success - The picture is, however, not as simple
- A closer look at development within the Cohesion
countries reveals a more complex pattern - The higher growth has taken place in some of the
most advanced regions (Madrid, Catalonia, Dublin,
Lisbon) - Large concentration of company headquarters, RD
centres, financial , insurance, and real estate - In contrast, many Objective 1 regions have lagged
behind
64European convergence
But divergence within states
65(No Transcript)
66Greece
150
100
between 1980 and 1986
Mean annual growth
50
50
100
150
GDP per capita in 1980
Greece
150
100
Mean annual growth
between 1986 and 1993
50
50
100
150
GDP per capita in 1986
Greece
150
100
between 1993 and 1998
Mean annual growth
50
50
100
150
GDP per capita in 1993
67The efficiency of EU development policies (III)
- Many assisted regions have not performed
particularly well - Growth in parts of Southern Italy has been
sluggish - Tendency towards greater polarization in many
European countries - Since the implementation of the Reform, mixture
of national convergence and regional divergence - Inequalities across States have fallen by 25,
but regional inequalities within states have
risen by 10
68(No Transcript)
69The efficiency of EU development policies (IV)
- Over time, there has been no change in the
Cohesion States - The number of regions qualifying for Objective 1
has remained stable - If anything, the number has increased
- Many regions of core countries (Merseyside, South
Yorkshire, Burgenland) have been incorporated.. - But few peripheral regions (only Abruzzo, with
parts of Ireland and Lisbon among others
being phased out) - The analysis of unemployment trends highlights
divergence - Greater polarization in unemployment rates
70Conclusion
- European development policies have evolved from a
minor and rather haphazard policy in the 1980s to
the second most important policy of the EU - Achieving economic cohesion is, however, proven
more elusive than expected - National convergence...
- But regional divergence
- There are voices starting to question this degree
of intervention, since it may lead to the
formation of sheltered economies
71Chapter 3
Ageing
72Introduction
- Western Europe is ageing
- As a consequence of
- Higher life expectancy
- Falling birth and fertility rates
- Ageing is likely to become a serious economic,
social, and political problem once the baby
boomers start retiring - Pressure on the already well-developed European
welfare systems - Consequences for the economic potential of the EU
- Countries are setting policies in motion in order
to curb ageing
73Demographic change in the EU (I)
- The EU is still the most populous among the major
world economic powers. - 375 million vs 278 in the US and 117 in Japan
- But the US has been catching up rapidly with the
EU (57 of the population in 1960, 74 in 2000) - Low rates of population growth during the second
half of the 20th century - Since 1960 the population of Europe never rose by
more than 1 in a single year - In contrast, this rate was achieved 18 times in
the US and 8 in Japan - Population growth in Europe has been declining
steadily
74Average annual population growth in the EU,
Japan and the USA
75Demographic change in the EU (II)
- Prospects are bleak
- According to the UN report on Replacement
Migration will peak in 2005 - By 2050 the EU will have 44 million less than in
2000 (a loss of 12) - It will have 18 million less than the US
- Twelve out of the fifteen current member states
will lose population (exceptions Ireland,
Luxembourg, and France) - Population loss in Italy, Spain, and Greece will
be in excess of 20
76The decline in birth rates (I)
- The second demographic transition
- Fall in birth rates
- Lower number of marriages and marriages later in
life - Unstable marriages and growing divorce rates
- Increase in cohabitation
- Increase in the number of children born out of
wedlock
77The decline in birth rates (II)
- Three types of demographic patterns
- Population growth (France, the Netherlands,
Ireland, US) - Early decline in birth rates, but births have
stabilized and remain above the number of deaths - Still natural growth
- Early zero growth (Austria, Denmark, Sweden,
UK) - Early decline in birth rates without
stabilization - Negative growth rates which caused a reaction and
a rebound of birth rates - Late zero growth (Italy, Greece, Spain,
Portugal, Japan) - Late, but sharp decline in birth rates
- Zero growth since the early 1990s
78Evolution of birth and death rates in selected
European countries, the US, and Japan 1960-97
79The decline in birth rates (III)
- National demographic patterns hide important
intranational differences - Significant internal contrasts in birth rates in
- Italy (North/South division)
- Germany (East/West division)
- and, to a lesser extent, in other EU countries
80Regional crude birth rate in the EU, 1997
81The decline in fertility rates
- Women (and families) are deciding to have less
children than ever before - Total fertility rates in the EU are the lowest in
the world, bar some countries in Eastern Europe
and Japan - Fertility decline started in the mid 1960s
- Early declines in the North (Denmark, Finland,
Germany, Luxembourg and Sweden) Demographic
core/periphery divide - Subsequent and more dramatic decline in the
Mediterranean countries (Italy and Spain now with
some of the lowest TFR in the world) - Short-lived rebound of fertility rates in Sweden
and other Scandinavian countries in the early
1990s
82Evolution of fertility rates
83Evolution of total fertility rates in selected
European countries
84The ageing of the EUs population (I)
- The decline in birth and fertility rates is
profoundly altering Europes age structure - Younger population cohorts are becoming smaller
than older ones - The population cohort of those aged between 30
and 34 is 50 larger than those aged between 0
and 4 - There are more 55 to 59 year olds than children
between 0 and 4 - Life expectancy is increasing
- Women in most countries of the EU can now expect
to live until the age of 80 - Male life expectancy in all countries bar
Portugal above 72
85Life expectancy at birth, 1970-1997
Source World Bank World Development Indicators
(2000).
86The ageing of the EUs population (II)
- Europe is ageing
- There are now 41.5 people million more over 70
than in 1980 (an increase of 40) - The percentage of the elderly has risen
considerably everywhere, bar Ireland - In Greece, Finland and Portugal the percentage of
the population aged 65 and above doubled between
1960 and 1997 - Italy and Spain were not far behind
- Population projections predict that the process
of ageing is far from over - According to the UN the over 65 will rise to 95.6
million in 2050 (29 of the population)
87Population aged 65 and above ( of total)
88Predicted evolution of the total and elderly
population in selected European countries, the
EU and the US 2000-50
Source Own elaboration with United Nations
Population Division data. Medium variant.
89Regional share of senior citizens, 1998
90The factors behind the ageing process (I)
- Causes for higher life expectancy
- Advancement of medicine and health
- Eradication of many infectious and contagious
diseases - Advancement in the treatment of degenerative
diseases - Nutritional and health improvements
- Social factors
- Relative wealth of European societies
- Reduction in the number of hours worked during
life
91The factors behind the ageing process (II)
- Causes behind the decline in fertility
- Advances and greater availability of
contraceptive methods (M. Murphy) (although for
some this is not a cause) - Economic factors
- Pecuniary and time cost of having children
- Children cannot longer be regarded as sources for
future family support - Opportunity costs of having children in societies
with a high female participation in the labour
market. This has become more evident recently - Decline in job stability in Europe (relying on
one salary is not enough!)
92The factors behind the ageing process (III)
- Sociological factors
- The gap in educational attainment between men and
women in western Europe has disappeared - Female employment has increased dramatically
- Female employment is regarded as the main
determinant in the fall of fertility rates - The opportunity cost of having a child increases
- Especially, and despite some changes in male
attitudes, since the burden of child-bearing
still greatly falls on women - The opportunity cost of having a child increases
as womens wages rise - However this argument is found wanting when we
notice that the countries with the lowest
fertility rates also have the lowest female
employment
93Evolution of female employment, 1970-1997
Source World Bank World Development Indicators
(2000).
94Family policies (I)
- European governments have adopted different
policies to tackle declining fertility - Very high support in Sweden (and Denmark and
Finland) - Generous child benefit package
- Generous public childcare provision
- Lengthy maternity and paternity leaves
- Austria and Germany
- Generous policies
- Greatest support for mothers who stay at home to
look after children
95Family policies (II)
- France (and Belgium and Luxembourg)
- Horizontal and vertical redistribution of
resources to families with children (especially
for families with three children) - UK
- Means testing and tackling child policy
- Low-income mothers benefit the most from support
meassures - Lower support in the Netherlands, Ireland, and
Mediterranean countries
96Family policies (III)
- Have family policies contributed to redress the
decline in fertility? - Some claim that the impact has been weak
(Gauthier Hoem) - Others suggest that family policies have had an
impact - The actual evidence is inconclusive
- Lack of adequate family policies may have
contributed to the decline in fertility in
southern Europe - Some countries with more generous family policies
(Sweden, Finland, Denmark, France, the UK) tend
to have slightly higher fertility rates - But countries with similar family policy regimes
differ in their fertility rates
97Social policies for old age
- The process of ageing is putting European social
services under considerable stress - Social policies for old age have become one of
the most important areas of public policy - Old age expenditure (as a of GDP) has risen
significantly since the 1980s and remained stable
during much of the 1990s - Old age expenditure represents two fifths of all
social expenditure (highest incidence in Italy,
Greece, and Spain)
98Old age expenditure in the EU
99Conclusion
- Ageing poses a serious challenge for the future
of European societies - Society may become more conservative and
risk-averse, less open to innovation and foreign
influences, and less dynamic and able to compete - Ageing represents a challenge for public finances
- More and better targeted policies may be needed
- Even if the perception of an aged society as a
less dynamic society may be rather reductionist.
100Chapter 4
Migration and xenophobia
101Introduction
- While Europe ages, neighbouring countries have
young and dynamic populations who find few
outlets in their local labour markets - Result development of large migration flows
towards Europe - Many see this trend as a solution for population
ageing and to ease social and economic pressure
in the country of origin of migrants - Many others see migration as a threat, leading to
xenophobia and the emergence of racist attitudes
and parties - European legislation has been tightened in order
to restrict migration into Europe
102Migration and its forms (I)
- Definition of migration
- The movement or displacement of a person or a
number of persons from one place to another. - Forms of migration
- Individual or group migration
- Regional, inter-regional, international or
intercontinental - Temporary or permanent
- Legal and illegal
103Migration and its forms (II)
- Forms of migration (II)
- Economic migration when people move in search of
jobs and/or a better life - Types of economic migration
- Migrant or employer-initiated
- Economic migration is closely linked to long-term
economic cycles - Non-economic migration Causes
- Natural disaster (the destruction of the island
of Montserrat by a volcanic eruption, floods,
earthquakes, droughts) - War
- Political and/or social persecution (political
and religious beliefs, race, ethnicity, gender) - Division between political refugees and asylum
seekers
104Mass migration in post-war Europe (I)
- In modern times migration out of Europe has
predominated - America, Australia and South Africa as the main
destinations - At the beginning of the 20th century more than a
million Europeans a year were leaving the
Continent - The second half of the 20th century has seen a
reversal of this trend - Outward migration has been replaced by migration
within and into Western Europe - First, 25 million refugees back to their places
of origin (mainly flow east-west, including 12
million Germans) - Then migration from former Communist regimes to
the West (3.8 million East Germans until the
erection of the Berlin Wall)
105Mass migration in post-war Europe (II)
- Since the 1950s emergence of South/North economic
migration - Basically in low-skilled and poorly paid sectors
(rejected by the local workforce) - Several waves and destination
- 1950s Italians moving to Germany, Switzerland,
and France - Late 1950s and 1960s Spaniards and Portuguese
(same destinations) - 1960s Turks and Yugoslavs (to Germany) and
workers from the Maghreb (to France) - Irish to Britain and Finns to Sweden
- Migration very often employer-initiated and
state-managed - Large volumes of migration
- Migrants represented 5 of the pop. of the
Netherlands 5 to 10 of France, Germany and
Sweden 10 of Belgium 15 of Switzerland and
25 of Luxembourg.
106Mass migration in post-war Europe (III)
- Jobs for migrants varied
- West Germany Jobs in manufacturing (15 in
construction) - France 30 in construction. Smaller proportion
as health workers and manufacturing - UK West Indians as civil servants, South Asians
in textiles - As did the formal rights of immigrants
- Germany, Austria and Switzerland Gastarbeiters
(high levels of job security but low protection
without job contract) - UK, France and the Netherlands Rights of
immigrants to stay, generally more developed
(possibility to apply for citizenship after a
period living in the country) - The crisis of the 1970s brought South/North
migration in Europe almost to a halt - Stock of migrants fell by 1 million (or 22 of
stock) - Return migration by European workers
- Return migration less evident for non-EU citizens
107The renewal of migration in the 1990s
- Several factors have led to a renewal of
migration in the 1990s - Economic and social factors
- The economic bonanza of the second half of the
1990s - The reduction of unemployment rates associated to
the introduction a labour market flexibility - The higher level of qualification of local
workers - The demographic boom in neighbouring areas of the
world - Political factors
- The fall of the Berlin Wall
- The implementation of the principle of free
movement of people after the Single Market.
108Foreign or foreign-born population
109Differences between migration in the 1950s and
1990s (I)
- The traditional North/South division has been
completely slashed - Finland, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and
Spain are no longer sources of emigrants, but
have positive migration balances (in the case of
Italy since as early as 1972) - Intra-EU migration is no longer South/North but
occurs in both directions (case of Ireland,
Sun-belt phenomena) - The Mediterranean sea (and the former Iron
Curtain) are becoming the new Rio Grande of Europe
110Differences between migration in the 1950s and
1990s (II)
- Employer initiated migration has almost become a
thing of the past - In contrast to more common practices in the US,
Canada, or Australia. - European employers and governments are more
reluctant to initiate migration. - Some exceptions Attempt by the German government
in 2000 to recruit IT experts in India - Migration has become almost exclusively
migrant-initiated
111Differences between migration in the 1950s and
1990s (III)
- Increase of clandestine and illegal immigration
- As a result of the tightening of national and
European immigration legislation - More migrants decide to come and stay in Europe
illegally - Flourishing of mafias, racketeers and organised
crime syndicates trying to smuggle immigrants
into Europe - Diversification of immigrant groups
- Highly qualified migrants
- Low-skilled economic migrants and clandestines
- Refugees and asylum seekers
112Migration of the highly qualified (I)
- Migration of the highly qualified has flourished
during the 1990s - Basically in sectors such as finance, banks,
insurance, and business services - But increasingly also in fashion, design and RD
- The main beneficiaries has been the financial
centres and large urban areas of the Continent
(London, Paris, Frankfurt, Berlin, Madrid, Milan,
Amsterdam) - Increasing importance of airport hubs
- Recruitment in many of these sectors is
increasingly happening at a European, if not
global, level
113Migration of the highly qualified (II)
- One of the triggers of the increased mobility has
been the implementation of the principle of free
mobility of labour in the SEM. - No longer are work or residence permits needed
for EU nationals who live abroad - Cultural and linguistic barriers are now less
important for these groups - Better prepared and better travelled generations
- Mutual recognition of qualifications
- But also process of globalization
114Migration of the highly qualified (III)
- Process of globalization
- Restructuring of large companies (international
MAs) - Radical change in the profile of the European
migrant - In contrast to the low-skilled worker from
Southern Europe - We now have highly qualified young professionals
- This migration is however tiny in numbers (5.5
million EU nationals living outside their
country, in comparison with 12 million in the
early 1970s)
115Migration of the low-skilled and clandestines (I)
- Migration at the lower end of the scale has been
taken over by people from outside the EU - Immigrants escaping poverty to the East and South
of the EU and hoping to find Eldorado Europe - In comparison, the migration of the European low
skilled has been negligible - Main destination is low-value added service jobs
- Pay in these sectors is often so low that
European workers cannot or do not compete for
these jobs with immigrants from outside the EU
116Migration of the low-skilled and clandestines (II)
- Migration is becoming a truly global phenomenon
- Not only is western Europe receiving more
immigrants from outside the EU than in the 1980s - But the regions of origin of the migrants are
increasingly diversified - Several waves
- Fall of the Berlin Wall Eastern Europeans
- First wave Poles, Czechs, and Hungarians into
Germany and other European destinations - Followed by former-Yugoslavs, Albanians,
Romanians, Bulgarians, Ukranians, and Russians
117Migration of the low-skilled and clandestines
(III)
- Several waves (II)
- South/North flows increasing since 1995
- Northern and Sub-Saharan Africans
- Latin Americans
- Central and South East Asians
- Chinese
- Situation similar to that of the US
- Although European borders are more difficult to
police - Most migration is likely to be illegal
- Overstaying visas
- Entering the EU through its Eastern Border
- Making perilous Mediterranean sea crossings
- Illegal immigration increasingly in the hands of
gangs and crime syndicates
118Migration of the low-skilled and clandestines (IV)
- Sectors benefited by migration
- Low-value added services cleaners, waiters,
hotel, and chamber maids - Construction
- Labour-intensive agriculture
- The frequent use of clandestines make them easy
prey for exploitation - Informal sector
- From working as street sellers
- to criminal activities.
119Refugees and asylum seekers (I)
- Boom of refugees and asylum seekers since the end
of the 1980s - As a result of increasing conflict and of
political persecution elsewhere in the world - But also, some claim, as a result of the
increasing differences in wealth - Countries of destination
- Germany at first (more than 100,000 asylum
applications per year at the beginning of the
1990s) - The UK since (more than 100,000 applications in
the year 2000) - Belgium, Ireland, and the Netherlands with the
highest relative weight
120Refugees and asylum seekers (II)
- The inclusion of restrictive legislation across
Europe have contributed to stem the flow - Extension (and co-ordination) of visa requirement
to a large number of countries (Schengen) - Restriction of asylum rights to national of
countries which have not signed the United
Nations Conventions on Refugees and on Human
Rights - Co-ordination of asylum applications across
Europe
121Asylum applications in selected EU countries
122The European response to migration (I)
- Which has been the reaction of the EU to the
renewal of migration across Europe? - Two positions
- Free mobility of labour for EU nationals
- Increasingly restrictive and co-ordinated
policies for non-EU citizens - Free mobility of labour for EU nationals
- Abolition of red-tape
- Equivalence of qualifications
- Social security and welfare recognition
- Removal of physical border controls
- Right of vote to non-nationals in local and
European elections
123The European response to migration (II)
- Restrictive policies for non-EU citizens
- Implementation of harsher national legislative
frameworks both on immigration and asylum - Greater co-ordination of European policies
- Several stages
- Ad hoc groups Trevi, Ad Hoc Group on
Immigration, the Police Working Group on
Terrorism - Schengen Group
- Treaty of the European Union Introduction of the
Third Pillar on Justice and Home Affairs - Treaty of Amsterdam partial Europeanization of
the Third Pillar
124The European response to migration (III)
- Features of a co-ordinated migration policy
- Asylum seekers are entitled to have their cases
reviewed only by one country - Creation of EURODAC
- Homogenization of the EU external borders
- Tougher controls
- Common visa policy
- Creation of databases containing information on
immigrants - Police co-ordination (Europol)
- The emergence of a Fortress Europe
125Migration and xenophobia in the EU (I)
- Why this tightening of European laws towards
migration? - Some claim is the result of increasing demands by
the population - Increasing xenophobia and racist attitudes
- Negative perception of migration by the
population in surveys and opinion polls - Immigrants as criminals
- Immigrants responsible for unemployment
- Immigrants as welfare claimants
- Immigrants as a threat to national culture
- Emergence of xenophobic and racist parties
(France, Belgium, Austria, Germany, Italy) - Increase in the acts of violence against
immigrants (attacks on refugee hostels in
Germany, razzias virtually everywhere else)
126Attitudes towards foreigners in the EU
127Migration and xenophobia in the EU (II)
- Emergence of xenophobic and racist parties
- Front National in France
- Freedom party in Austria
- Vlaams Blok in Belgium
- Neo-nazi groups in Germany
- To a lesser extent, the Northern League in Italy
- Increase in the acts of violence against
immigrants or their descendants - Attacks on refugee hostels in Germany (and what
has been considered a lenient attitude by the
Courts on those crimes until recently - Racial riots in Northern England
- Razzias against immigrants virtually everywhere
else (eg. El Ejido in Spain)
128Migration and xenophobia in the EU (III)
- But it my be also spurred by the securitization
of migration - Negative portrayal of immigrants in European
legislation. - Immigration as a security issue
- Immigration as a cost for European societies
- Immigration as something to be restricted
- Xenophobic discourses by fundamentally right-wing
(but not only right-wing) politicians - General portrayal of immigration as a burden,
rather than as an asset
129Conclusion
- Renewal of mass migration in and towards the EU
since the 1990s - Qualified migration within EU
- Unskilled migration from outside the EU towards
it. - Effects of the new migration wave
- Western Europe becoming more diverse and
cosmopolitan - But also generating rejection
- Negative attitude towards migrants and their
descendants in most EU countries - Restrictive migration and asylum laws across the
EU - Migration being driven underground
130Chapter 5
Unemployment and social polarization
131Introduction
- The post-war economic boom brought about nearly
full employment across most of Western Europe - However the oil crisis, socio-economic
restructuring, and globalization have provoked a
radical change in the panorama - Greater participation of women in the labour
market... - But a significant rise in the levels of
str