50 Years of European Integration

The journal Intereconomics, published bi-monthly by CEPS and the Leibniz Information Centre for Economics (ZBW), features articles dealing with economic and social policy issues affecting Europe. Each issue contains a Forum section offering an in-depth exploration of a selected topic. All contributions to the Forum section in each issue, as well as the Editorial, are available for free downloading from the CEPS website at the links below (for full content, see www.intereconomics.eu). This anniversary issue of Intereconomics is dedicated on the European Intergation.

Abstarct: Fifty years ago, the first issue of Intereconomics was published. In honour of this anniversary, many top European and international economists have contributed papers to this Forum, which looks back on five decades of European integration – from the early days of the European Economic Community to the lingering effects of the recent financial crisis. The contributions also look ahead to what the future holds for the European Union, covering issues as diverse as global trade, the future of the euro, reviving economic growth, the impact of demography and international relations.

Authors: Ernst Niemeier, Mikkel Barslund, Daniel Gros, Niels Thygesen, Otmar Issing, Simon Wren-Lewis, Barry Eichengreen, Charles Wyplosz, Karl Aiginger, Pascal Lamy, Li-Gang Liu and Anders Aslund

Editorial: Five Decades of Economic Policy Debate

By Ernst Niemeier

Forum: Europe’s Place in the Global Economy – What Does the Last Half Century Suggest for the Future?

By Mikkel Barslund and Daniel Gros

Forum: Why Did Europe Decide to Move to a Single Currency 25 Years Ago?

By Niels Thygesen

Forum: On the Relation of Monetary and Political Union

By Otmar Issing

Forum: The Eurozone’s Flaws Are Not Intrinsic

By Simon Wren-Lewis

Forum: Minimal Conditions for the Survival of the Euro

By Barry Eichengreen and Charles Wyplosz