After three decades of relative price stability, inflation has returned with a vengeance to the world’s advanced economies. The trend began in early 2021, …
How to solve a problem like inflation
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Nanny State Index 2023
Germany has taken the top spot as the freest country in Europe once again, with the least amount of nannying regulations like banning, taxing, …
Chat GPT vs Italy
The rest of the world is keen to adopt technological innovations, but Italy seems to be stuck in the past.
Italy’s productivity growth has …
liberal institute interviewed on radio zet
Martin Pánek, director of EPICENTER partner think tank the Liberal Institute, was interviewed on Czechia’s Radio Zet. He discussed how interest rate hikes had …
Kefim report featured on cnn
EPICENTER member think tank KEFiM’s findings on overtaxation’s impact on citizens’ standard of living were featured in ‘CNN Greece’. The article delved into the …
Cécile phillipe writes in les echos
Cécile Philippe, the president of the Économique Molinari Institute, an EPICENTER member think tank, was featured in Les Echoes Philippe argues that entrepreneurs and …
Martin Pánek featured in Euro
Martin Pánek, the director of the EPICENTER partner, the Liberal Institute, was featured in Euro, a popular Czech news site, expressing his support for …
ies europe on digi24 news
Christian Nasulea, the director of EPICENTER member think tank IES, was featured on a popular Romanian news program called Digi24, where he discussed the …
IEM’s nicolas marques on Europe1 radio debate
Nicolas Marques, Senior Fellow at the EPICENTER member think tank Institut Économique Molinari, participated in a debate on demographic changes and pension reform. During …
Dagens Industri features TIMBRO report
EPICENTER member think tank TIMBRO’s report on excessive government market interventions was recently featured in Sweden’s leading daily newspaper, Dagens Industri. The report highlights …
bankier features the warsaw enterprise institute’s study
The Warsaw Enterprise Institute, an EPICENTER partner, had the findings from their report featured in ‘Bankier’, one of Poland’s most popular news platforms. The …
the Warsaw enterprise institute’s findings in Ipolska24
The Warsaw Enterprise Institute, an EPICENTER partner, recently had the findings from their 2022 edition of the ‘Report of Clever Santa’ featured in iPolska24 …
iem’s nicolas marques interviewed for ouest france
Nicolas Marques, a member of the French EPICENTER member think tank, Institut Économique Molinari, was interviewed by Ouest France, a popular news platform. During …
IBL’s inflation briefing in Il foglio
The Istituto Bruno Leoni, an EPICENTER member think tank, recently had their findings featured in ‘Il Foglio’, a popular daily newspaper in Italy. The …
timbro study in dagens nyheter
TIMBRO, an EPICENTER member think tank, recently had their report on the impact of excessive government market interventions on inflationary pressures featured in ‘Dagens …
IEM’s report featured in le figaro
The Institut Économique Molinari, an EPICENTER member think tank, recently had their findings featured in ‘Le Figaro’, one of France’s most popular newspapers. The …
IES europe appears on digi24
Christian Nasulea, the Executive Director of IES Europe, an EPICENTER member think tank, recently made an appearance on Digi24, one of Romania’s most popular …
EPICENTER author Dalibor Rohac featured in politico
Dalibor Rohac, the author of the EPICENTER paper ‘Fast tracking Ukraine – Why granting membership will benefit the EU’, recently shared his insights in …
GREEK NEWS OUTLET ‘LIBERAL’ FEATURES iea publication
The Institute of Economic Affairs, an EPICENTER member think tank, recently had their findings featured in ‘Liberal’, a popular news platform in Greece. Dr. …
ies europe appears on digi24
Christian Nasulea, the Executive Director of IES Europe, an EPICENTER member think tank, recently appeared on Digi24, one of Romania’s top news programs. During …
BRUSSELS REPORT FEATURES EPICENTER BRIEF ON FREE TRADE
Brussels Report recently highlighted EPICENTER’s 2021 ‘Raising Barriers’ report in an article exploring how the European Union’s Free Trade Agreements with third-party countries can …
Greek news outlet ‘Liberal’ features KEFiM
Recently, the Greek news outlet ‘Liberal’ featured the work of KEFiM, an EPICENTER member think tank. The study, which explored the cost-of-living crisis, revealed …
The dangers posed by trade-off deniers
Harry Lime, the villain of the classic movie The Third Man, is an early example of the kind of smart movie villain who is not …
Telecoms and innovation
Until recently, the telecommunications market was held up as an EU success story, with Europeans emerging as the big winners. European consumers were indeed …
Emission Possible
This paper urges EU decision makers to include transportation and buildings into the already existing Emissions Trading System (ETS). The study found that consolidating …
Green Alert
This paper urges EU decision makers to avoid entering a tit-for-tat subsidy battle with the Unites States in response to the US Inflation Reduction …
The EU’s Debt Dilemma
The EU is in an existential debt crisis. This crisis is often overlooked, and if it is not brought under control, it may lead …
An evidence-based tobacco products directive
Work is underway at the European Union to develop a third Tobacco Products Directive. This briefing outlines a number of simple measures that could …
Poland needs to tap into its wind power potential
Poland’s geographic potential for wind energy development is similar to that of industry leaders; yet, the interference of the Polish government continues to block …
Inflation Reduction Act: How protectionism affects US–EU relations
The Inflation Reduction Act signed by the Biden administration in the autumn of 2022 could be one of the most expensive climate legislation in …
Should British free-marketeers deprioritise tax cuts?
What does it mean to be a liberal?
The basic programme of liberalism has been remarkably consistent over the centuries, but the emphasis has …
Tackling Europe’s Cost of Living Crisis
This paper analyses how excessive taxation and regulations are worsening inflationary pressures in eight European countries. As a result of heavy state intervention, European …
Consolidated tape: A radical change to European stock exchanges
European stock exchanges are keenly waiting on the details about the implementation of a consolidated ticker tape. A stock exchange’s ticker tape reports the …
The EU’s Hydrogen Ambitions: A New Gold Fever
As European economies aim to lessen their dependence on Russia, while also keeping with plans to reach carbon emission neutrality by 2050, EU member …
The EU gas buyers’ cartel: a reality check
Since its geopolitical turn, the European Commission has time and again reiterated the need for member states to level up the EU’s autonomous security …
The failure of windfall taxes
The energy sector is in dire need of investments. However, the new government-imposed taxes in Slovakia are instead adding to the financial burden already …
Let the price mechanism do the work!
The French government has introduced a policy that makes it mandatory for parking lots with over 80 parking slots to have a roof with …
Lessons from the FTX Debacle
Once again, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are being claimed dead. For many observers, the bankruptcy of the Bahamas-based trading platform FTX signals the token …
EU Minimum Wage Will Harm Subsidiarity and Low-Income Earners
The briefing reviews the newly passed directive on adequate minimum wages in the EU and investigates its potential negative impacts on traditional collective bargaining …
Zero-emission cars by 2035? Zero sense planning!
The EU has legislated a zero-emissions sales mandate for new cars and vans from 2035, the first of an array of green laws the …
Poland goes nuclear
European countries aim to lessen their dependence on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine while pursuing their goal of realising carbon emissions neutrality in …
EU minimum wage – Harming workers & the union’s subsidiarity
On 4 October 2022, the European Council adopted a directive to push EU member states to streamline the rules by which they set the …
Should profits on electricity and gas be taxed?
At first glance, the EU Commission’s suggestion that above-normal returns in the energy sector be taxed may seem like a reasonable and timely initiative. …
The case against energy price caps
As energy prices soar this year, policymakers in the European Union and the United Kingdom have proposed various measures aimed at limiting energy inflation. …
Let’s brain-drain Russia
September has not been a good month for Vladimir Putin. It opened with a Ukrainian offensive which broke Russian defences near the eastern city …
Denmark can’t solve its cost-of-living crisis with free cheques
In all likelihood, the Danes will have a general election within a month. Campaigning among the Danish politicians has been ongoing for months, although …
Meddling with the price mechanism will become a costly lesson
Inflation is soaring and the Danes are currently seeing their economic prospects being eroded by events beyond their control. The enthusiastic money-printing at the …
Why demand-side support trumps energy price caps
Imagine you buy 10 cans of beer every week, at a price of €2.50 each.
Due to a shortage of hops, the price of …
EU Gas Security: A supply-side solution
In early September, Gazprom announced an indefinite shutdown of the key Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which normally accounts for one-third of Russian gas imports …
Austerity & Tax Reform in Greece
In response to the debt crisis, the Greek government implemented excessively high tax rates in an attempt to save the country from financial collapse. …
Lack of Employability Skills; It Is Time to Wake Up!
Across European countries, this period marks the end of another academic year for many graduating students. It serves as a reminder that there is …
Reform, Deregulation, and Investment: How to Combat Romania’s Housing Crisis
Due to the severe housing crisis in Romania, the government should be putting efforts toward simplifying the property development process rather than maintaining the …
Reducing Red Tape for Polish Businesses
The standard of living crisis has been exacerbated by rising inflation and regulatory costs that have increased prices for the average consumer. As of …
Nuclear Energy Is Not a Systemic Risk
President Macron announced in February 2022 that he wanted to ‘restart the construction of nuclear reactors’ with six new reactors after the definitive closure …
Fast tracking Ukraine
Granting candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova in June 2022 was an important and worthwhile step taken by the EU. Yet, as currently devised, …
The known unkowns of tax and regulatory policy
“We can see that it works” is oftentimes the argument adopted by politicians and NGOs to justify why Danes’ choices must be governed through …
Nuclear energy, not an alternative, but a necessity
Humans are currently faced with an energy transition in response to a challenge of unprecedented magnitude. In order to combat global warming, nations have …
Out of Pocket
This paper examines the tax and regulatory policies fuelling inflation across five European countries. The detailed analysis of high price levels in Germany, Italy, …
Is a common EU energy policy feasible?
After the Russian invasion of Ukraine began on 24 February 2022, questions about energy independence in the EU and the various ways this could …
Time to question the entrepreneurial state and the mission economy
The EU and its member states are increasingly adopting a mission-oriented approach to tackling today’s pressing challenges. This line of thinking has been inspired …
Only a Sith deals in absolutes: how to nudge the Taxonomy towards Light Side
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has forced the European Union and its member states to substantially revise their energy policy in order to meet short-term …
Classical liberalism vs liberal internationalism
In his speech to the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos last month, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that ‘protection of our values …
Podcast with our Director about the sixth round of sanctions on Russia
The Consumer Choice Center recently welcomed our Director, Adam Bartha, to discuss the sixth round of economic sanctions on Russia. The discussion revolved around …
Expresso interview with Adam Bartha on EU energy policy
While the US has made promises to supply more natural gas to Europe, questions have been raised regarding the US’s long-term capacity for such …
Brussels Report fetures LFMI’s brief on DMA
The LFMI’s recent brief entitled “Digital Market Act: Competition, Private Property, Innovation and the Interests of the Users’’ covers all of the complex issues …
LibreMercado Interview with Adam Bartha
Discussing Irene Montero’s recent large spending plan to accommodate inequality in Spain, Adam Bartha weighs in on solutions. Bartha affirms that empty political taglines …
Expresso interview with Adam Bartha on Ukraine
Adam Bartha discusses the evolving Ukraine invasion and Russian sanctions. Bartha covers the potential effects on Russian leadership, what a Post – Putin Russia …
DMA and its security shortfalls
European legislators venture to tackle big tech with the new Digital Markets Act provision. The European Parliament’s diversion from the original text on interoperability …
Interview with Cecile Philippe
Cécile Philippe, President of the IEM, was interviewed on domestic French taxation issues to discussions on what role the EU plays in the French …
The single electronic charger plan is absurd and unwanted
The single charger proposals speak to a deeper issue with the EU’s mindset. This is superfluous intervention, built on spurious grounds, that will only …
The opportunism of European parties in free trade policies
Of the 13 agreements that have been ratified between 2012 and 2019, the Italian Parliament has ratified only 4, all during the same parliamentary …
How Southern European politicians vote on trade
Of the 13 agreements that have been ratified between 2012 and 2019, the Greek Parliament has ratified only 4, all during the same parliamentary …
Populist parties in southern Europe hinder free trade
The opposition parties in Greece, Italy and Spain tend to oppose the ratification of these agreements for environmental concerns and the protection of domestic …
Why is Greece delaying the ratification of the European Free Trade Agreements?
Of the 13 Free Trade Agreements that have been ratified between 2012 and 2019, the Greek Parliament has ratified only four. All during the …
Greece delays ratification of European Free Trade Agreements
A new study published by the EPICENTER network in collaboration with three of its member organizations, including KEFIM, Fundacion Civismo, and Istituto Bruno Leoni, …
How do parties vote of free trade treaties?
Of the 13 agreements that have been ratified between 2012 and 2019, the Italian Parliament has ratified only 4, all during the same parliamentary …
Setting the parameters for a new Tobacco Products Directive
The European Commission is asking for feedback on its Tobacco Products Directive (TPD). The call for evidence closes on 17 June 2022 and is …
Fracking: it’s now or never
In many states across Europe, fracking is banned due to nimbyism (reluctance to be the site of fracking themselves) and pressure from green groups, …
What is the trajectory of global inflation?
Over the previous year we have heard constant talk of the transitory nature of inflation and the reasons why it will be transitory. In …
The realities of France’s fragile economy
It is well known that high production taxes and social contributions in France have been stifling the economy for some time. Prior to the …
The Day of Respect for the Taxpayer
On May 11, Lithuania celebrates The Day of Respect for the Taxpayers. On this occasion, the Lithuanian Free Market Institute (LFMI) stresses that a …
Minimum Corporate Income Tax: When Fallacies Lead to Failures
The European Union is debating a directive that would place a minimum effective corporate income tax (CIT) of 15 percent on large-scale company groups. …
The flight of big businesses weakens Putin
When big companies like Ikea and Apple leave Russia, it puts pressure on the Putin regime. Critics of globalisation are forced to realise that …
It is not NATO that is destabilising Europe
In August 1993, Russian President Boris Yeltsin travelled to Poland for an unplanned visit. The staff of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs was …
The Minimum Corporate Tax Directive and EU Challenges Today
At the end of 2021, the European Commission released a “Proposal for a council directive on ensuring a global minimum level of taxation for …
Supporting Ukraine
Since the war in Ukraine intensified, a strong network of civil society united to help as much on the ground as possible.
Besides donations …
Where did the Digital Market Act lose competition, property, innovation and user interests?
The European Parliament, the European Commission, and the European Council continue negotiations on the Digital Markets Act (DMA), a proposed regulation aimed at curtailing …
The battle for free societies
Many classical liberals dedicate their professional lives to making their societies freer, fairer, and more prosperous. We are battling bad ideas that would impoverish …
When market failure attracts rent-seekers
Market failures are not simply outcomes you do not like. They are institutional inefficiencies such as externalities (where a proportion of the cost or …
Oxfam’s bad ideas entrench poverty, disease and destitution
Oxfam is back to their old tricks, making pseudoscientific claims about inequality. It is once again hating on the rich while backing policies that will …
How the status quo serves platform workers and consumers
The European Commission has proposed a Directive of the European Parliament and Council on improving working conditions on platform work. The proposal lays down …
Changing the rules: A unilateral approach to non-tariff barriers
From 2023, all EU goods destined for the UK market will need to be certified with a new regulatory customs mark, recognising the regulatory independence of the …
How to identify and avoid gold-plating EU regulations
Preventing gold-plating is once again reinstated by the EU as an important measure to reduce barriers to the single market. Gold-plating is not in …
Will the 2020s be a good decade for classical liberals?
YES – says Alexander Hammond
It is unlikely that most people will be rampant classical liberals by 2030. Still, for the remainder of …
Energy price hikes: less moralising, more economics
The energy-price crisis is an economic problem.
It is not a moral problem. It is a matter of bringing supply and demand for various …
The Reform of Fiscal Discipline Rules should not be rushed
Fiscal Rules of the European Union
Olaf Scholz, the new German Chancellor, visited French President Emmanuel Macron on 14 December to discuss questions regarding …
Classical liberalism and the geopolitical stand-off with Russia
Generations of students of international relations (IR) at British universities have learned that liberals detest war and actively seek possibilities to eradicate conflict out …
The cracks in China’s economy
The Chinese real estate giant Evergrande has been a popular topic of conversation in recent weeks. It is not only the company’s liabilities of …
The decline in poverty and the increase in the number of billionaires go hand in hand
The Index of Economic Freedom, which is compiled every year by the Heritage Foundation, shows that the most capitalist countries have an average per capita …
The economic damage inflicted by production taxes
Production taxes in France have long been a contentious issue closely linked to employment and wage growth. France currently sets one of the highest …
How Spain hurts its youth
Agenda setting is both important and difficult. Politics tends to veer towards topical issues which are not always the most relevant. Moreover, parties tend …
Market mechanisms are the silver lining of COP26
While COP26 seems to have had lukewarm effects on the global approach towards more sustainable policies, a key takeaway is the promotion of market …
Can the CBAM ensure a cost-efficient energy transition?
The Carbon Borders Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is one of the key regulations to compliment the EU’s existing ETS scheme in tackling carbon leakages. As …
Can Lukashenko use migration to pit EU states against each other?
EU states neighbouring Belarus have been encountering the largest migrant flows through a newly discovered Eastern …
Changing competences
The European Union often concludes international trade agreements, which contain shared competences with the Member States (the so-called mixed competences agreements), thus they require …
Why tax competition benefits Europe
The latest International Tax Competitiveness Index, published by the Tax Foundation, illustrates the wide variation in the quality of tax systems across Europe. Many …
Raising barriers
The voting patterns of political parties in the national parliaments of Greece, Italy and Spain, and of their members of the European Parliament, show …
The DSA and Small and Medium Enterprises as users of online services
The proposed EU Digital Services Act (DSA) aims to protect users of digital services, but unfortunately it also creates serious new risks for both …
Liberalising Europe by raising the barriers to trade
A new EPICENTER Discussion Paper by trade experts from Italy, Spain, and Greece outlines the reasons for scepticism towards free trade in the South …
Can Adoption of the Danish ‘Flexicurity’ Model Reduce EU Youth Unemployment?
The pandemic has not only had a disproportionate effect on youth employment as young people were more than twice as likely to lose their …
New Europe’s cover story on economic freedom
Overall, the EU has an economic freedom score of 7.78 out of 10, which has been stable for the past decade. To put this …
1828 features a debate on Afghanistan with our Director
Afghanistan is a textbook example of the sunk cost fallacy – where throwing additional financial and human resources at the problem will not improve …
Keynesian economics and the Italian Recovery Plan
The Italian government has recently presented the RRP (Recovery and Resilience Plan) to Parliament. On 30 April, it was sent to Brussels for initial …
Diaspora Mainstreaming in EU Development Cooperation with Africa
Diaspora communities hold incalculable potential to support their home countries and have long been acknowledged as actors for development thanks to their unique transnational …
Global inequality at lowest level for 140 years
The world has become a much better place in recent decades when it comes to poverty and prosperity: extreme poverty has been significantly reduced …
Deepening the EU-Japan EPA
The EU and Japan are like-minded: both support a rules-based, open global trade system and share similar values on democracy, freedom of expression and …
GAFAM tax: the hidden truth
The GAFAM, an acronym for US tech giants Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft, are constantly – and wrongly – accused of not paying …
Prospects of a free trade deal with India
During the summer the EU Council published “A Globally Connected Europe”, in which it outlined its geopolitical strategy towards Asia, intending to deepen its …
Will centralisation resolve the EU’s asylum woes?
In June, the European Parliament and Council of the EU reached a provisional agreement to transform the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) into a …
Afghanistan is exposing the weaknesses of the EU’s security policy
The military withdrawal from Afghanistan has enabled the Taliban to gain full control of the country, which severely threatens civil rights. The rights of …
Mind the Gap: Pay Transparency Provisions in the EU
The European Commission seeks to strengthen the principle of equal pay for work of equal value between men and women through pay transparency and …
Taxation Matters
As the International Tax Competitiveness Index states, the structure of a country’s tax code is an important determinant of its economic performance. A well-structured …
Brussels report features our briefing on DSA
In order to deliver a successful strategy, to avoid conflicts between EU Member States and the European Commission, the best strategy is to conceive …
CCC podcast on Belarus with our Director
The Consumer Choice Center interviewed our Director for a podcast on the Belarusian sanctions. Adam Bartha praised the EU for implementing further sanctions on …
EPICENTER briefing covered by Mace Magazine
The European Commission claims that the Digital Services Act (DSA) will deliver much-needed harmonisation and clarity of regulation. In fact, it introduces new risks …
Brussels Report covers our briefing on ECB
The ECB’s accounts have become the waste-bin for the financial garbage of the entire Eurozone. In this zero-sum game, there are winners and losers. At …
New Europe features our briefing on DMA
A transatlantic tech partnership would spur collaborations between governments and companies to rebalance the rising Chinese tech industry. With optimal innovation policies, Chinese state-sponsored …
MiCA regulation: costs and missed opportunities
Since the 2018 Bitcoin crash and more recently since Facebook’s announcement of a global ‘stablecoin’ Diem, the EU has taken a greater interest in …
A Global Minimum Corporate Tax Won’t Come Without a Cost
What was once a pipedream in academic circles, a global minimum corporate tax might soon be a reality that could change the way the …
Nord Stream 2: further weakening EU strategy on Russia
The recent outrage sparked by the German-Franco proposal of an EU-Russia summit for Poland and the Baltic States shows how deeply the EU is …
The EU’s digital package and the role of national competition authorities
The European Union has targeted large online platforms as potential threats to competition in the digital world. According to the Commission’s Vice President and …
The New European Digital Services Act: Risky for Consumers and Innovation
The EU Commission proposed the new Digital Services Act (DSA) and Digital Markets Act (DMA) in December 2020. Collectively, these proposals are an important …
A “right to disconnect” will undermine flexibility
It can be a pain when your boss rings you when you are having a TV dinner, or an important email pings on your …
Time to finish fishing subsidies
Historically the EU has subsidised certain industries, especially those in the agricultural sector. EU fisheries are no exception, with the European Maritime and Fisheries …
G7 deal on multinational tax fails to live up to the hype
The G7 agreement on new principles for taxing multinationals is not the ‘breakthrough’ that many are claiming. It probably will not make a lot …
The Future of European Democracy
The Conference on the Future of the Europe seeks to tackle the long-criticised ‘democratic deficit’ of the European Union with its emphasis on citizen …
The Digital Markets Act: Precaution over Innovation
On 15 December 2020, the EU Commission released a proposal for a Regulation on Contestable and Fair Markets in the Digital Sector – referred …
Decarbonisation through technological freedom
Most countries are not on track to meet their promises made under the Paris Agreement, as impactful climate action is often hindered by the …
Human rights violations and the future of the EU-Turkey relationship
Recent events in Turkey have created extreme tensions between Turkey and the EU. There have been serious violations in the justice system, social life, …
The empirical evidence is clear: anti-vaping policies are pro-tobacco policies
A study published in JAMA Pediatrics this week looked a ban on e-cigarette flavours implemented in San Francisco on 1 January 2019. The ban was supposed …
Europe’s e-health status: balancing innovation and data protection
The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the rate of digitisation in European healthcare systems. Europe’s ageing population projections estimate that by 2070 people aged 65 or …
The shadow value of personal data
Last month, civil society and regulators celebrated World Consumer Rights Day, an occasion to mark the rights of consumers. This year, the date took …
Is the ‘Zoomshock’ here to stay?
Working at home is something many of us have got used to – maybe too used to – over the last year. In a …
Mace Magazine features IEM’s article on EU Covid strategy
It yet remains to be seen if the vaccine will deliver the promise of a return to normal life, with no new waves of …
We’ve got a serious pan-European constitutional problem
Debt mutualisation across EU Member States has recently been brought to the forefront of discussion. Firstly, because of the European Central Bank’s (ECB) balance-sheet operations, …
Nanny State Index 2021
The 2021 edition of the Nanny State Index, which has been expanded to 30 countries in Europe, shows that Germany has taken the top spot …
Taxing Capital – An International Comparison
The taxation of capital—at both the individual and the corporate level – is much debated and affects economic growth by lowering the incentives to …
Nanny State Index Launch
European governments are becoming increasingly paternalistic in the way they regulate the lifestyle choices of their citizens. The Nanny State Index – which ranks …
Rent Control: another such victory, and we are done
Last month, the Berlin Rent Control Act was found to violate the German constitution. This was the right call, but the Federal Constitutional Court …
Who ends up paying taxes?
Tax shifts are widespread – often at the expense of the consumer – but governments do not always seem to be aware of the …
Towards a new fiscal policy
In February, the Bank of Spain published its statistics on the Spanish public debt, indicating that state liabilities reached 117.08% of GDP at the …
AI Creations: Legally Protected?
Imagine you just purchased a painting from Sotheby’s called Portrait of Edmond Belamy (“Portrait”) for $432,500. Portrait was AI-generated. Your neighbour Jim takes a …
Liberal features our recent article on vaccine passports
Overall, the best way of maximising freedom and helping to restart international travel in a way that does not damage public health is through …
Liberal features our recent article on EU-China relations
There is scepticism towards the EU-China Comprehensive Agreement’s effective capacity to truly level the playing field diplomatically. Critics have pointed out that while the …
From FTAs to MRAs: The Potential Pathway forward for the EU and US
The United States lacks a comprehensive free trade agreement (FTA) with the EU, and the failed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations during …
Debating Democracy
Protecting equal democratic rights across all sections of society, irrespective of one’s ethnicity, gender or wealth is a cornerstone of liberal democracies – and …
The case for a liberal precautionary principle
The EU’s travails over vaccine supply have revitalised calls in some free-market circles for the scrapping of the precautionary principle (PP). This is the …
COVID vs the environment: the Kuznets Curve in action?
The COVID-19 pandemic and the accompanying lockdowns reduced global CO2 emissions by 7 percent last year. Some environmentalists, such as the University College London …
Market Monetarism in the EU: The Case for Nominal GDP Targeting
Monetary policy could become a problem for the Eurozone as we recover from the pandemic. Given the huge increases in the volatility of money, …
Vaccine Passports are the way to go for the EU
Vaccine passports are all the rage right now in the EU. One of the largest consequences of the pandemic has been significant restrictions to …
The EU’s unwarranted attack on big tech
Amidst a global populist attack on “Big Tech”, the European Union has not just failed to resist, but has embraced unwarranted attacks on some …
Lessons from vaccination strategies: the EU needs a dose of pragmatism
While the EU has been criticised for its lack of preparation, guidance, and strong unified response amidst the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the arrival of vaccines …
Vaping’s image problem
Surveys suggest that public understanding of the risks and benefits of e-cigarettes has become divorced from the scientific evidence. A Eurobarometer survey conducted in …
Milano Post presents the Index of Liberalisation 2020
Milano Post presents the main points of the new Index of Liberalisation, with the UK holding the first position and Italy the sixth position. …
La Repubblica covers Italy’s high position in the Index of Liberalisation 2020
La Repubblica shows that Italy is among the most liberalised countries of Europe by referring to the Index of Liberalisation 2020. The article also …
Harm Reduction or Humbug?
The European Commission has recently launched several initiatives that will make safer nicotine products less appealing to smokers. The Commission’s Scientific Committee on Health, …
Prices in a time of corona: the law and economics of price-gouging
The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted widespread calls for stricter regulation of price gouging across the European Union. Whilst the calls come from a good …
The EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment is oversold
After almost seven years of discussions and negotiations, it was announced on December 30, 2020, that the EU and China concluded in principle the …
Is the EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment a diplomatic loss for the EU?
In December 2020, negotiations were concluded for the highly anticipated EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI). Economically, the objectives and achievements of the CAI …
Should classical liberals encourage secession?
Europe is a continent of small and medium-sized nations, and many citizens in these nations wish to form even smaller ones. Should free-market liberals …
Enough of the “coronfirmation bias”
Last spring, my colleague Chris Snowdon compiled an amusing Twitter thread highlighting examples of commentators and activists who were using the pandemic as a new excuse …
EPICENTER research used in El Mundo
Public debt could soar to as much as 126% of GDP should Catalonia leave the EU and Spain. Research conducted by Civismo & EPICENTER …
El Liberal presents EPICENTER’s report on the costs of Catalonia’s independence
The article summarises the main points of EPICENTER’s analysis on the economic costs of a hypothetical independence of Catalonia. Read the article in Spanish …
Crónica Global covers our paper publication on Catalonia’s independence
The article summarises the main points of EPICENTER’s and Civismo’s analysis on the economic costs of a hypothetical independence of Catalonia. Read the full …
New Europe covers our IBL new report on obesity and overweight in OECD countries
The new IBL report shows that existing international comparisons measuring obesity are flawed as a result of inaccurate data being compiled on a national …
Index of Liberalisation 2020
The Index of Liberalisation unveils which countries rank best in economic liberalisation and provides insight on countries with the infrastructure to rebound quicker following …
Adam Bartha discusses the rule of law in Europe for the ConsEUmer Podcast
On the ConsEUmer Podcast Adam Bartha discusses the rule of law situation across Europe and the European Commissions new mechanism to combat illiberal democracies. …
Mark Tatala discusses the decline of the rule of law in Poland for New Europe
Poland’s Law and Justice Party vetoed a resolution supporting linking EU funding to the rule of law. This makes a lot of sense given …
Syed Kamall writes for New Europe on what Biden’s victory means for global trade
As President, Donald Trump was a disruptive force shown through the withdrawal from the TPP and ending of NAFTA. Joe Biden premiership, Syed Kamall …
For Libre Mercado, Adam Bartha argues that Spain is a bad example to follow
Adam Bartha argues that the Spanish approach to mitigate the economic consequences of the pandemic is the wrong one to follow. The emphasis should …
Adam Bartha talks to Al Jazeera about European responses to COVID-19
On Al Jazeera Adam Bartha discusses the impacts of new restrictions on European economies. He argued that poor domestic policy has made the economic …
EURACTIV use EPICENTER research showing Estonia has the best taxation in the EU
EURACTIV features the latest International Tax Competitiveness Index. The article outlines that Estonia has the most competitive tax system globally. This is highlighted by …
Italy has least competitive tax regime in EU
The International Tax Competitiveness found that Italy has the worst tax regime in the whole of Europe. Anse Politics feature the report describing the …
Rising populism signals declining economic freedom argues Dorottya Tornai for Liberal
Dorottya Tornai analyses the link between the rise in populism and the decline in economic freedom. She argues that this signals caution to those …
The Commission’s ignorance on the rule of law; a victory for authoritarians says Adam Bartha for New Europe
In her state of the union address there is a convenient lack of substance on the rule of law from Von der Leyen. EU …
EU Reporter feature new paper on China by Stephen Davies and Syed Kamall
Fears of a new cold war with China are growing day by day. A new foreign policy is needed in Europe to prevent a …
Ombeline Lemarchal writes for Liberal about Food Security after COVID-19
The CAP is an ineffective tool to address the true problems agriculture is facing amidst the pandemic. For Liberal, Ombeline Lemarchal argues that the …
In New Europe Adam Bartha argues that new EU budget must improve transparency
The EU never let a good crisis go to waste, and they’re not wasting this one. However, Adam Bartha argues that they must be …
Expresso interview Adam Bartha on the Budapest Model adopted by Poland
Andrzej Duda victory in the Polish elections signals a further decline of the rule of law in Poland. For Expresso, Adam Bartha argues that …
Adam Bartha discusses the rise of authoritarianism in Hungary
Hungary’s dissent into autocracy represents a crisis of the European Union. Members of the European Parliament should be more careful not to support the …
Adam Bartha interviewed for Libertania on Brexit, the EU and COVID-19
Adam Bartha is interviewed by Libertania on the Brexit process, the path that the EU is taking, and the pandemic. Read the full interview …
Klaus Ulrich writes for Liberal about why price controls don’t work in a pandemic
Calls for price controls to help prevent Covid related price shocks do not make sense. For Liberal, Klaus Ulrich shows that if anti price …
Adam Bartha talks to Mike Graham on TalkRadio on Hungarian populism
Adam Bartha talks to Mike Graham on TalkRadio on Hungarian populism. Listen the the whole conversation here.
Adam Bartha writes about springtime for Orban in 1828
Adam Bartha describes the descent into autocracy in Hungary. Under the illusion of an emergency, tyrannical powers have been passed that provide the Prime …
Adam Bartha warns about Hungary’s descent into totalitarianism in EU Reporter
In EU Reporter Adam Bartha warns about a bill passed in Hungary seeking to suspend the Parliament indefinitely establishing rule by decree. He argues …
Zine-Eddine Aklil comments on European merger policy for Liberal
Does the lack of European Champions show that the EU merger policy is too strict? Zine-Eddine Aklil answers no. Rather, the EU should look …
Adam Bartha writes on the EU-Turkey relation during the immigration crisis
Turkey has taken the brunt of the refugee crisis taking in 3.6 Million refugees. Adam Bartha argues for 1828 that the EU should do …
Otto Brons-Petersen writes for Liberal on the threat of a populist EU
The rising popularity of populism across Europe should not be met with a more populist EU. It is also a common misconception that populist …
Syed Kamall shows how London would fail under Sadiq Khan’s rent control
Syed Kamall shows that rent controls are not the solution to London’s housing crisis. In Sweden, this policy saw the development of a strong …
Emma Revell writes for CityAM on Sweden’s disastrous rent controls and their lessons for London
Emma Revell uses EPICENTER publication to show that rent controls have failed in Sweden. London would be mistaken to take up a policy that …
Emily Carver writes on lessons drawn from the irresponsible rent controls in Sweden
Sadiq Khan’s proposals to introduce rent controls are unfounded. Emily Carver shows through the example of Sweden that this policy creates a gameable system …
Sadiq Khan’s rent control proposals in CapX
The example of Sweden shows that rent controls do not work. In Stockholm 670,000 people are currently waiting for housing out of a population …
Spain’s Minimum Vital Income – a deceiving UBI
The COVID-19 crisis has not only led to a health disaster, but has also profoundly affected our economies and lifestyles. The European economy has …
Over-reach: the EU’s lifestyle regulation plans
A report published by the European Commission on 3 February 2021 proposes a range of nanny state interventions intended to reduce the consumption of …
The EU National Energy and Climate Plans
With the Clean Energy for All Europeans package, the European Union has committed to being carbon-neutral by 2050. In order to achieve this goal, …
The economic cost of Catalonia’s hypothetical independence
Since the 2017 constitutional crisis in Catalonia, the momentum to secede from Spain has grown, but the potential economic impact has not been thoroughly …
Obesity and Overweight in Italy and the OECD Area
The way obesity is measured throughout the EU and OECD countries is significantly flawed. This paper shows that existing international comparisons measuring obesity are …
Biden and the future of the transatlantic relationship
Under the Trump Administration, the world watched America retreat from globalism, international cooperation, and a committed partnership with Europe. The Trump presidency fostered American …
How to contain the crisis and reform the Polish justice system?
The crisis in the rule of law that Poland has witnessed since 2015 must be contained as soon as possible. Any proposal to restore …
WHO is your nanny?
Some countries allow you to buy a beer at any time day or night. Others have total prohibition. The enormous differences in the way …
The rule of law crisis in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to serious health and economic emergencies all over the world. Moreover, it has also affected democratic institutions and the …
A step in the wrong direction
In September the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs held a debate on the New Pact on Asylum and Migration. …
The Unemployment Trap in Lithuania
Prior to the crisis triggered by the COVID-19 outbreak, the Lithuanian economy had been enjoying a rapid growth. Yet, while the number of available …
The Trade-Off between Data Privacy and Terrorism Prosecution
In light of the recent terrorist attacks in mainland Europe, the Council of the European Union has released a draft resolution to reconsider encryption …
Minimum Wage Wars in Europe
At the end of October, the European Commission proposed a Directive to introduce adequate minimum wages across the EU. Although the end objective is …
Credit Day 2020
This year Credit Day for the European Union falls on the 17th of December. This is the day which, on average, EU member states …
The best choice for the US economy
The American presidential election was really about choosing the lesser of two evils. The combination of Biden as president and a Republican majority in …
EU Accession and Economic Freedom
The access to European Union and the status of EU membership require significant reforms in order for a country to align with the Union’s …
Resetting transatlantic climate cooperation
Everybody seems to agree that climate and energy policy is an area – possibly the area – where the difference between US President Donald …
Economic Openness and National Security Can Go Hand in Hand
The Trump administration has engaged in an all-out war against Chinese technology and its exports to the US, with the President recently signing off …
Rule of law in Poland 2020
As a member of various international and European organisations, Poland is bound by the requirement to respect the rule of law so as to …
Is GAIA-X doomed to fail?
As we are nearing the end of the German presidency of the Council of the EU, it is time to assess the term’s projects …
Free Trade is a Human Right
As Joe Biden becomes the 46th President of the United States, international trade will be the center of attention again. Joe Biden is not …
The East German Healthcare Phenomenon
The reunification of West Germany and East Germany took place 30 years ago, ending a period of around 45 years during which Germany had …
Getting quickly out of crises – what do we know?
Coronavirus has resulted in a major economic crisis, and caused immense damage to both the economy and people’s lives. This damage is both a …
Economically free countries have fewer and less severe economic crises
With most of the world in a deep economic crisis due to coronavirus and the government reactions to it, knowledge of effective crisis policy …
Crypto-Assets in European Markets – A Strategy for the Future
The European Commission recently published a Digital Finance Strategy which includes concrete propositions for the regulation of crypto-assets. This is the first time a …
Towards a more autonomous EU
The European Council President Charles Michel envisions a more “autonomous” (i.e. economically self-sufficient) EU. However, this pursuit of economic independence, under the guise of …
Lessons from Estonia
Like other issues, taxes are one of those policy areas where the differences between EU member states are greater than the commonalities. The International …
A response to the SCHEER preliminary opinion
In September 2020, the EU’s Scientific Committee on Health, Environmental and Emerging Risks (SCHEER) published a preliminary opinion (SCHEER 2020) on electronic cigarettes which …
Reforming tax policy in Europe after Covid
The post-COVID world poses significant challenges for taxation policy. Our recent panel discussion with FNF was based on the recent publication of the …
The future of European Tax Competition Essay Prize
As the International Tax Competitiveness Index states, the structure of a country’s tax code is an important determinant of its economic performance. A well-structured …
International Tax Competitiveness Index
The International Tax Competitiveness Index (ITCI) seeks to measure the extent to which a country’s tax system adheres to two important aspects of tax …
Decentralise financing to improve the rule of law
The new Commission report on the rule of law in the EU has found that ‘there are serious challenges, cases where the resilience of …
Competing Aims: Reforming Tax Policy Across Europe After Covid
Tax competition is often presented as a zero-sum game, instead of an important policy tool that can foster growth and create further opportunities to …
Finding the right balance: EU-China relations after Covid-19
The virtual meeting between top-level EU and Chinese officials on 14 September appears to be an ironic metaphor of the increasing distance in the …
CBAM: The Devil is in the Detail
The EU Commission launched a public consultation on the adoption of a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), i.e. a fee to be levied on …
Working conditions of platform workers
The European Commission has published a study on working conditions of platform workers. The report identifies key challenges related to platform work, such as …
Global supply chains in a post-COVID world
COVID-19 has caused huge disruptions to global trade and supply chains, both directly and indirectly (as a result of policy responses: lockdowns, social distancing …
Rejecting Mercosur would be a lose-lose
Nearly a month ago, “Fridays for Future” speaker Luisa Neubauer met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. According to Neubauer, Merkel assured her that she …
Rule of law in Poland
The presidential elections in Poland in 2020, which were won by the incumbent Andrzej Duda, the candidate of the ruling Law and Justice party, …
Trade wars & digital taxation
A digital services taxation framework within the EU has been discussed widely over the course of the last two years, with the State of …
Institutional proximity and economic freedom
The European Union has long positioned itself in a unique role in the international policy sphere. The concept of the EU as a ‘normative …
Netherland’s crackdown on e-cigarettes
The Netherlands is on the brink of introducing plain packaging for e-cigarettes. The only other country to have gone down that path is Israel. Not many …
Is populism endangering economic freedom?
Nationalism and populism have permeated the sphere of global politics in the 21st century, and the EU is no exception. This particular change in …
Labour Regulation in Europe during Covid-19
The regulation of labour and employment lies at the heart of any debate on economic freedom. State intervention into the labour market, and especially …
Economic Freedom of the World
The Economic Freedom of the World Index measures the degree to which the policies and institutions of countries are supportive of economic freedom. The …
A German Climate Presidency
On the 1st of July, Germany took over the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU. This presidency came at an important time …
You Had One Job
The World Health Organization (WHO) and Public Health England (PHE) have been widely criticised for their response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Serious questions have …
Challenges related to fair minimum wages
This position paper is a response to the European Commission’s second phase consultation with social partners. The EC’s initiative has a general objective of …
The response to the pandemic: A Hayekian view
Socio-economic systems should be understood as ‘complex’ phenomena that cannot effectively be controlled or managed through central planning. In general, markets and other decentralised …
Rent controls: the revenge of Econ 101
One of the frustrating things about being an economist is that people listen to you when they shouldn’t, and refuse to listen to you …
Maximum taxation, minimal benefits for France
For the fifth consecutive year, France has been the champion of taxation, with the average French citizen paying more than half of their income …
Health or the economy? A dangerous dichotomy
During the first of two briefings on Covid-19 in his state, New York governor Andrew Cuomo stated: “If it is public health or the …
Chinese Puzzle
Covid–19 is provoking a major reorientation of the foreign policy of the US and Europe. At the heart of this is their changing relationship …
The rise of power politics
The Covid-19 pandemic has not only led to a health and economic crisis across Europe, but also a political one. Political leaders …
Food Security in the wake of Covid-19
Global food supply chains have been disrupted by restrictions on movement, and rising food protectionism has threatened access to food and its affordability. Emerging …
Polish Minority Rights and the EU
Polish president, Andrzej Duda, and his close political ally, the Law and Justice Party, PiS, have not been shy of controversies during this last …
Aiming at a common market, not redistribution
In 2018 the European Commission presented its proposed EU budget as “new,” “modern” and “focused.” However, in terms of its expenditure and revenue the …
An Open Letter on the EU Budget
The negotiations on the European Union’s multi-annual financial perspective for 2021-2027 are underway. The European Commission’s recently updated budget proposal with suggested measures regarding …
Presidential elections in Poland – concentrated or separated power?
Incumbent President Andrzej Duda or Mayor of Warsaw Rafal Trzaskowski? That is the choice facing Polish voters on 12 June, in the second round …
How will Covid-19 affect global trade?
In April, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) published its latest trade forecast predicting global trade in goods would fall by between 13% and 32% in 2020 …
Freight Expectations: Post-pandemic prospects for global trade
The World Trade Organization has predicted that global trade in goods will drop by between 13 and 32 per cent in 2020 as a …
Post-coronavirus, how should the West approach China?
Covid–19 has done more than cause a medical and economic crisis. It is provoking a major reorientation of the foreign policy of both the United …
Coronavirus and the economic value of human life
The Covid-19 crisis has provided many grim examples of some familiar problems in health economics and cost-benefit analysis, and of the ‘tragic choices’ that …
Inflation: The next threat?
The policy reaction to the Covid-19 pandemic will increase budget deficits massively in all the world’s leading countries. The deficits will to a significant …
“Next Generation EU” spending plan: Towards strengthening or weakening the EU in the long run?
While the media, right and left-wing parties and the average newspaper reader celebrate in anticipation of “helicopter money” from Brussels, or otherwise the so-called …
The end of the liberal international order
If there seems to be any consensus among academics it is that the dominant Western liberal international order is coming to an end. With …
Do low emissions zones really work?
At the moment, the general sense of alarm caused by the supposed consequences of climate change is something that is shared by all Western …
The issue at stake was not to choose between lives and the economy
We often hear that managing a crisis like coronavirus depends on societal choices. The choice would be to save lives or economies. Health and …
The fake American stimulation: an economic analysis of Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act
We almost pity American federal and state elected officials for having to deal with the situation caused by COVID-19. Overnight, social media users have …
The Road to Post-Pandemic Recovery
Thus far, three recovery programs have been proposed in response to the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The first recovery program was …
Vaccine: we must change our absurd rules instead of castigating Sanofi
Excessively high taxes on production, exceedingly slow authorizations for market launch, and an overbearing bureaucracy. France is ensuring that innovation, especially regarding pharmaceuticals, happens …
Can ‘profiteering’ ever be justified?
Given that even ‘profit’ now seems to be dirty word, it is no surprise that being accused of ‘profiteering’ during a crisis is about …
Now is not the time to go soft on globalisation (part 2)
…continued from Part 1.
No discussion of globalisation would be complete without considering some of the myths that have over the recent years come to …
No relocation without tax and regulatory relief
French inadequacies in the face of the COVID-19 crisis are giving rise to a fully fledged attack on globalisation. We are observing an increase …
Now is not the time to go soft on globalisation
The progress that free trade and globalisation have achieved are coming under severe threat from the Covid-19 pandemic. There are siren …
The future of Artificial Intelligence
In February the Commission published the White Paper On Artificial Intelligence – A European approach to excellence and trust. It includes some interesting proposals …
Coronabonds are not necessary
To overcome the Covid-19 crisis, the European Central Bank is considering pooling debt issuances among the countries of the Eurozone in what has recently …
Model Behaviour: How economists can shape the post-lockdown word
The seminal work on epidemiological models was carried out in the late 1920s and early 1930s. The models have developed substantially since then, but …
The problem is not testing capacity but testing participation
This paper argues that testing participation – and not testing capacity – is the biggest obstacle to a successful “test and isolate” strategy, as …
How fragile systems worsened the impact of COVID-19
There are features of our way of life and some of our economic systems that make outbreaks like Covid-19 more likely. The pandemic we …
The problems of financing through European mechanisms
There has been a great deal of debate recently – not just in the media, but also in academia and among economic analysts – …
COVID-19: WHO to blame?
Much of the WHO rhetoric on COVID-19 has treated the pandemic as an unavoidable, natural disaster devoid of blame – this is …
Going Viral: The History and Economics of Pandemics
Pandemics are a recurring feature of human history. In the modern world, since the 1770s, we have had a series of pandemics, with a …
Responses to COVID-19 of governments in selected countries
The COVID-19 pandemic is a serious challenge for societies around the world. In response to it not only individuals are changing their behaviour, but …
Carbon tax – an idea whose time has come
I was sitting in a hot tub in Leningrad in the summer of 1990 when I realised the Soviet Union would fall.
There were …
The Oil Price War
In tandem with the stock market crash, following persisting negative news regarding the coronavirus, oil prices have drastically dropped. The current demand for oil …
Coronabonds offer the wrong path
The German newspaper ‘Süddeutsche Zeitung’ published an open letter by well-known artists about an initiative to issue Coronabonds in order to share the burden …
Could ‘Lombardy Bonds’ be the answer to the Eurozone debt puzzle?
At the last Eurogroup meeting, Eurozone finance ministers agreed to set up a ‘Recovery Fund’ to help trigger an economic rebound once the lockdowns …
Why do Germany and the Netherlands oppose coronabonds?
In recent weeks, the global impact of the coronavirus has brought a huge number of new questions to the fore. For the time being …
Arguing against price controls in the face of COVID-19
Periods of economic crisis are a breeding ground for all sorts of populist ideas, often ideas that had been discarded in the past due …
Spanish lessons from the pandemic
Although the COVID-19 pandemic is by no means over, in Spain we can already start to learn some lessons that will ensure the same …
How much will the shutdown of the Danish economy cost?
This analysis is based on five scenarios for the length of the shutdown and an attempt to rate the industry’s production losses. The scenarios …
What the EU can learn from Swiss and Scandinavian carbon tax policies
The EU has established a plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions through a €1tn European Green Deal. It aims to make the entire bloc …
Coronavirus is not the end of globalisation
The outbreak of the new coronavirus COVID-19 has been described as a threat to globalisation. But spreading risk across the world is essential in …
Coronomics: the case against “Corona Keynesianism”
Even if not a technical recession (two quarters of negative growth), a severe coronavirus-induced downturn looks certain across major economies.
Markets signal it. Top economists …
Is the European Commission to blame for the absence of European champions?
Following the veto of the Alstom-Siemens merger, the European Commission has been criticised for preventing the creation of “European champions” of comparable size to …
Giving the EU-GCC Trade Relations a Chance
Oman started 2020 off on the right foot when it comes to economic freedom. Only a few days before Sultan Qaboos passed away on …
The pursuit of a more popular EU may be a risky and hazardous business
Britain has left the EU. Politicians in Brussels and Member States are seeking a mission for The Union that has broad public appeal in …
The Education Voucher, a proposal For Excellence
The idea behind education vouchers has a solid academic and research backing. This arguably began in the 1950s with Nobel Laureate Milton Friedman proposing …
France’s quest for European tech leadership
Despite being a fierce supporter of pro-Europeanism and market liberalisation in the past, Emmanuel Macron’s plans for European-wide protectionism has been relatively unsuccessful. Early …
Stop trying to make trade agreements “woke”
Trade has lifted billions of people out of poverty by fostering international cooperation, expanding consumer choice, and above all, by integrating developing economies into …
5G and Huawei’s impact on trade tensions
With increased security risks concerning Huawei’s ties with the Chinese state and the firm’s planned rollout of 5G across Europe, the European Commission appears …
The harmful effects of negative interest rates
Over the past month, six eurozone banks have dropped below the European Central Bank’s (ECB) capital requirements. As a result, they have been told …
Foreign Policy: Should the EU have one?
To start off the year, President Donald Trump approved a co-ordinated drone strike which resulted in the death of Iranian general, Qassem Soleimani. As …
A new chapter between the EU and Vietnam
In 2019, the European Commission agreed a landmark Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Vietnam, which was ratified by the European Parliament earlier this week. …
What policy questions will be created by driverless cars?
The 2020s will see the introduction of one of the most profoundly transformative technologies for decades: the driverless car. In the world we have …
Decentralisation of the Climate Crisis: Introducing Green Visas
Neoliberals often criticise governments for overly centralising the decision making process . They argue that this makes it difficult for individual actors to intervene, …
To Ban or Not to Ban
A ban on opening a new supermarket is evidence that people want a new supermarket, for if they did not there would be no …
Worst practices in reducing CO2
The Slovak government has been providing subsidies for electric cars. However, if it had bought emission permits instead and thrown them on the fire, …
Climate Crises: The myth of eco refugees
On 2nd December 2019, delegations from the United Nations convened in Madrid for COP25, the 25th annual Climate Change Conference. They gathered to discuss …
Rent controls: How they damage the housing market, the economy and society
Rent controls are now being discussed in cities like Berlin, London, and New York. Sweden has had rent controls since 1942. There are at …
If we want to be green, trains should be taxed and not subsidised
The argument made by many such as George Monbiot that the protection of the environment requires the destruction of capitalism has no credibility given …
A new pro-science citizens’ initiative deserves support
A new student organized EU Citizens’ Initiative demands a streamlined process of authorising scientific innovations in the field of agriculture. They deserve to be …
Employment Flexibility: Policymakers Reluctant to Respond to Market Needs
The Lithuanian Free Market Institute and its partner organisations have published the third annual Employment Flexibility Index which ranks 41 EU and OECD countries …
The 20 biggest tech advances of the past 20 years
The 2010s are over. As we embark on the 2020s, now is the perfect time to reflect on the immense technological advancements that humanity …
Universal Basic Income: Is it a good idea?
The idea of a Universal Basic Income (UBI) is currently the subject of much interest and discussion in the UK, with support and opposition …
Employment Flexibility Index 2020
For the third year in a row, the Lithuanian Free Market Institute and its partner organisations present the Employment Flexibility Index, that ranks a …
Evaluating the Africa-EU Partnership
European companies, especially in the construction sector, have long complained that Chinese official credit lines make them less competitive by comparison in African countries. …
An Analysis of the Spitzenkandidaten Process – Part 2
Classic political theories suggest that a democratic government should have both “input” and “output” legitimacy. A political institution relies public opinion and policy preference, …
Achieving a carbon neutral economy by 2050
The new European Green Deal plans to make the EU carbon neutral by 2050 while opening up new possibilities for development and employment. The …
An Analysis of the Spitzenkandidaten Process – Part 1
The European Commission is meant to be the non-partisan, executive branch of the EU that consists of experts rather than politicians. However, the appointment …
Horizon 2020: A Game Changer for European 5G?
Facing the competition from North America and Asia, the European Union has proposed the launch of an ambitious €100 billion budget plan for funding …
Norwegian sugar tax sends sweet-lovers over border to Sweden
It seems unfair to call it a sweet shop. In the shopping centre north of Charlottenberg in south-western Sweden, barely four miles from Norway …
State Aid & Fair Competition
EPICENTER is delighted to invite you to an event co-hosted by our Lithuanian member think tank and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation.
The discussion aims …
Agricultural innovation over intervention
There is reason to believe that population growth, natural resource scarcity and climate change will challenge agriculture to deliver food security in the coming …
Credit Day: The return of fiscal prudence
16th December marks Credit Day across Europe. This is the day that, on average, EU Member State governments have exhausted their annual tax income …
Nanny State On Tour
This study calculates how much UK foreign aid was spent (in 2018 prices) on lifestyle interventions targeting smoking, drinking, eating and sedentary behaviour.UK taxpayers …
How current funding mechanisms allow for the misuse of EU cohesion funds
The EU’s Cohesion Policy comprises almost a third of the current seven-year budget. However, there is controversy as to whether cohesion projects have been …
Competing interests: lessons from the international tax competitiveness index
According to the 2019 International Tax Competitiveness Index (ITCI) rankings, Estonia holds the most-competitive position for the sixth year in a row, while France …
A “Grave Historic Mistake” to reject EU membership for the Balkans?
Albania and North Macedonia have been left disappointed after French President Emmanuel Macron blocked membership talks for the two Balkan States. However, all hope …
Time To Liberate Libra?
Libra, the new private digital money system sponsored by Facebook and a consortium of other firms, was announced on 18th June 2019, and officially …
Taxing High Incomes
This report compares top effective marginal tax rates on labour income in 41 OECD and EU countries.
The top effective marginal tax rate is …
Exporting Development Blueprints
The European Union’s budget for foreign aid for the 2014-2020 period is of €82 billion on. As part of a new humanitarian aid package, …
Predatory Pricing or Predatory Laws?
The European Commission has fined in July telecommunications multinational Qualcomm with €242 million as it condemns them for selling chipsets “below cost” and therefore …
The Thunberg phenomenon, Extinction Rebellion, and the denial of trade-offs
When it comes to environmental problems in general and global warming in particular, I empathise with those who take the issue seriously. I like …
The Problem with European Champions
Free market liberals will have shuddered at the news that European Commission officials have drawn up far-reaching plans for a new €100 billion fund …
The Nanny State Index 2019
The Epicenter Nanny State Index is a league table of the best and worst places in the European Union to eat, drink, smoke and …
Reducing Shadow Economies
Across Europe, shadow markets constitute a significant portion of the economy. According to some estimates an average of 16 percent of GDP in EU …
School of Thought – 101 Great Liberal Thinkers
School of Thought – 101 Great Liberal Thinkers profiles the lives and ideas of some of the leading thinkers on individual liberty – from ancient …
Give Libra a Chance
In July 2019, G7 finance ministers and central bank governors met for a two-day conference in Chantilly, in Paris’ north. Under consideration was Libra, …
Two cheers for the EU-Mercosur Agreement
The new EU-Mercosur Agreement only superficially rejects protectionism. As much as it liberalises trade, it also protects European defensive interests and extends the EU’s …
Flightless Birds
The Dutch government has recently drafted a bill in order to “charge consumers and businesses for environmentally polluting behaviors”– seeking to implement a €7 …
Nanny State Index Conference 2019
The Nanny State Index (NSI) is a league table of the best and worst places in the European Union to eat, drink, smoke and vape. …
The Spanish nanny state takes a step back
As stated in the latest edition of EPICENTER’s Nanny State Index, Spain is one of the freer countries in the EU, coming 6th out …
EU’s zero-sum carbon game
More than three years since the signing of the Paris Climate Agreement, most of the EU member states are on board for the newly …
A new beginning – Greece after the elections
Unemployment peaked at 27.5%, more than 400,000 people emigrated in a single year, and the debt to GDP ratio reached 180%. The 2008 financial …
A Marshall Plan for the Media?
Media pluralism in Europe is under threat. Far from exhibiting a rich diversity of opinions, content, ownership and structures, Europe’s media sector faces considerable …
Connected Cars and the EU
A motorist in the average European state spends 29 hours a year stuck in traffic. This is a waste, costing drivers in the EU …
The fiscal union: a necessary step for the EMU
The 2008 crisis exposed the grave flaws of the EU’s Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). Most economists were not able to predict such economic …
Two cheers for the EU-Mercosur Agreement
There has been a great deal of cheering over the recent free trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur (the South American trade bloc …
Corrupting CAP
A tale of corruption, political scandals, and even murder: the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has turned agriculture in Europe into an environmentally unsustainable, …
School Choice Around the World
Education reforms that allow new educational providers to supply schooling into a state system can improve parental satisfaction and raise learning outcomes through consumer …
Trade and the populist upheaval
In the recent European elections, authoritarian populist parties, gained a great number of seats (almost 24% of the total) in the European Parliament (EP). …
Tailoring the work and leisure trade-off
Legal interventions in hiring and firing practices are often referred to as employment protection legislation that include working hours, health and safety requirements. The …
178: The Day of Spanish Tax Freedom
178. That is the number of days a Spanish worker has to wait until they actually begin to make any money for themselves. This …
The Case Against Tech Taxes
This paper explains why additional taxes on the turnover of companies with a large digital presence would be disproportionate, discriminatory and damage the European …
Free trade? Merco-sure!
For almost 20 years, EU negotiations with Mercosur, the South American trade bloc, have been a great challenge. Mercosur’s economic and political issues, French …
The parliamentary voting behaviour of populist parties in Greece
Timbro’s methodological distinction in the Authoritarian Populism Index between extreme and authoritarian populist parties is highly relevant in the Greek political environment, as shown …
The Cost of Independence: Is it worth the risk?
For the past 3 years, Spain’s international media coverage has mainly centered around its most controversial dispute: Catalonian secession. National media has covered the …
Reshaping Eurasian relations
The European Commission has recently begun the process of rekindling the EU’s relationship with Central Asia, located at the crossroads between the Middle East, …
Not everyone’s cup of tea
MiFID II, together with MiFIR (Regulation (EU) No 600/2014), was intended to create a more transparent, competitive and integrated financial market in the EU …
Corporate Takeovers and National Champions
In April, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) blocked the proposed £7Bn merger of supermarket chains ASDA and Sainsbury’s. This decision came shortly …
Cherry picked winners: Why the concept of national champions is flawed
There is a current trend for corporate protectionism growing in the heart of the EU. Both the French and the German government as well …
Governments and employees are the top beneficiaries of large companies in France
For as long as capitalism has existed, debate has flourished between those who challenged its rise and those who sought to alter its direction …
Qualified Majority Voting: Promoting debate or risking division?
Ahead of the European elections, the European Commission has taken the opportunity to open a debate around EU decision-making. Its specific proposals include a …
The unintended effects of the EU’s crackdown on ‘disinformation’
It was hard not to raise a wry smile at the story of how the European Commission’s own Code of Practice on Disinformation threatened to undermine …
Nanny State Index
Germany has overtaken the Czech Republic to become the EU’s most liberal country, according to the 2019 edition of the Nanny State Index. Finland …
Opening up the Atlantic
This week, the European Council approved mandates for the European Commission to open negotiations with the United States on two trade agreements. First, an …
The mobility package: rushed regulation
The intentions of the EU Mobility Package might be correct; to improve the conditions for long-haul truckers in the EU. As a cross-border industry, …
How can the EU ensure the rule of law in an era of authoritarian populism?
EPiCENTER and the German Economic Institute are delighted to invite you to our upcoming event to discuss the rise of illiberal democracies and to …
Copyright Directive: The Regulation That Will Change The Internet
Yesterday, the European Parliament voted in favour of the Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market, in one of the final stages before it becomes …
A European sugar tax: paternalistic, counterproductive, and regressive
A consumer organisation called foodwatch recently demanded that the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU put an end to its partnership …
Will 5G come to the EU?
It has been almost two years since GDPR entered into force. Data monitoring has become a regulatory headache for several industries and could soon …
The future of EU and Africa relations
Increasing globalisation has had many effects on international trade, and Africa is no exception. In Sub-Saharan Africa in particular, economic growth increased to 3.1% …
A threat to freedom: the EU and online terrorist content
In the field of digital rights and civil liberties, all anyone’s talking about is the Digital Copyright Directive and saving memes. However, there may …
Battle Resumes – the Copyright Directive is Back
The Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market (the “Directive”) is back. The issues with the Directive were described in our September 2018 briefing …
Macron’s malaise
Macron is right: Brussels cannot continue with business as usual after the European Parliament elections. In his recent open letter to the citizens of Europe, …
Populists versus speed-bumps
In 2017 the Cambridge Dictionary proclaimed “populism” the word of the year. This phrase is defined in many ways and arouses great emotions. One …
Governmental non-government organisations in the EU
In an IEA report published in 2013, I showed that large sums of taxpayers’ money are given to political pressure groups by the European …
Still Hand in Glove?
Following on from research published by the IEA between 2012 and 2014, this discussion paper revisits the issue of state-funded activism in the UK …
On regulation and centralisation, the UK’s record is no better than the EU’s
Those who voted for Brexit in the 2016 referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU rightly complained about the centralised political structures in Brussels. …
Better Regulation: Risks, Markets, Responsibility
A popular explanation for economic scandals, crises and suboptimal market outcomes is the lack of government regulation. This interpretation is intensively promoted by the …
Blue card lottery
Ahead of the European elections, migration remains one of the main challenges facing the EU. Populist and Eurosceptic movements have sought political capital from …
Corporate Tax Out of Control
Do European companies pay their fair share of tax? Many companies headquartered in France, Germany, Italy and Spain show very low effective corporate tax …
Rice regulations: Protectionism In Disguise
In January the European Union announced a ‘significant’ increase of customs duties on Indica rice produced in Cambodia and Myanmar and exported to the …
The future of Europe is Dutch
Brexit has caused some turbulent political times in Westminster, but the hole left by the UK in Brussels will be felt throughout the continent.
The Mass Demonstrations in France is a Reaction to the Effects of Interventionism, Not Liberalism
Mass protests of the “yellow vests” have been taking place in France since 17 November 2018. The catalyst of the demonstration was a fuel …
Web of Gazprom: Will Europe escape?
Disputes between Russian Gas powerhouse Gazprom and Ukraine’s national gas company Naftogaz have sparked a firestorm of political and economic debate. The “biggest commercial …
Free to work: Employment regulations in 2019
The Employment Flexibility Index of LFMI quantifies a great divergence in employment regulations between EU countries. Of the 41 countries included in the index …
Employment Flexibility Index 2019
The Employment Flexibility Index 2019 of the member states of the European Union (EU) and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) provides …
Liberal White Smoke in Spain
The National Convention of the People’s Party (PP) which took place earlier this month may well become a turning point in the economic landscape. …
Commission consulting on move to qualified majority voting (QMV) on taxation
On 20th December, the European Commission launched a (relatively brief) consultation on moving from unanimity to qualified majority voting (QMV) in the Council on …
The EP “Platform-to-business relations” amendments will not make digital markets fairer
On the 26th April 2018, the European Commission adopted a proposal for regulating the relationships between online platforms and their business consumers. The initiative …
Violations of the rule of law principles in Poland despite recent amendments
On 21 November, public opinion in Poland and the EU was surprised by the ruling Law and Justice’s (PiS) proposal “backtracking on controversial reforms …
Note about the White House Report ‘Opportunity Costs of Socialism’
The White House’s Council of Economic Advisors (CEA) has published a report: “The Opportunity Costs of Socialism”. It is an interesting report with many …
The antidote to political polarisation is less politics
A lot has been written about how social media (or digital media more generally), by creating online echo chambers and filter bubbles, increases political …
Who are the ‘Gilets Jaunes’ protestors?
The French ‘Gilets Jaunes’ started their protests a month ago and since then the global media landscape has interpreted their actions and demands in …
Either goods will cross borders, or armies will
The practice of economic sanctions is not new. 2,400 years ago, Athens declared a trade embargo on the neighbouring city state of Megara, strangling …
Paranoid Android. Everything the Commission got wrong in its war on Google
The Commission’s decision to fine Google for unfair practice was based on a misunderstanding of the Android ecosystem and a mistaken definition of the …
EU Right to Pursue Liberalization of Aviation Markets
External aviation policy in Europe was preceded by bilateral agreements between countries. At this time, aviation markets were divided up by country and dominated …
CAP Subsidies Harm the Environment
Environmental degradation is a regular by-product of agricultural practices. Greenhouse gases, mass irrigation, water quality issues, and disrupted ecosystems are all examples of side …
Credit Day: improving appetite for fiscal responsibility
13 December marks Credit Day across the European Union. This is the day when, on average, European countries’ central governments exhaust their annual tax …
In Lithuania one in two would consider shadow activity in financial hardship
The shadow economy in Lithuania remains pervasive despite economic growth, and as many as one in two people would consider informal consumption and undeclared …
Shadow economy: Understanding drivers, reducing incentives
The aim of this publication is to present and analyse the results of representative population surveys into public perceptions of the shadow economy and …
The fight against poverty depends on economic freedom
The most obvious benefit of economic freedom is that, as a system, it is the most conducive to widespread prosperity, that is, to high …
CAP Subsidies Impinge on Australasian Free Trade
In a world of increasing economic protectionism, the EU claims to remain committed to free and fair international trade. Yet, the Common Agricultural Policy …
Drug decriminalization: The Iberian Peninsula
Given its prominent geographical location, the Iberian Peninsula has been, for decades, one of the biggest hubs in the world for cartels smuggling cocaine …
Competition in the High Technology Sector
The European Union’s approach to competition law and enforcement demonstrates an attitude in the high-tech and media sector, that – due to its anti-competitive …
Banning single-use plastics is a typical example of good intentions triumphing over sound judgement
The author is the former European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services.
With the Commission and Parliament both starting their last legislative year, one …
Regulating the New Media Economy
The new media economy operates differently from other industries when it comes to regulation. The marginal costs of technological giants mean that their interactions …
The populist hurricane
Over the last two years, the forces of populism have swept through Europe like a hurricane, wreaking havoc on the post-WW2 consensus, and ideals of international co-operation. …
In praise of the EU migration and employment “customs union”
In many ways the EU acts like a customs union when it comes to migration that leads to employment. It is very easy to …
Ageing Europe
Even though the ageing of the European population is not a new phenomenon, its potential effect on European Welfare systems is often under-estimated. According …
Free trade and how it enriches us
Free trade improves the well-being of all parties to it. The most significant way that trade achieves this outcome is by enabling and incentivising …
Why large corporations are not as greedy as they appear to be
For too long, studies have underestimated the positive externalities of large companies by solely focusing on factors such as corporate earnings. It is about …
The Copyright Directive – The EU Battles the Internet
The Commission put forward a legislative proposal in September 2016 for a new directive on copyright in the digital single market. The aim is …
New Copyright Directive – new restrictions to online business?
In the second voting on the subject, the European Parliament approved the Directive on copyright in the digital single market. 438 MEPs voted in …
Fixed-term Employment for Long-term Competitiveness
Labour market flexibility may be characterized by the market participants’ abilities to deviate from standard labour regulations and typical forms of employment. Such possibilities …
The Social and Fiscal Contribution of French Top 40 Companies
The social and fiscal contribution from large companies in France and worldwide remains largely unrecognised. Traditional accounting and financial presentations do not provide for …
Minimum Wage Regulation; It’s Complicated
Raising mandatory minimum wage might seem to be a simple policy that serves to increase wages for low-income earners. Politicians use this policy with …
Some very Italian midsummer night’s questions on CETA
With the Italian Parliament still deep into its summer break, several important political and economic questions are gripping the minds of many voters. Leaving …
Why the EU’s digital turnover tax is a bad idea
The European Commission has proposed a tax on revenues raised from certain digital activities. However, this is essentially a political gesture with only weak …
An election without winners: Swedish politics faces an uncertain future
When Jimmie Åkesson, leader of the nationalist Sweden Democrats, entered the stage at the party’s summer festival in early August he exuded confidence: “Now …
The Turkish Lira Crisis: Why it threatens the EU and how it can be averted
In the last decade, Turkey’s economy has been experiencing high growth rates, partially due to a highly expansive monetary policy. However, in the process, …
The Price Women Pay
Political classes on both sides of the Channel were waiting patiently for the end of the EU Parliament’s recess, and for Brexit negotiations to …
Flawed EU regulations on e-cigarettes have set the market back
I ordered 200 millilitres of e-cigarette fluid from my online retailer this week. Not a large quantity – it is barely a third of …
Spanish flu: Pedro Sanchez’s malignant economic policy threatens Spain’s recovery
Having recovered from the recession that was brought about by the financial crisis, Spain’s economy is improving, but vulnerable. With the advent of Pedro …
The trouble with the EU’s digital tax
It’s time to establish a modern, fair and efficient taxation standard for the digital economy – or at least, that’s how the EU have …
State-Enforced Universal Chargers
Picture yourself at a friend’s house. Your Samsung phone buzzes, alerting you to low battery, but you’ve left your charger at home. You ask …
Should we sanction sanctions?
In recent years, Russia has been a prime target of economic sanctions – a longtime tactic in relations between Russia and the West. In …
The French Tax Burden: Is it all worth it?
French workers shoulder a far greater tax burden than the rest of their European neighbours. While the rest of the continent celebrated their Tax …
Of course sin taxes are regressive
There should be no debate about whether taxes on food, alcohol, tobacco and soft drinks (‘sin taxes’) are regressive. It can be easily demonstrated …
Deal or No Deal: Mexico’s Future in Trade
In a landslide victory 1 July, Mexico voted in its first third-party president. According to exit poll data, Andrés Manuel López Obrador gained more …
Is the EU-Japan EPA an inspiration for an EU-UK deal?
On Tuesday of last week, the European Union and Japan signed an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). Following over four years of negotiation, the EPA …
Spain’s economic revival
Is Spain due to become a more influential power within the European Union? The country is expected to become a net contributor to the …
Lithuania reforms its tax and pension system
In late June, the Lithuanian Parliament adopted a law that consolidated the employer and employee base for social security contributions and significantly cut the …
The Potential for the Italian Cannabis Market
Prior to the criminalisation of cannabis, the crop represented a significant facet of the Italian economy. In fact, in the 1940s, Italy was said …
Vestager vs Google
The European Commission decision in the Google Android case illustrates the difference in approach to antitrust issues between the US and EU. It also …
Better regulation conference
25 September 2018
The Better Regulation Conference aims at addressing in an open way one of the most pressing issues of our time: the …
The Impact of the Energy Taxation Directive
Instead of comprehensive re-examination of the Energy Taxation Directive, the European Commission is examining whether ETD should continue the exemptions and lower tariffs for …
Greek think tank KEFiM joins EPICENTER
EPICENTER is proud to announce that KEFiM, one of the fastest growing and most respected liberal, free market think tanks of Europe joined our network today. …
Labour Migration and Employment Flexibility
Economic migrants rarely displace local labour force. Immigrants are more likely to complement existing labour force creating opportunities for growth and bringing needed skills. …
Flexicurity in the XXI. century
As the world is undergoing a third industrial revolution with the field of computer science rapidly expanding, one aspect of the labour …
Why the EU needs the City too
The UK might appear to have the most to lose from Brexit if City firms find it harder to sell financial services into the …
Offshore bet
The popular account of offshore financial centres as hotbeds of tax evasion is an outdated caricature that bears little resemblance to how OFCs operate. …
Nanny State Index Conference 2018
19 June 2018
The European Parliament edition of our Nanny State Index will be released alongside a great discussion with MEPs, industry representatives and …
The post-Soviet transition to a not so free market economy
Lithuania has implemented a far-reaching economic reform program aimed at facilitating the shift from a centrally-planned economy to a free market one. …
EU Measure Doesn’t Capture Poverty
The EU member states have agreed that 20 million people should be lifted out of poverty by 2020. However, the measure that the European …
Brexit offers opportunities but no guarantees in determining how free market the UK will be
The potential that Brexit provides the UK to expand its traditional free market principles cannot be understated; unilateral free trade for example could …
New Zealand is a testament to the benefits of market liberalisation – and a warning of the subsequent back peddling that can arise
Jamie Whyte at the First Economic Freedom Summit, addressing liberalising reforms in New Zealand
The transformation of New Zealand’s economic policy from 1972 …
What have the Swiss ever done for us?
This article was first published under the title “Danke, Schweiz” in the Basler Zeitung, a Swiss daily newspaper. Translation by the author.
Classical liberal …
Non-tariff barriers to trade are damaging too
On average, the economic costs of non-tariff barriers (NTBs) now far exceed those of tariffs, which have generally been falling as new free trade …
Robocalypse Now?
It is claimed that robots, algorithms and artificial intelligence are going to destroy jobs on an unprecedented scale. These developments, unlike past bouts of technical …
Lithuania Commemorates the First Respect for Taxpayers Day
Today, on May 11th, Lithuania commemorates the first Respect for Taxpayers Day. On this occasion, the Lithuanian Free Market Institute (LFMI) has launched The Charter …
Doing more with less: The future of the Common Agricultural Policy post-2020
On May 2 the European Commission released a Communication that outlined the Union’s overall budgetary plan for the 2021 – 2027 Multiannual Financial Framework …
Nanny State Index – Nicotine Supplement
Our new league table of nanny state regulation shows that punitive taxation and excessive regulation of safer nicotine alternatives has increased across the EU. …
Growing protectionism after the financial crisis
The weak global GDP growth since the financial crisis in 2007-2009 has coincided with unusually weak growth in global trade.
The average global tariff …
What we get wrong about technology
Fans of Blade Runner – and I am one of them – have to admit that the film has a few moments that, to modern eyes, …
Barriers to trade – EP roundtable discussion
2 May 2018
Non-tariff barriers to trade are a significant element of countries’ trade policies and may often be more harmful than tariff trade …
A UK-EU financial deal is approaching
One year after the triggering of Article 50 an acceptable deal on financial services between the UK and the EU now looks likely. In …
How high a price will the global economy pay for Trump’s tariffs?
In a last-minute move, President Trump granted several key allies exemptions from the steel and aluminium tariffs that came into effect recently. Apart from …
Fast Food Outlets and Obesity: What is the evidence?
Several local authorities in Britain have introduced ‘zoning laws’ to restrict fast food outlets within a certain distance of schools. Public Health England, the …
The Case for Vocational Training – A German Perspective
American economist Bryan Caplan recently published “The Case Against Education” in which he explains how the United States needs to reform its current education …
Economic Freedom Summit
11-12 April 2018
What makes countries and citizens prosper? How can we ensure economic growth, without living at the expense of future generations? What …
Sugar taxes have never worked anywhere
‘You can’t just point at things and tax them,’ said the singer Myleene Klass to Ed Miliband in a TV debate about the ‘mansion …
A Universal Basic Income (UBI): a price worth paying to cut regulations?
Suppose the government redistributed to every adult Briton a basic, unconditional income of £10,000 from tax revenues. Would aggregate employment levels a) rise, b) …
Ill-thought legislation in Poland are more important than the cabinet reshuffle
The list of bad changes is long: lowering the retirement age, increased politicisation of the economy, a ban on Sunday trading, a ban on …
Socially Useless? The Crucial Contribution of Finance to Economic Life
Financial firms serve many useful functions which individuals and households could scarcely undertake on their own. These functions include maturity transformation, matching lenders and …
Higher Education and the importance of apprenticeships: United Kingdom & Germany
In 2017, youth unemployment (young people between 15-24, without work or enrolled in education) in the EU as a whole was on average of …
Credit and debit card charges banned – its effect on small businesses
New legislation introduced in January bans firms from charging fees for credit or debit card payments. The legislation aims to protect consumers who have …
Every promise is debt
Every euro of new debt today is a euro that is going to be paid by Italians through higher taxation, tomorrow. Until 4 March …
How to reform a broken taxi market?
High prices, long waiting times, dirty money and drivers at risk of being subjected to violence. These are some of the problems that have …
Financial Stability Without Central Banks
A ‘free’ banking system without a central bank provides incentives for banks to act with restraint. Their lending policies are, in effect, tied to …
Poland on Orbán’s Lap
It is Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán who is to defend the Law and Justice (PiS) government against the consequences of violations of the …
The Human Freedom Index across Europe: Personal and Economic Freedom
How free do you think your country is? Would you believe that Estonia ranks better than the United States? Seven European countries made the …
Which is a better bet: Bitcoin or the dollar?
Keeping your funds in cash is generally viewed as much safer than holding them in stocks. This is because, on any given day, the …
Brexit as it might have been
I recently had the opportunity to take a look into a parallel universe, because [insert clever-sounding, scientifically pseudo-literate explanation here]. It was identical to …
London’s Global Reach and the Half a Trillion Dollars Equity Prize
As the world’s leading international financial centre, London faces fascinating opportunities as well as some significant challenges in coming years. This is as a …
Digital Resellers: The Case for Secondary Ticket Markets
The reselling of tickets for events has a long history, dating back at least to Roman times.
Such secondary markets in tickets are no different …
Supervising the Tech Giants
The rise of the ‘tech giants’ is, of course, a significant commercial threat to more traditional media, but it also raises some potentially important …
How to develop secondary markets for non-performing loans?
The ECB seeks to increase trading in non-performing loans by reducing the pricing gap between prospective investors and banks. For this to happen, there …
Is neoliberalism to blame for Orbàn and Le Pen?
Populism is on the rise, especially in Europe. Determining the causes is of crucial political importance. Some claim that “neoliberal” policies such as deregulation …
Statutory regulation vs private regulation
The EU’s second Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID II) came into force earlier this month. According to the European Securities and Markets Authority …
No, scrapping net neutrality laws won’t kill the internet
The decision by the US Federal Communication Commission (FCC) to remove so-called “net neutrality” laws in January produced a flurry of outrage.
The American …
How the municipal VAT exemptions promote tax increases in the EU
As a general rule, local governments are exempt from VAT in the EU. Thus, VAT is not payable on the tax-financed consumption of municipalities …
Super Index 2017
According the latest IBL Super Index, Italy is the sick man of Europe. Despite relatively rosy macroeconomic projections for the whole EU, the gap …
Extreme disparity in European labour markets: an Employment Flexibility Index
The recent Employment Flexibility Index uses data provided by the World Bank’s Doing Business Labour Market Regulation Questionnaire to compare labour market regulations.
The …
Employment Flexibility Index 2018
Denmark, the UK, and Ireland are the leading countries in the 2018 edition of LFMI’s Employment Flexibility Index. Portugal, Luxembourg, and France are the …
Black Friday for freedom and rule of law in Poland
On 24 November in many places around the world shops and their customers celebrated “Black Friday”, with promotional sales and special offers. This tradition, …
2017 Index of Liberalisations: a summary
The 2017 IBL Index of Liberalisations aims to shed light on the degree of openness of the 28 Member States by examining ten different …
Credit day: debt and deficit in a bipolar EU
6 December marks Credit Day across the European Union. This is the day when, on average, European countries’ central administrations will exhaust their annual …
Fair and efficient? On the EC’s proposals for corporate tax reform in the digital single market
In the wake of the Ecofin meeting that took place in Tallinn on September 15-16, the European Commission published a communication on “A Fair …
Glyphosate: the case for constructive realism
For a number of years now, the use of the glyphosate molecule as a herbicide has been controversial to the point that the member …
Privatisation of utilities European Parliament debate
28 November 2017
Does liberalisation lead to more precariousness? EPICENTER is participating in a unique debate in the European Parliament powered by two leading independent …
Perspectives for Poland
In the last 25 years, the Polish economy has grown faster than the economies of Western Europe and the US, which enabled a significant …
No platform? On the economics of P2B exchange
The picture that emerges from the EC surveys of consumers and business regarding platforms is not of a market in which users are routinely …
Health by stealth: Mandatory food reformulation
Food and soft drinks manufacturers are continually reformulating their products and bringing new products to market in response to consumer demand. In recent years, …
Accepting the scientific consensus: GMOs in the EU
The ECJ ruled that Italy had been wrong to ban the cultivation of an EU-approved genetically modified maize. This was a big victory for …
Financial technology and regulation
Recent years have seen a reduced supply of capital to domestic businesses by banks due to increased capital requirements and compliance costs.
Market finance …
Artificial intelligence and the EU labour market
Widespread automation is often named as the greatest long-term threat to human employment. But Europe’s immediate job market problems are of a different sort: …
The day European Union governments spent the last of their annual revenues
EU central governments use up their resources December 6 on average, 25 days before the end of the year. This is almost seven days …
What finance can teach us about Catalan independence
The turmoil in Catalonia appears finally to be subsiding thanks to the central government’s intervention this weekend to restore constitutional order. The decision to …
Economic Freedom Against Poverty and Authoritarianism
Throughout history, people have lived in extreme poverty. However, it is since the industrial revolution and flowering of the Enlightenment ideas – liberal in …
INNOV8 2017
21 November
INNOV8 is a conference for EU-decision makers, innovative companies, and start-ups to meet and explore ways how Europe can become the leading …
The Future of EU Finances
This Position Paper is a response to the Reflection Paper on the Future of EU Finances by the European Commission. The goal of this …
How the local government VAT exemption promotes tax increases in the EU
The author wishes to thank Oskar Henkow, Rebecca Millar, Anna Sandberg Nilsson and Anders Ydstedt for valuable comments.
Summary
As a general rule, …
The consequences of restricting the Posted Workers Directive
Posted workers are temporarily sent from one member state to another, usually for projects of short duration. There were 1.1. million posted workers in …
A Joint Open Letter on the Posting of Workers
Posting of workers plays an essential role in the Internal Market and the cross-border provision of services. Simply put, posting of workers allows a …
Growing Strength of Populists
For the second time, the Swedish think tank Timbro has presented its “Authoritarian Populism Index”. The index “aims to shed light on whether populism …
A Joint Open Letter on the Future of EU Finance
The EU budget has been a result of political negotiations and trade-offs between Member States rather than a well-grounded financing of mutually agreed pan-European …
Europe’s non-performing loans: an Italian Problem
Within the European Union, the problem of non-performing loans (NPLs) is predominantly an Italian issue. Whilst Italian authorities have successfully passed a few different …
Danish and Polish free market think tanks join EPICENTER
EPICENTER is proud to announce that two well respected organisations, FOR from Poland and CEPOS from Denmark, will join our network of leading European …
The wrong assumptions behind a European web tax
In a recent joint letter to the Commission, Germany, France, Italy and Spain’s finance ministers announced plans to tax tech multinationals, such as Amazon …
Macron’s plan to make France less European – and more prosperous
The tables have turned. It used to be that Britain provided the blueprint for radical market-based reform, whilst France was Europe’s tax and regulatory …
Basel regulations: a danger for European banks
The ongoing Basel IV discussions seek to impose additional capital requirement on banks, a move that would disproportionately affect those in Europe.
Whilst the …
The EU should avoid a tit-for-tat trade strategy with China
On 13 September, the European Commission’s President, Jean-Claude Juncker, is set to deliver his 2017 State of the Union speech. Whilst Mr Juncker wants …
Employment in privatised utilities
On 15 June 2017, the Directorate General for Internal Policies published a report which maps the recent history of privatisation and examines the risk …
£50bn is too steep for a Brexit divorce bill
The Sunday Times has claimed that the Prime Minister is ready to approve a financial settlement of ‘up to £50bn’ when the UK leaves …
Swedish Employment Subsidies and their effects on the Displacement of Jobs
Since the refugee crisis of 2015, the Swedish government has made strong efforts to implement a particularly ineffective policy. Through so-called “public relief jobs”, …
Displacement Jobs – On the Swedish Employment Subsidies
The Swedish labor market makes use of twelve different forms of employment subsidies involving three percent of the entire active work force.
In this …
The Air Berlin-Lufthansa deal breaches EU competition laws and hurts Germans consumers
On 15 August, Air Berlin was forced to file for bankruptcy after the withdrawal of funding from Abu-Dhabi based Etihad Airways, which holds 29 …
A Response to EU Public Consultation on the Most Effective Methods in Formal and Informal Teaching and Learning
The European Commission sought public opinion on the importance of equipping young people with shared values and on how education and non-formal learning can …
Who’s afraid of free trade?
Two reports published in the last few days have advocated the benefits of free trade. You might have expected them to be well received …
Who's afraid of free trade?
Two reports published in the last few days have advocated the benefits of free trade. You might have expected them to be well received …
The EU Capital Markets Union: will progress finally accelerate?
The Capital Markets Union (CMU) was launched in 2014 by the European Commission to lower barriers to cross-border investment in the EU and to …
The European battle for London’s euro clearing market
London’s overwhelming dominance over the euro clearing market yields significant importance towards the UK’s economic performance and standing. The lucrative business is a major …
Trump & Trade
7th September 2017
Senator Chris Steineger, Kansas State Senator will be hosted by Christofer Fjellner MEP to discuss US-EU relations under a Trump Presidency. …
Excessive labour market regulation will not help to combat inequality
On 28 September 2017, the European Parliament Employment and Social Affairs Committee (EMPL) will vote on an initiative by Spanish MEP Javi Lopez (S&D) …
Sweden and its inconsistent alcohol laws
On 29 June, EPICENTER’s Swedish partner, Timbro, published a report examining alcohol laws in Sweden. Within the Swedish political arena, alcohol consumption has always …
Macron’s protectionist ideas will ultimately harm the whole EU
The election of Macron is starting to cause problems to Europe and – in particular – to Italy. Until a few days ago, the …
The big European Deposit Insurance Scheme dilemma
The European sovereign debt crisis that followed the 2008 financial crisis has pushed Europe to radically reform its financial rules. While some far-reaching reforms …
Cyber Security: What’s next?
In a world where the rapid development of information and communication technologies (ICTs) permeates every aspect of our daily life, the threat of cyber-attacks …
The mirage of a ‘clean Brexit’
When I went to a gym for the first time, in 1998 or so, membership options were very straightforward: you were either a member, …
A Helvetic Idea of Freedom
«Instead of conceding itself to a large sovereign decision-maker, Switzerland has preferred to remain a free international negotiator» argues Dr Carlo Lottieri, Director at …
Relocation or consolidation? Banks in Europe after Brexit
The fear that the UK-based financial industry will not be able to fully conduct all its current post-Brexit pan-European operations has prompted several London-based …
The CCCTB is not the corporate tax reform the EU needs
According to the Commission, the new CCCTB initiative is the most ambitious corporate tax reform ever proposed in the EU. However, despite the most …
Businesses and Data Protection: are European firms ready?
The French Council of State recently asked the European Court of Justice to settle a case determining whether search engines such as Google and …
Financial regulation has gone too far and European banks are at risk
Since the last financial crisis, the EU has gradually increased its financial regulation. This has now gone too far and it contributes to the …
The tax burden of workers in the EU: a summary
First published in 2010, the 2017 Tax Burden study by the Institut économique Molinari measures the tax and social security burdens on individual employees …
Tax Freedom Day 2017
The purpose of this study is to compare the tax and social security burdens of individual employees earning typical salaries in each of the …
Germany’s battle against fake news
The German elections are just around the corner and a new anti-fake news bill, Netwerkdurchsetzungsgesetz (NetzDG), was passed by the Bundestag on 30 June …
Another summer of chaos in the Mediterranean Sea
On 26 June, we published a blog post examining the previous efforts made by the European Union in order to manage the current migration …
Moscovici’s CCCTB proposal proves unworkable both in theory and in practice
The European Commission seems unable to decide the primary function of the CCCTB; is it mainly an anti-tax-avoidance scheme or is it an exercise …
Uber: a tech pioneer or an old taxi company?
On 4 July, European Court of Justice’s Advocate General Szpunar released an opinion stating that UberPop should be considered illegal, adding to the string …
Position on EU Initiative on Restrictions on Payments in Cash
The European Commission has launched a legislative initiative on cash payment restrictions aimed at exploring the rationale for the introduction of upper limits on …
Nord Stream 2 – What’s the fuss all about?
Nord Stream 2, the project set to double gas pipeline capacity between Russia and Germany via the Baltic Sea by 2019, has recently divided …
CCCTB round 2: an exercise in unification or polarisation?
Originally suggested and then subsequently shelved in 2011, the Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base is a policy designed to create a unified set of …
Populism Index 2017 Summary
The 2017 TIMBRO Authoritarian Populism Index is the only Europe-wide comprehensive study that aims to shed light on whether populism poses a long-term threat …
Could unilateral rights for UK nationals be the right approach for the European Union?
Since the Brexit referendum in June 2016, the debates regarding citizens’ rights have been ubiquitous. The 3Million Movement has until now strongly emphasised the …
Populism Index 2017
Auktoritär populism har övertagit liberalismens plats som den tredje ideologiska kraften i europeisk politik.
Väljarstödet för populistiska partier ligger kvar på rekordhöga nivåer men …
Minimum income policies in the EU: a misguided proposal
The European Parliament Committee on Employment and Social Affairs and the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs are currently promoting a new legislative proposal …
Aviation: a Brexit no deal is (a lot) worse than a bad deal
Theresa May’s famous catchphrase ‘No deal is better than a bad deal’ does not apply to aviation where a no deal scenario following Brexit …
Are EU citizens ready for the forthcoming digital revolution?
Whether for personal or professional usage, the European Digital Single Market will revolutionise the economy of the European Union, but only if its citizens …
Is the Spanish job creation model fragile? The case of tourism
The situation on the Spanish labour market is being debated by specialists and policy makers with respect to two central questions: on the one …
The EU must legislate for the future, not regulate the past: The Google fine
After a 7 year investigation, the European Commission’s Margrethe Vestager announced on 27th June a €2.4 billion fine against search engine giant Google. Google …
Spanish Tax Freedom Day
In 2017, the average Spaniard will have worked 178 days in order to fulfill their tax obligations. In other words, Tax Freedom Day, calculated …
Managing Migration – has the European Union succeeded so far?
In 2015, Europeans were horrified by the chaos that unfolded in the Mediterranean Sea and shocked by how unprepared their national governments were to …
An ambitious EU industrial policy will not revive the European industry
The contribution of industry to the EU’s economy has been on a decline for more than 20 years. In 1991, manufacturing was responsible for …
Early Elections in Italy? An Issue of democracy, corruption, and banks
With the potential for an early election by the end of the year, Italy must face the realities of its democratic system: cronyism and …
Emmanuel Macron has won. Will he be able to deliver?
On 7 may 2017, the French elected as their new President a 39-year-old former banker, someone neither left nor right, unknown to them until …
The economic case for a more liberal immigration policy
In his now-classic work The myth of the rational voter, Bryan Caplan identifies four systematic biases about economics held by the average citizen: make-work bias …
Beware the siren voices calling for the ‘Norway option’
The Tories’ poor showing in the general election has revitalised those who favour some form of ‘soft Brexit’. In particular, there is growing support …
The EU new Consensus on Development: technocratic solutions are set to fail
The 2005 European Consensus on Development is a policy statement that commits the EU to eradicating global poverty, tackling inequalities, and building a fairer …
Platform for debate
Platform businesses bring together distinct but interdependent sets of users in such a way as to improve the welfare of each side of the …
Antitrust and the challenge of regulation for online platforms
Platform businesses bring together distinct but interdependent sets of users in such a way as to improve the welfare of each side of the …
Book review: ‘The euro: how a common currency threatens the future of Europe’ by Joseph E. Stiglitz
Since the onset of the euro zone crisis, two schools of thought have emerged, offering different diagnoses of the single-currency area’s woes. The first …
Estonia’s eGovernance: a lesson on efficiency for the EU
In April of last year, the European Commission released the European eGovernment Action Plan 2016-2020 which lines up the goals for the EU’s progress …
The future of EU Cohesion Policy – boosting innovation instead of handouts
During the latest plenary session of the European Committee of the Regions, ECR President Markku Markkula painted a strikingly positive picture of the EU …
Superindex
According to the latest IBL Super Index, the degree of internal divergence within Eurozone countries keeps increasing. This means that the gap between Eurozone …
The Threat of Authoritarianism in the EU
Three of the EU’s most salient values are freedom, democracy, and the rule of law. However, the recent increase in support of authoritarian officials …
What would count as a ‘successful’ Brexit?
How can we judge whether Brexit has been worth it by, say, 2020? That has been a question doing the rounds on Twitter.
The ambiguity of the Commission’s “Harnessing Globalisation” paper
On May 10, 2017, the European Commission published its reflection paper on Harnessing Globalisation. It is the second paper in a series initiated by …
Time to re-think the EU trade policy
As of 2017, the EU has 44 trade agreements in place with more than 60 countries across the globe. In addition, five accords have …
The Robot Tax: a levy on innovation, growth and job opportunities
During his recent electoral campaign, the defeated socialist French presidential candidate, Benoît Hamon, repeatedly hinted at a potentially radical proposal: To impose a tax …
Global Value Chains and EU trade policy
Earlier this year, the EU’s Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström spoke in Brussels about the various challenges facing EU trade policy in 2017. Talking Trump, …
Is the EU growing or getting fat?
By maintaining the imbalances of the decade of excess we are missing the opportunity to prepare for the future. The economic sentiment index in the Eurozone …
The Nanny State crusade marches on
Today sees the publication of the 2017 edition of the Nanny State Index, a league table of the best and worst places in the …
Nanny State Index Summary
The EPICENTER Nanny State Index is the only comprehensive league table of lifestyle regulations. The latest data suggest that the EU is becoming a …
Nanny State Index
The EPICENTER Nanny State Index is the only comprehensive league table of lifestyle regulations. The latest data suggest that the EU is becoming a …
How has Erdogan’s referendum affected Turkey’s prospects for accession?
“We don’t care about the opinions of any Hans, George or Helga…” Erdogan proclaimed to the crowds at his presidential palace in Ankara, “…all …
Reforming the Common Agricultural Policy
The EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has undergone several waves of reforms over the last few decades. Yet, many market- and trade-distorting practices still …
Skill Mismatch: The New Challenge for Spain
As the Spanish economy recovers, rethinking education reform should be a top priority. Spanish workers are Europe’s most overqualified, but also suffer from the …
Some key facts about the EU-China relationship
Since the introduction of pro-market reforms in 1978, China has emerged as a global economic powerhouse and it is today the EU’s second-largest trading …
EU-Australia Free Trade Deal
Earlier this month, a phone-call between EU Trade Commissioner, Cecilia Malström, and the Australian Trade Minister, Steven Ciobo, concluded a year-long scoping exercise on …
Let’s make EU agriculture great again: lessons from New Zealand
As the debate on the modernisation and simplification of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) gathers pace, European policymakers are called – once again …
The EU and Norway: a complex relationship
The EEA Agreement was signed in 1992, and entered into force in 1994. Until now, EEA EFTA countries have been able to enjoy the …
Why economic forecasts get the impact of Brexit wrong
The economics profession has not exactly covered itself in glory in recent years. Few people forecasted the crash. Forecasts of economic recovery after the …
Le Pen’s plan for France’s euro exit
“As Victor Hugo once proclaimed, we have not yet done with being French”, declared Marine le Pen, launching her presidential campaign in Lyon on …
Nanny State Index Conference 2017
10th May 2017
The Nanny State Index (NSI) is a league table of the worst places in the European Union to eat, drink, smoke and …
Britain should prepare for the possibility of a messy Brexit
The starting gun has been fired and the two year Article 50 process for exiting the European Union has begun.
Last week, both …
Information-sharing and the ‘Spirit of Schengen’
Last week, the European Parliament voted to extend the Schengen Information System (SIS II) to Croatia. This followed a two-stage assessment of the country’s …
The 2017 Spanish General State Budget
Last week, EPICENTER’s Spanish partner, CIVISMO, published a report about the Spanish General State Budget.
The 2017 General State Budget, presented on April …
Education 4.0
Current schooling systems are badly equipped to deal with rapid technological innovation and changing work patterns such as the sharing economy and the rise …
Sea Change: How Markets and Property Rights Can Advance the Common Fisheries Policy
As the United Kingdom withdraws from the European Union, the UK Government is expected to lay claim to a 200-nautical-mile fishing border off its …
The EU should support tech giants, not attack them
The position of the European Union (Brussels) and some economic commentators on technology multinationals should not surprise us. However, it is totally wrong. It …
The Istituto Bruno Leoni Index of Globalisation: a summary
On 28 March, EPICENTER’s Italian partner, the Istituto Bruno Leoni (IBL), published its Index of Globalisation. The index covers 39 countries, including members of …
Cheap as Chips: Is a healthy diet affordable?
It is widely believed that healthy eating is relatively expensive whereas ‘junk food’ is relatively cheap. This has led to an assumption that poor diets …
Getting the State out of Pre-School & Childcare
Decisions on childcare arrangements were largely a private matter until the 1990s. A political consensus has since arisen that government action is needed to …
Obesity and the Public Purse
This is the first study to estimate the annual savings that overweight and obese people bring UK taxpayers by dying prematurely (in 2016 prices). …
Roaming without borders
Following the latest European Commission proposal on wholesale roaming surcharges across the EEA, on 5 and 6 April, MEPs will debate on and vote …
Brexit: Why time won’t tell
My track record on Brexit-related predictions has so far been abysmal. I got it wrong at every turn.
For a start, I was …
Money market funds in the EU – a misguided and contradictory regulation
After more than three years of discussion and contention, the European Parliament and Council agreed on a new set of regulations regarding Money Market …
Stakeholder capitalism and the free-rider problem
Professional trend-watcher David Mattin argues that so-called ‘ethical business’ is the new big thing. He raises Uber’s recent regulatory and PR woes – the …
Challenges for a Global Britain outside the European Union – Migration, Trade and Finance
Today, March 29th 2017, Prime Minister Theresa May officially triggered Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, thereby beginning the formal process of withdrawing the …
A freer energy market can power Europe’s security
Recent EC proposals fail to explain how alternative energy technologies such as fracking, a deeper energy trade relationship with Europe’s biggest trading partner – …
Swiss model for the future of Europe?
What would F.A. Hayek make of the current state of the EU? The renowned economist had a specific vision in mind: The model he …
Against Anti-Dumping Duties: Don’t Fear Cheap Chinese Steel
Following the European Commission’s steel price investigations, the European Union has adopted new anti–dumping (AD) duties on Chinese steel products in January 2017. With …
Marginal tax rates of high income earners — Interview with Jacob Lundberg
Being a commonly significant factor in workers’ decisions on hours and promotions, a country’s marginal tax rate indicates more than the mere proportion of …
Solvency II and the CMU: unlocking contractual savings’ investment
Even though the free movement of capital has been a legislative reality in the European Union since the Treaty of Rome, the markets for …
Greece needs institutional reform, starting with the public sector
The challenge for Greece is how to reduce taxes without lowering government revenue in a stagnant economy that is under tight fiscal monitoring by …
The Dutch Elections mark the starting shot for a new European Union
The European Union can breathe a sigh of relief. Geert Wilders, a right-wing populist who wants to take the Netherlands out of the …
EU Migration policies: doing less more efficiently
On Tuesday 14th March, the European Parliament committees on Foreign Affairs and Development debated the report on the role of EU external action addressing …
The importance of an anti-lobbying clause
The composition of civil society at the EU level is largely dictated by which groups the European Commission chooses to fund. Furthermore, citizens have …
Regulations and complexity harm EU labour mobility
Labour market mobility in the European Union is increasing, but it remains too low to provide sufficient internal socio-economic adjustments. This situation reflects non-policy …
What lessons can we learn from the Dutch Election?
Waves of populism have swept the globe, and the Dutch parliamentary election, to be held on 15 March, has received a lot of attention, …
Eurexit – is leaving the Eurozone an option?
The upcoming months will be decisive for the future of the Euro. The French election, to be held on April 23rd (first round, followed …
Why the EU’s public image problem cannot cloud the discussions on our future
Attempting to start a debate ahead of the EU’s summit commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, the European Commission published a …
The gender pay gap is not a problem. It is the result of free choices
Justine Greening, the women and equalities minister, is being criticised because she has rejected most of the 17 recommendations of the Women and Equalities …
Intelligent choices in the present economy: embracing robotization and Artificial Intelligence
A European Parliament resolution calling for EU-wide ethical and safety standards for robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI), passed on 16 February, is evidence that …
A few points on Europe’s desperate need for a capital markets Union
Since the European Commission’s Action Plan on Building a Capital Markets Union in 2015, strengthening and integrating capital markets across the Union has been …
How Economically Free are the EU Member States?
The Heritage Foundation recently posted its Index of Economic Freedom for 2017, the 23rd annual index of its kind. The Member States of the …
Which of Orban’s policies in Hungary are inspiring Kaczynski in Poland?
In 2016 Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán received the “Man of the Year” award at the Polish Economic Forum in Krynica. It may seem …
The Economics of Industry 4.0
Viewed over the sweep of history, concerns about technological unemployment have always proved overblown. Over the last two-hundred years, technology has created more jobs …
Mercantilist arguments in the Union
Over the last few years, prominent economists, think tanks and business newspapers have come to the consensus that Germany’s trade surplus is a problem …
CETA’s long journey. Any end in sight?
The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) has had a long journey to today’s vote of consent in the European Parliament. Most of the …
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, AUTOMATION AND THE LABOUR MARKET
Part 2, for see part 1 here.
The great 20th century economist Joseph Schumpeter noted that it is not our technological capabilities that …
Artificial Intelligence, automation and the labour market
Artificial Intelligence (AI), the pipe dream of cognitive scientists and engineers in the 1950s, has until recently been the domain of science fiction, though …
The taxation of high-income earners: An international comparison
The effective marginal tax rate is the total tax on the last euro earned, taking into account income tax as well as social contributions …
Inflation and the ECB: a political problem
Mario Draghi´s latest comments expressing his support for continuing the European Central Bank´s Quantitative Easing drew much controversy from northern Eurozone countries, especially Germany, …
Posted Workers Directive and Proposed Revisions
The European Union has ensured free movement between Member States for posted workers with the 1996 Posting of Workers Directive; that is, it has …
Would a Return to a National Currency without Institutions Work?
Part 3 of our Greek economy series. For Part 1 and Part 2 as well.
Some economists like Stiglitz claim that Greece should give …
Future EU Financing: Energy policy in the Monti Report
Last month, a group of European politicians, headed by Mario Monti released a report titled “The Future Financing of the EU”. The report, which …
High-powered reforms to EU energy policy
The achievement of efficient and secure energy supply and a clean environment do not have to be conflicting objectives. However, meeting both goals will …
Greece – the conundrum of currency and institutions
Part 2 of our Greek economy series. For Part 1, please click here.
The Institutional Problem Revealed through Global Indices
One could arguably …
Greece – the conundrum of currency and institutions
(Part 1)
It appears to many that Greece is a lost cause and a country that can maybe only survive outside the euro. …
The Istituto Bruno Leoni 2016 Index of Liberalisations: a summary
Last month, EPICENTER’s Italian partner, the Istituto Bruno Leoni (IBL), published the 10th edition of its ‘Index of Liberalisations’ report.
The study, led …
Davos 2017: The forum’s turn to the disenfranchised
The rise of protectionism and populism around the globe shaped this year’s conversations at the World Economic Forum. Overlapping with Donald Trump’s inauguration, the …
Homer Economicus: The Simpsons and Economics
“Homer Economicus. The Simpsons and Economics” is a book edited by Joshua Hall, currently Associate Professor of Economics at West Virginia University, and published …
How immigration makes us richer
Over the last few years, European politics has been profoundly shaken by the emergence of nationalist and populist parties. The rise of anti-immigration rhetoric, …
Labor Flexibility Beats Unemployment: A Closer Look at the Labor Market in Denmark
Despite Bernie Sanders’ efforts to identify Denmark with some sort of democratic socialist utopia where a highly-interventionist government regulates all the nooks and crannies …
Rethinking financial regulation
Since Donald Trump’s election, US bank stocks have risen around 24 percent. Moreover, UK bank stocks have reached 6-month highs in January, albeit tempered …
The past and future of European federalism: Spinelli vs. Hayek
The year 2017 will mark the sixty-year anniversary of the Treaties of Rome. On this occasion, the European project will receive a thorough check-up, …
EU energy policy: let’s stop walking backwards
In order to harmonise and liberalise the EU’s internal energy market, three consecutive legislative packages of measures were adopted between 1996 and 2009, addressing …
The Solution to the Spanish Pension System
It is increasingly evident that public pensions are going to be hard to sustain in the future: the ratio of workers to pensioners is …
The Fourth Industrial Revolution and its Impact on Labour
In 1821, at the height of the Fi