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 partner.
Today, March 29th 2017, Prime Minister Theresa May officially triggered Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, thereby beginning the formal process of withdrawing the United Kingdom from the European Union.
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 factors, such as linguistic and cultural differences, but also policy barriers. In particular, difficulties in the recognition of skills and professional qualifications and occupational licensing are still major hurdles.
The composition of civil society at the EU level is largely dictated by which groups the European Commission chooses to fund. Furthermore, citizens have not been consulted directly on this. Instead they have been ventriloquised through a select group of charities, think tanks and other organisations which are directly financed by the EU.
Even though the free movement of capital has been a legislative reality in the European Union since the Treaty of Rome, the markets for most financial services and products remain largely divided.
Recent EC proposals fail to explain how alternative energy technologies such as fracking, a deeper energy trade relationship with Europe’s biggest trading partner – the United States – and a freer internal energy market can boost the Union’s energy security strategy.
The achievement of efficient and secure energy supply and a clean environment do not have to be conflicting objectives. However, meeting both goals will require meaningful market-oriented reform of energy policy at the EU level.
The effective marginal tax rate is the total tax on the last euro earned, taking into account income tax as well as social contributions and consumption taxes. Considering only income taxes does not provide the whole picture of the distortionary effects of the tax system.
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 than it has destroyed and it has substantially increased labour productivity and living standards.