Common themes across courses:
The common themes is the economic analysis of European economic governance and the articulation and coherence of the economic policies analyzed in each of the proposed subjects.
The existence of a single market together with a common monetary policy in the absence of a political union presents unique challenges to the European economic construction. The diversity and nature of the actors involved (ECB, national fiscal policies, European budget, independent authorities that ensure the functioning of the single market, etc.) creates potential tensions and requires specific mechanisms for their resolution.
Specific topics of each subject:
¿ Cohesion Policies and Long-Term Growth: a single monetary policy coupled with the four freedoms implies that Member States cannot use the exchange rate as an adjustment mechanism. In addition, the long term trend towards productivity convergence has stalled and even reversed in some instances. In that context Cohesion Policies are the instruments of choice to foster productivity convergence and catch-up across regions and Member States. The newly created Recovery and Resilience Fund may turn to be a game changer for the EU¿s Eurozone¿s economic governance.
o Conditional versus absolute convergence in per capita incomes. Convergence between EU Member States vs. convergence between European regions (NUTS II)
o The role of labour mobility and dynamic agglomeration effects (Marshallian externalities).
o Dilemma between efficiency (static and dynamic) and interterritorial equity, both within and across Member States (depopulation and aging).
o Smart Specialisation Strategies (3Ss) in EU cohesion policy
