Spain in the E.U. The Road to Economic Convergenc : The Road to Economic Convergence

Spain in the EU takes the country's entry into the European Community in 1986 as its starting point and traces changes in the national and regional economy, shifts in national economic policy, and the fundamental restructuring of the public sector. The book identifies the challenges that continue to confront the Spanish policy under monetary integration, as Spain pursues convergence towards the EU model, while retaining national cohesion. Cover......Page 1 Contents......Page 8 List of Tables......Page 11 List of Figures......Page 12 List of Appendixes......Page 13 List of Abbreviations......Page 14 Introduction and Acknowledgements......Page 16 1 From EC to EMU: the Challenges for Spanish Convergence......Page 20 2 The Europeanisation of the Spanish Economy......Page 39 3 The Labour Market, Unemployment and Divergence......Page 65 4 Towards Monetary Union – and Beyond......Page 97 5 The Public Sector and European Integration......Page 114 6 Regional Diversity and Convergence......Page 142 7 Spain in the EU: 2000 and Beyond......Page 171 Appendix 1 The Spanish Public Sector, 1975–95 (% GDP)......Page 194 Appendix 2 Financial Flows between Spain and the EU, 1986–97 (bn pesetas)......Page 195 Appendix 3 Spanish Regional Unemployment (%), 1998......Page 196 Appendix 4 Spain – Key Employment Indicators......Page 197 Appendix 5 Structural and Cohesion Funds Receipts, 1992–99 (bn pesetas)......Page 200 Appendix 6 European Union Macro-Structural Features: Similarity and Diversity......Page 201 Appendix 7a Regional Indicators – Economy......Page 203 Appendix 7b Regional Indicators – Labour Market......Page 204 Appendix 7c Regional Indicators – Demography and Education......Page 206 Appendix 8a Spanish and European Regional Policy, 1983–96......Page 207 Appendix 8b Total Regional Funds, 1983–96......Page 208 Appendix 9 Member States’ Share of EU Operating Expenditures Relative to Their Share of EU GNP......Page 209 Appendix 10 GDP Growth in the Cohesion Countries, 1986–99......Page 210 Appendix 11 EC Trade Liberalisation Index, 1985–93,* (Selected Countries)......Page 211 Appendix 12 Spain–EU Trading Relations, 1985–98 (bn pesetas)......Page 212 Appendix 13 Convergence in Public Spending, 1986–97 194......Page 213 Appendix 14 Convergence in Government Debt, 1986–97 (% GDP)......Page 214 Appendix 15 Macroeconomic Indicators: Output, Employment, Productivity and Labour Costs in the EU and Spain, 1975–98......Page 215 Appendix 16 Council Opinion on Spanish Stability Programme, 1998–2002......Page 216 Notes......Page 218 Bibliography......Page 225 Index......Page 232 From Ec To Emu: The Challenges For Spanish Convergence -- European Integration--the Promised Benefits -- The Maastricht Treaty And Convergence -- Real Convergence And Cohesion -- Challenges For Spain -- The Europeanisation Of The Spanish Economy -- The Productive System -- Sectoral Shift -- Concentration And Firm Size -- Foreign Direct Investment -- Fdi--origins And Sectoral Distribution -- The Impact Of Fdi -- Trade Flows And European Integration -- Liberalisation Effects -- Trade Flows--geographic And Sectoral Changes -- Balance Of Payments And The Trade Deficit -- The Labour Market, Unemployment And Divergence -- Why Is Unemployment So High? -- Labour Market Profile -- Principal Labour Market Features -- Features Of Unemployment -- Policy And Labour Market Reform -- European Integration And Employment Policy -- Convergence And Cohesion -- Towards Monetary Union -- And Beyond -- Monetary Policy -- The Early Years -- Erm Entry And Its Aftermath -- Towards Monetary Union -- Convergence Programmes And Fiscal Policy -- Emu -- The Challenges For Spain -- Spain And Emu -- The Cost And Benefits -- The Public Sector And European Integration -- Origins And Problems Of Deficit Spending -- The Emerging Public Sector -- European Integration And The Public Sector -- The Challenge Of Reform -- Tackling Public Sector Reform -- The Pension Sector -- Regional Government And Financial Autonomy -- Privatisation And The Public Sector -- Spain And Eu Financial Flows -- Regional Diversity And Convergence -- Regional Development Profile. Mary Farrell. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 218-227) And Index. At the beginning of the 1980's, the anticipated benefits of Spanish accession to the European Community were essentially three-fold: establishing the legitimacy of the new democracy; modernization of the political and economic system; and improved economic welfare. In the fifteen years that followed Spain's entry to the EC in 1986, the country experienced major political, economic and social changes - partly attributable to the demands and pressures of EC membership, but no doubt also to the internal dynamic of social change and modernization. Mary Farrell examines Spain's experience of European integration, reviewing the impact on the real economy and on the national political economy, and identifying the extent of convergence and divergence from the European Union. Taking the Maastricht Treaty convergence criteria as the starting point, she explores the effects on national and regional economic development, the labour market and the public sector. A central aim is to identify the challenges posed by EU membership for the evolution of the public sector, itself the product of the modern democratic Spain, and in particular the relationship between the central government and the regional autonomous communities. European integration exerted enormous pressure on the state and the economy and EU financial flows became a decisive instrument of redistribution to compensate for regional inequalities. However, the biggest challenges facing Spain in the EU remain to be addressed in the context of future integration within an enlarged community Spain and the EU takes the country's accession to the European Community in 1986 as its starting point and traces the changes in the national and regional economy, the shifts in national economic policy, and the fundamental restructuring of a public sector only recently enlarged as a result of the country's transition to democracy. The book identifies the challenges that continue to confront the Spanish polity under monetary integration in the pursuit of convergence towards the EU model, while retaining national cohesion. Aimed at an academic and general audience, the issues raised in this book have broader lessons for the management of integration at the national and sub-national level, particularly for new member states.