2014年-CEPS欧洲政策研究中心_Can_Europe_deliver_growth_The_Sapir_Report_and_Beyond_25页_257kb

CAN EUROPE DELIVER GROWTH? — Summary of the Sapir Report and Beyond

Core Content

The Sapir Report (2003) is a significant analysis of the challenges facing European economic growth, highlighting the need for a renewed focus on growth as a key priority for the EU. The report identifies structural weaknesses and institutional constraints that hinder growth, but its recommendations are largely EU-level focused, overlooking the critical role of national strategies in achieving long-term economic development.

The authors argue that the EU must address market functioning and national policy failures to stimulate growth. They emphasize that while the EU has made progress in areas like the single market and EMU, its coordination mechanisms are often ineffective and even counterproductive, leading to "dangerous liaisons" that fail to deliver meaningful reforms.

Main Views

1. Why Growth in the EU-28 is Desirable

• Sustainability of the social model: Aging populations and the associated burden-sharing on pensions and healthcare necessitate growth to avoid excessive social and political costs.
• Catch-up growth for new member states: Countries like Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey require sustained growth to catch up with the EU-15.
• Globalization: The EU must adapt to global economic changes to remain competitive and secure long-term growth.
• Zero-growth risks: Prolonged stagnation can lead to social unrest, loss of confidence, and intergenerational conflict, as seen in Japan.

2. Flawed and Fake Growth Strategies

• The report critiques several common but ineffective approaches to growth, including:
  • Increasing public debt: Short-term gains with long-term risks.
  • Stimulating growth before reform: Growth cannot be generated without structural reforms.
  • Luxembourg-minus model: Active labor policies on the supply side, but rigid labor markets and outdated social protection on the demand side.
  • "Magic" eEurope: ICT initiatives are not sufficient on their own.
  • Cross-border infrastructure investments: Often short-term and ineffective.
  • EU-level coordination: Lacks real authority and is ineffective in driving reform.
  • Emulating the US model: Not necessary or desirable.
  • "Greening" GDP: Necessary but insufficient for growth.

3. EU Coordination Carousel: A Failure

• The EU has implemented several coordination processes, including the Luxembourg, Cardiff, and Lisbon processes, but they are ineffective and lack real power.
• These processes are based on soft mechanisms such as the "open method of coordination" and peer review, which are not binding and often ignored by member states.
• The report argues that coordination cannot replace genuine reform, and that the EU lacks the authority to enforce meaningful changes in labor markets, education, R&D, and fiscal policies.

Key Recommendations

• Prioritize catch-up growth in Central Europe and Turkey, as well as a credible strategy for the EU-15.
• Focus on national strategies: Member states must take the lead in reforming their economies, particularly in labour market flexibility, investment in knowledge, and sustainable development.
• Reform the coordination mechanisms: The current EU coordination processes are not goal-oriented and should be replaced with more effective, market-oriented policies.
• Support active labor policies (ALPs), but only as a complement to structural reforms, not as a substitute.

Critical Assessment of the Sapir Report

• The report is authoritative but limited in scope, focusing on EU-level governance rather than national-level reforms.
• It overlooks the role of member states in shaping growth, despite acknowledging the gap between rhetoric and action.
• While it provides valuable insights, it fails to address the deeper behavioral and structural issues affecting European growth, such as risk aversion and entrepreneurship.

Conclusion

The Sapir Report is an important contribution to the debate on European growth, but its focus on EU-level coordination is insufficient. The real challenges lie at the national level, where policy inertia, lack of reform, and resistance to market changes are the main impediments to growth. For Europe to deliver sustainable growth, it must move beyond coordination and embrace genuine reform at the national level, supported by market-oriented policies and strategic investment in knowledge and innovation.