ECIPE Webinar: Waiting for Draghi – Defining Europe’s Productivity Problem

Europe has a productivity problem. EU productivity lags behind the United States by 20 percent, and the gap is widening in key areas that drive growth, such as research and development spending. Anxious about falling behind, the European Commission tasked Mario Draghi with identifying the causes of this slowdown and proposing solutions to boost European productivity.

Understanding and describing Europe’s productivity problem correctly is crucial for setting up the right economic policies. Several factors contribute to Europe’s productivity lag, such as lower business investment and a prevalence of smaller companies. However, a significant number of European companies are highly productive. To improve overall productivity, Europe needs to find better ways to allocate resources to these successful companies so they can become a larger part of the European economy.

As we are waiting for Draghi, join us for an expert discussion to address the following questions:

• What is Europe’s productivity problem?
• How does Europe’s productivity compare with other major economies?
• What is driving Europe’s poor productivity growth?
• What are the right policies to boost Europe’s productivity?
• How can productivity growth support higher levels of competitiveness in the EU?
• Is there a trade-off between productivity and national security?