Past Events

With a faltering Doha Round, the future of the multilateral trading system is at stake. Taking a historical perspective can be a useful way of bringing in new perspectives in current discussions on the future of the WTO. Reports will be presented followed by commentaries by key discussants.

This conference will take a comprehensive look at Kazakhstan, its WTO accession and integration into the world economy. Kazakhstan is hailed by the IMF and others as a success story in terms of ‘becoming a globaliser’, but what does this really mean? How might WTO accession facilitate the process and how will Kazakhstan’s choice of strategy affect this politically charged region?

Trade facilitation initiatives hold greater potential benefits in terms of promoting trade, than many traditional market access initiatives. What is less clear is how this should be achieved . At this seminar, noted trade economist Michael Finger will present his new ECIPE study on the role of a WTO agreement in promoting trade facilitation. Finger outlines what measures would be of most benefit to developing and emerging markets and what would be feasible, before looking at the potential obstacles to a successful and meaningful WTO agreement. With contributions from high-level panellists, the debate should be stimulating, in this highly topical area of current trade negotiations.

Globalisation is often portrayed in the language of economics. Explanations of global economic integration in the last decades – a period when economic integration has been stronger than ever in economic history – often point to the increased use of comparative advantages. The seminar will be based on a new ECIPE studies examining policies that enable a stronger effect of internet services on globalisation.

Two of the most remarkable trends in the last two decades have been the considerable slow down in inflation rates and the increasing globalisation. We know that these two trends have been correlated, but exactly how has globalisation affected inflation? At this seminar Gernot Pehnelt will present his forthcoming paper on globalisation and inflation. Gernot Pehnelt is a Research Associate at ECIPE and an associated scholar at the Friedrich-Schiller-University

EU and Israel are negotiating a new cooperation agreement, but negotiations have not yielded any substantial result. In what direction are EU-Israeli trade relations moving, fundamentally and politically, and what are the prospects for increased trade integration? Lior Herman, a Research Associate at ECIPE and a visiting lecturer at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, will present his recent research on EU and Israeli trade policy.

With Asia’s rise in the world economy commercial ties between Asia and the EU have dramatically increased over the last decades. The EU has launched a new strategy towards Asia focused on gaining better access to Asian markets and promoting its commercial interests. ECIPE’s conference is a first stock-taking of the EU’s policy trends and discussions on how to best move forward in the near future.

The European economy has changed profile in the last decades. Globalisation has enabled firms in Europe – and all across the world – to enhance its production structure by breaking up the supply chain. Trade and sourced production are integral parts of the entire chain of production. We are trading in tasks rather than in finished goods.

Globalisation has put pressure on European governments to reform their economies. Yet change has been slow. Unemployment has been at unsustainable levels for decades. Sweden and France have recently changed governments and signalled a new direction for policy.