Naslov
Economic Governance and Competitiveness: Some Evidence from Croatia and the New EU Members

Autori
Čučković, Nevenka ; Jurlin Krešimir

Izvornik
Challenges of Europe (1849-2541) 8 (2009), 1; 471-492

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Radovi u časopisima, članak, znanstveni

Ključne riječi
Economic Governance; Competitiveness; Croatia; EU new member states

Sažetak
This paper examines to what extent the economic governance mechanisms and the quality of institutional arrangements determines the level of the country economic competitiveness at both macro and micro levels. We start from the assumption that EU institutional arrangements and policy orientations define the regime and framework of economic governance, We focus on comparative experiences of selected EU new member states from Central and Eastern Europe (Slovenia, Hungary, Slovakia and Czech Republic) and Croatia which is a candidate country in accession process to the EU. The post-socialist countries which joined the EU in 2004 have been in the continuous process of adjusting their political and economic governance systems, policies and institutions (legislative framework and soft rules) in order to converge to the existing EU practice, ever since they started their accession process as candidate countries. The pressure of Europeanization has “ worked as a factor and incentive to shape and develop structures and institutions capable of meeting the obligations and needs of a future EU member state” (Lippert and Umbach, 2005). The EU membership negotiations also proved to be an important shaping power of national policies, institutions and governance structures (Lippert, Umbach and Wessels, 2001). The process could be characterized as the attempt to adjust to a “ moving target” as the EU itself is undergoing the process of substantive change too. The starting assumption of our analyses of economic competitiveness of the selected four new EU member states (Slovenia, Hungary, Slovakia and Czech Republic) and Croatia is that getting closer to the benchmarks set out by the policy coordination process they improve and increase their competitive advantages (Marcussen, 2008). Since 2005 measured by WEF Global Competitiveness Index, Croatia has started to close the competitiveness gap against the group of four European new member countries - Slovenia, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Hungary.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Ekonomija

POVEZANOST RADA