Suchergebnisse

This paper analyses the determinants of aggregate per-capita investments into the telecom sector. We provide results of panel econometric estimates for EU and OECD countries covering the period from 2005 to 2013. The findings show a positive effect of infrastructure-based competition between xDSL broadband and cable-TV broadband subscriptions on investments. We use cross-country variance in open access regulations to examine their effect on investments and find a negative effect for bitstream regulations. The regression results are used to assess the magnitude of these factors, thereby providing valuable inputs to the policy debate on broadband promotion.

In this paper we argue that changes in the EU membership status of the countries in Central and Eastern Europe led to less concentrated markets. This is due to the implementation of competition policy and other pro-competitive policies embedded in the Community Acquis, the body of European Union law. A regression analysis using data on 39,646 firms from six survey waves between 2002 and 2013 found EU membership to significantly increase the degree of domestic competition. While the effect of competition policy itself on market structures was statistically insignificant, the interaction between EU membership status and competition policy showed a strong and statistically significant competition enhancing effect. These findings were linked to a firm-level TFP analysis. Less concentrated markets were associated with higher productivity levels. This finding is robust after controlling for endogeneity issues. EU membership was only weakly associated with changes in TFP levels, but led to a decrease in the variance of the productivity measure across firms.

Die Studie präsentiert eine langfristige Analyse der österreichischen Warenexporte seit 2000. Nach einer stark expansiven Phase zwischen 2000 und 2008 verlor demnach Österreichs Exportwirtschaft seit der Finanzmarkt- und Wirtschaftskrise 2008/09 Marktanteile und Alleinstellungsmerkmale im Welthandel. Die Wettbewerbsintensität nahm zu, und österreichische Exporteure konzentrieren sich zunehmend auf den Export von Waren, für die sie über hohe Spezialisierungsvorteile verfügen. Aufgrund dieser Beobachtung werden Herausforderungen für die Außenwirtschaftspolitik und wirtschaftspolitische Ansatzpunkte im Kontext der Außenwirtschaftsstrategie identifiziert und diskutiert.

This paper argues that the accession to the European Union improves the quality of competition policy via the implementation of pro-competitive policies, especially antitrust and competition policies, embedded in the Community Acquis. We assess this conjecture empirically for the (former) transition economies of Central and Eastern Europe, using member countries as well as developing and developed countries in Europe and Central Asia as a control group. The data used is a macro-economic panel of 48 countries covering six 3-year periods between 1995 and 2012. We find that EU accession positively affected the quality of competition policies over and above an overall trend towards more market oriented policies. The improvement in competition policy was not reversed in a single country of the sample. The findings are robust when controlling for endogeneity issues. We also document a slow-down in policy reform efforts in the aftermath of the crisis, challenging previous literature which expects a reform enhancing effect of crisis.

AbstractThis paper studies the role of a country's EU membership status as an explanatory factor of regulatory quality. It argues that accession to the European Union improves the quality of regulation via the implementation of pro‐competitive policies embedded in the Community Acquis. We assess this conjecture empirically for the (former) transition economies of Central and Eastern Europe, using Member States as well as developing and developed countries in Europe and Central Asia as a control group. The data used is a macro‐economic panel of 48 countries covering six three‐year periods between 1995 and 2012. We find that EU accession positively affected the quality of competition policies over and above an overall trend towards more market‐oriented policies. The improvement in competition policies was not reversed in a single country of the sample, documenting the strong and sustainable transformative power of the EU. The findings are robust when controlling for endogeneity issues.

We draw on trade theory to empirically explore the effects of value chain integration on producer price dynamics. Using the EU as an example of an integrated area, we construct measures of backward and forward linkages with intra- and extra-EU trading partners at the country-sector level. We find that especially upstream integration and EU-accession dampen inflation. The results for downstream integration indicate a price-increasing relationship. We propose novel EU integration indicators and offer insights to both theory and applied research. We also add to the policy debate on the price effects of (dis-)integration of EU countries.

Die Studie untersucht das österreichische Soft-Loan-Verfahren vor dem Hintergrund seiner Zielsetzungen: Förderung der Markterschließung, Erhöhung des Exportvolumens, Realisierung kommerzieller Nachfolgeprojekte sowie technologische Spill-over-Effekte im Geberland und entwicklungspolitischer Beitrag in den Zielländern. Sie bewertet die Auswahl der seit 2005 im österreichischen Verfahren als Soft-Loan-tauglich eingestuften Länder nach deren Bonität, Struktur und Entwicklung der Nachfrage und analysiert die Wettbewerbsposition und Exportstruktur der österreichischen Exporteure in diesen Ländern. Ökonometrische Verfahren und das Input-Output-Modell des WIFO quantifizieren die von Soft Loans induzierten Rückwirkungen auf Exporte, Beschäftigung und Wertschöpfung. Aus Erfahrungsberichten von Unternehmen im Rahmen von Interviews werden ein Problemaufriss am Beispiel der Balkanregion sowie künftige Strategien vor allem im Hinblick auf Nachfolgeprojekte und ungebundene Hilfskredite abgeleitet.