Fiscal Federalism and European Economic Integration

The pace of economic integration amongst European Union (EU) member states has accelerated considerably during the past decade, highlighted by the process of economic and monetary union (EMU). Many aspects of the EU's apparatus, however, have failed to evolve in order to meet these new challenges. This book explores the issue of fiscal federalism within the context of EU integration from theoretical, historical, policy and global perspectives. It contrasts the pace of integration amongst EU member states with the failure of financial and administrative apparatus to evolve to encompass fiscal federalism, that is the development of a centralized budgetary system. This collection, with contributions from a range of internationally respected authors, shall interest students and researchers involved with European economics and economic integration. Its accessible style should also make it useful to policy makers and professionals for whom European economic integration is a daily topic of conversation.

Mark Baimbridge is Senior Lecturer on Economics at the University of Bradford, UK. Philip Whyman is Reader in Economics at the University of Central Lancashire.