Book Description

International Handbook of Economic Integration edited by Miroslav Jovanovi provides timely and rich academic contributions to considerations of the widest array of integration-related issues. European integration has been providing an inspiration to a number of academics and researchers. The Handbook is a recognition of the dynamic and strong solidarity of the European integration. At the same time, the European Union often provided an example for integration schemes throughout the world which spread enormously since the mid-1990s. Leading experts from all continents contributed to this Handbook which will be a valuable input into academic and policy-making discussions and actions. José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission Miroslav Jovanovi s publication represents a rich contribution to the complex issue of regional integration, its benefits, its shortcomings, and its relationship with multilateral trade opening. It sheds light over an issue which is the subject of intense discussions in trade circles. Pascal Lamy, Director-General of the WTO Much has been written on trade agreements as a mechanism to integrate the markets of two of more countries often inspired by the European example. In recent years, attention has increasingly focused on the importance of economic geography as a determinant of industrial location. This book combines the two strands of analysis, bringing together leading experts in the fields of economic geography and international trade. The result is an outstanding compilation of papers that illuminate how policies and economic forces affect the location of economic activity in an integrated Europe. Bernard Hoekman, Director, The World Bank, US The open multilateral trading system is a tremendous success of the past half century, and has contributed greatly to the world s unprecedented rate of economic growth. Over the past two decades however, preferential trading arrangements have proliferated, raising questions as to how compatible they are with the open multilateral system, and what policies might be adopted to improve outcomes. The essays in this volume detail the emergence of PTAS and provide comprehensive and up-to-date analyses of the state of play of preferential arrangements in all regions of the world. The volume will provide a useful reference for all those wanting to understand existing preferential arrangements and their role in the international economy today. Anne O. Krueger, Johns Hopkins University and Stanford University, US Economic integration is a complex and multifaceted giant, with a myriad aspects ranging from regional and global concentration and dispersal of economic activity to social and political consequences for individuals and communities in developed and developing countries alike. This landmark, three volume collection of chapters by leading authors, drawn from many fields, is a worthy and timely contribution to the analysis of a phenomenon with profound implications for the future world economy - and its governance. James Zhan, Director, Investment & Enterprise Division, UNCTAD With this Handbook, Miroslav Jovanovi has provided readers with both an excellent stand-alone original reference book as well as the first volume in a comprehensive three-volume set. This introduction into a rich and expanding academic and practical world of international economic integration also provides a theoretical and analytical framework to the reader, presenting select analytical studies and encouraging further research. International Handbook on the Economics of Integration, Volume I covers two broad themes: general integration issues and regional integration groups. The first part discusses topics that range from an overview of the regional integration deals registered with the World Trade Organization, to multilateralism and regionalism, hub-and-spoke integration networks, limits to integration, rules of origin, and globalization. The second part of the Han