Globalization and competitiveness of nations : The Baltic States

• According to the Lisbon Agenda of the year 2000, the goal of the European Union is to become in 2010 the most competitive economy in the world, able to achieve high employment, rising economic growth and rising living standards. Furthermore, social and regional cohesion and a positive environmental development shall be attained, though according to the Barroso Commission the focus is now on employment and growth, while social and environmental aspects are seen as longer-term goals. The Lisbon Agenda aims to prepare the European Union for the challenges of globalization. Since the Lisbon Summit in 2000, the EU has been enlarged with 12 new members, among them the Baltic States Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The purpose of this paper is firstly to investigate how - economic - globalization can be defined and measured and secondly, how competitiveness can be expressed. While globalization is measured mostly in absolute figures, regarding competitiveness, a - relative - comparison of countries is shown. The focus is on the Baltic States, with Sweden as a comparison. Though competitiveness of nations is according to Krugman a discussable phenomenon, Porter and the World Economic Forum (WEF) are presenting indicators for this concept in the yearly published Gobal Competitiveness Report. According to the WEF, international competitiveness of nations can be expressed by high growth and living standard in the medium and long run and by high and rising employment. [From the publication]

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Ekonomi och näringsliv -- Nationalekonomi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Economics and Business -- Economics (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Lisbon Agenda

globalization

competitiveness of nations

the Baltic States

employment

living standards

exports and imports of goods and services

foreign direct investment

migration

Economics

Nationalekonomi

Publikations- och innehållstyp

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