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<title>Itinera Institute - Issues - Economy</title>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org</link>
<description>Itinera Institute - Issues - Economy</description>
<image>
<url>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/web/sources/img/logo_itinera.jpg</url>
<title>Itinera Institute - Issues - Economy</title>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org</link>
</image>
<copyright>Copyright 2008, Itinera Institute</copyright>
<language>en</language>
<pubDate>Fri, 21 Nov 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
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<title>Privatization and changes in the wage structure</title>
<description><![CDATA[ With the financial crisis and the government’s subsequent increased role in the economy, the question whether to privatize firms or not is certainly as relevant now as it was under Thatcher. The first to be affected by those kinds of decisions are the workers of the considered firms. This IZA publication for example found that wage and wage growth distributions widened significantly after privatization. The central questions really remain however who the winners and the losers are and why?]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 21 Nov 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/privatization-and-changes-in-the-wage-structure/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/privatization-and-changes-in-the-wage-structure/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Budgetary extravagance kills Keynes</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Because we did not save our margins when the economy was doing well, the average employee will have to pay an extra €3700. This also implicates we will not have the budgetary means of effectively stimulating the economy. Had we saved the decreasing interest charges in stead of spending them, this effort would have been minimal.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/budgetary-extravagance-kills-keynes/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/budgetary-extravagance-kills-keynes/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>The necessity of a bailout should not become a habit</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Marc De Vos warns that the bailout in the financial sector was necessary to avoid a systemic crisis. This is not the case in for the car industry. If we turn the necessity to a bailout into a habit we will sow the seeds of our own economic demise.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-necessity-of-a-bailout-should-not-become-a-habit/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-necessity-of-a-bailout-should-not-become-a-habit/</guid>
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<item>
<title>Fight against poverty and battle against the middle class&#8217; economic progression</title>
<description><![CDATA[ How consistent is the war on poverty to high tax rates for low incomes?]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 13 Nov 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/fight-against-poverty-and-battle-against-the-middle-class-economic-progression/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/fight-against-poverty-and-battle-against-the-middle-class-economic-progression/</guid>
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<title>Obama's impossible task</title>
<description><![CDATA[ From the beginning, it was clear Obama's electoral promises were unrealistic. And the financial crisis is the perfect excuse to proceed to the matters at hand and leave the promises for what they were. Of course, the matter at hand is to clean the mess and limit the damages from the financial cataclysm.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 13 Nov 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/obamas-impossible-task/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/obamas-impossible-task/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Brussels&#8217; economic paradox</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Economically, our capital seems to suffer from schizophrenia. On the one hand it accommodates the headquarters of Belgium’s most important businesses and the European institutions, but on the other hand Brussels is also known for its economic and social problems. This report gives an overview on Brussels’ key poverty indicators such as unemployment and housing, and notices that there are important differences between the municipalities of the Brussels region. Can this be related with the extra complicated fragmentation of competences in our capital city? ]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 10 Nov 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/brussels-economic-paradox/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/brussels-economic-paradox/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Fiscal reform: impact on the consumption of Belgian households</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The objective of the fiscal reform introduced in 2002 by the government Verhofstadt II was to reduce Belgian households’ taxes in order to stimulate Belgium’s macroeconomic activity. But has this fiscal policy yielded the expected results? This study from Regards Economiques of October 2008 analyses to which extend Belgian households’ consumption was influenced by this reform.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 10 Nov 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/fiscal-reform-impact-on-the-consumption-of-belgian-households/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/fiscal-reform-impact-on-the-consumption-of-belgian-households/</guid>
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<item>
<title>Welcome, mister President</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The election of Barack Obama has turned out to be an historical inevitability. Marc De Vos indicates that the greatest strength of candidate Obama is also the greatest risk of president Obama. At the international level we need an American president, not only of dialogue but also of audacity and action.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 06 Nov 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/welcome-mister-president/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/welcome-mister-president/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>R&amp;D: Europe progresses, but the efforts need to be pursued</title>
<description><![CDATA[ According to the 2008 EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard of the European Commission, with 8,8 %, companies of the EU show for the first time a stronger growth of the R&D investments than their Americans counterparts (8,6 %). The research intensity, that is the ratio between R&D and net sales, stays nevertheless very superior in the United States, where it establishes, on average at 4,5 % against 2,7 % in Europe. Besides, the R&D of the private sector in Europe represents only 1 % of the gross domestic product, what would indicate that an increasing part of the investments in R&D of the European firms is made outside the Union. We get closer to the Lisbon objectives, but the efforts need to be pursued to hope reaching them.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 03 Nov 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/r-d-europe-progresses-but-the-efforts-need-to-be-pursued/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/r-d-europe-progresses-but-the-efforts-need-to-be-pursued/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>In search of attention</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Publishing is vital for scientists. With the growing number of scientists, the amount of publications and scientific journals is increasing tremendously. This does not mean attention is allocated efficiently though: those who receive a lot of attention will only receive more, whether that recognition is justified or not.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 29 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/in-search-of-attention/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/in-search-of-attention/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Belgium is economically free but less than one year ago</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Belgium’s economy is 71.5 percent free according to the Economic Freedom Index 2008, which makes it the world’s 20th and Europe’s 10th freest economy. This is a 0.9 percentage point decrease from last year, primarily reflecting increased government spending. Contrary to common thoughts, it is emphasized that creating a Business in Belgium is easy and fast, but it is also recalled that income as well as company taxes are amongst the World’s highest. This can be a serious handicap in an ever-more globalizing world.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 24 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/belgium-is-economically-free-but-less-than-one-year-ago/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/belgium-is-economically-free-but-less-than-one-year-ago/</guid>
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<title>What is to know about corporations&#8217; learning curve</title>
<description><![CDATA[ More competition enhances productivity: it stimulates corporations to work more efficiently and gives them incentives to learn from other domestic companies. According to the Dutch Central Plan Bureau, the know-how present within domestic companies is more important than the know-how abroad. This is why companies have to invest in R&D, to be capable of imitating. This is also why foreign companies have to be given a real opportunity to settle in Belgium. In these turbulent economic times, protectionism is thus not an option. ]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 24 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/what-is-to-know-about-corporations-learning-curve/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/what-is-to-know-about-corporations-learning-curve/</guid>
</item>
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<title>Marx, Darwin or Marx..?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ With the financial crisis, capitalism is under attack and in need of solutions. Johan Albrecht wonders whether Marx or Darwin could help.]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 21 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/marx-darwin-or-marx/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/marx-darwin-or-marx/</guid>
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<item>
<title>How Is the Economic Turmoil Affecting Older Workers</title>
<description><![CDATA[ This paper from the Urban Institute examines the impact of the ongoing economic turmoil on retirement savings, home values, and retirement decisions. The slumping stock market, falling housing prices, and weakening economy have serious repercussions for older Americans who are approaching retirement or already retired. More and more older adults are working to bolster their retirement incomes, but the rising unemployment rate limits their prospects. In Belgium, the turmoil may also incite older workers to work later.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 17 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/how-is-the-economic-turmoil-affecting-older-workers/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/how-is-the-economic-turmoil-affecting-older-workers/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Working against moonlighting</title>
<description><![CDATA[ This report from, the result of a collaboration between Liège University and Leuven University, tries to sketch a picture of the size and evolution of moonlighting in Belgium. According to the authors, clear political will and the unambiguous support of the trade unions and the employers’ federations are needed to fight moonlighting. We would have a better understanding of this hidden reality and we’d observe a more efficient control – with all the positive budgetary consequences that this implies.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 17 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/working-against-moonlighting/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/working-against-moonlighting/</guid>
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<title>The State of the Union is lamentable</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Marc De Vos parodies the annual Belgian “State of the Union” and declares it to be lamentable. The federal budget is shocking.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 16 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-state-of-the-union-is-lamentable/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-state-of-the-union-is-lamentable/</guid>
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<title>Confidence makes the economy running</title>
<description><![CDATA[ For markets to be efficient you need trust – morality can take care of that. We found this range of thought already with Adam Smith.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 13 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/confidence-makes-the-economy-running/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/confidence-makes-the-economy-running/</guid>
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<title>Main street after the meltdown</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The financial crisis in bringing havoc but the real economy can sustain as long as competitiveness remains pivotal for policymakers.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 10 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/main-street-after-the-meltdown/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/main-street-after-the-meltdown/</guid>
</item>
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<title>Confidence and the credit market</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The banking channel, which allows with a limited initial quantity of money to carry the economy at a higher level through the lever of credit, requires, almost by definition that, in period of distrust, - as recently on the inter-bank market - it is the central bank which supplies liquid assets.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 08 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/confidence-and-the-credit-market/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/confidence-and-the-credit-market/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Off-shoring and immigration of skilled workers fosters competitiveness</title>
<description><![CDATA[ According to this Bruegel policybrief, Europe’s corporations are changing the way they do business, in a context of increasing competition and scarcity of top-talent. They are slicing up the value chain and introducing flatter chains of command in order to cut costs and woo the highly skilled workers. Contrary to popular belief, both off-shoring to the near-abroad and immigration of skilled workers can foster European competitiveness and help keep jobs in Europe. This is also highly relevant for a small open economy like Belgium.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/off-shoring-and-immigration-of-skilled-workers-fosters-competitiveness/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/off-shoring-and-immigration-of-skilled-workers-fosters-competitiveness/</guid>
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<title>The labour market can benefit from a greener economy</title>
<description><![CDATA[ According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the green growth is promising for the labour market: 2 to 3,5 millions jobs could for example be created in Europe and in the United States if big energy efficiency construction sites were launched in the construction sector. This is what comes out of this report which estimates, at the horizon 2030, the job creation potential from a shift towards a less polluting economy. ILO agrees however that the evolution towards a green economy may encounter financing and manpower problems in several developed countries.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-labour-market-can-benefit-from-a-greener-economy/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-labour-market-can-benefit-from-a-greener-economy/</guid>
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<title>Welcome to the health economy!</title>
<description><![CDATA[ We are spending an increasing amount of our budget on health care. Private as well as public health expenses are growing spectacularly: 5% on average every year over the past 25 years! What’s to blame? In fact, the main suspects are our own preferences: the richer we get the more we are willing to spend on healthcare. This NBER paper found an income elasticity for health services of 1.6, meaning that income expenditures on health care in the U.S. are likely to reach 29 percent of the GDP by 2040! This confirms earlier findings of the Belgian Plan Bureau. Welcome to the health economy!]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/welcome-to-the-health-economy/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/welcome-to-the-health-economy/</guid>
</item>
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<title>The financial capitalism subject to scathing criticism</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Banks will have to go back to a human level, what has not been the case for a long time with the modern American banking model. It is also going to affect the wages in the banking sector. Another lesson that we have to draw is that the complete faith in very sophisticated models contains enormous risks. It also brings to light the reasons for which the "nice" Belgian banks are affected by the crisis.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-financial-capitalism-subject-to-scathing-criticism/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-financial-capitalism-subject-to-scathing-criticism/</guid>
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<title>Towards a new financial capitalism</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Marc De Vos explains that the credit crisis is not only a case of market failure, but also of regulatory failure. Crisis management is necessary, but a new and better regulatory framework needs to be developed quickly. Government must play its role as regulator, stabilizer, currency holder, and lender of last resort. But government cannot replace the market itself.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 01 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/towards-a-new-financial-capitalism/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/towards-a-new-financial-capitalism/</guid>
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<title>Credit for knowledge</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The last couple of years we have lived with the illusion that wealth is only a matter of numbers by selling homes to an ever higher price. Yet, we knew wealth is not generated by making one bigger bet after the other, but by technological progress.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 29 Sep 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/credit-for-knowledge/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/credit-for-knowledge/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Slender, obese or unconstrained? An analysis of public employment in Belgium between 2001 and 2007</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Public employment did grow by 11.75% in Belgium while the growth of total employment was 6.1%. In Flanders, public employment is bigger than inFlanders How sustainable is this evolution?']]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 29 Sep 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/slender-obese-or-unconstrained-an-analysi-of-public-employment-in-belgium-between-2001-and-2007/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/slender-obese-or-unconstrained-an-analysi-of-public-employment-in-belgium-between-2001-and-2007/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Ageing, demographic uncertainty and its economic impact</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Because of ageing, the ratio of retirees to workers is going to increase steadily, which is going to increase pressure on the public finances and the economy in general in the decades to come. Nevertheless, because of the uncertainty regarding future demographic developments, the exact extend of the problem is unknown. This impedes on a country’s budgetary strategy: how much less are we aloud to spend? How will economic uncertainty be affected and how will that affect investments? In this paper; the Dutch Plan bureau makes an attempt to estimate the role of uncertainty and discuss possible outcomes.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Sep 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/ageing-demographic-uncertainty-and-its-economic-impact/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/ageing-demographic-uncertainty-and-its-economic-impact/</guid>
</item>
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<title>Entrepreneurship as a source of wealth</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Some entrepreneurs chose for the profession out of necessity while others made a deliberate choice in order to grasp a business opportunity. For the first group, push factors like the small amount of job opportunities triggered by a high unemployment were a sufficient motivation. This can probably explain why Flanders’ part of self employed is higher than in Wallonia compared to total population, but not compared to the working population. The employment rate is just lower in the south of the country.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Sep 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/entrepreneurship-as-a-source-of-wealth/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/entrepreneurship-as-a-source-of-wealth/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>High food prices: temporary bubble or structural disaster?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ A year ago food prices stopped decreasing. At first, the speculators and high energy prices were blamed. Later, the Chinese, whose meat consumption is increasing every day, and the bio fuels were held responsible. But has it occurred to you that all of these factors are on the demand side? This is why the Dutch Plan bureau concludes that production will have to grow faster if we do not want to start living in a world of scarcity. This temporary bubble cannot become structural; there are just too many lives at stake.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Sep 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/high-food-prices-temporary-bubble-or-structural-disaster/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/high-food-prices-temporary-bubble-or-structural-disaster/</guid>
</item>
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<title>The social cost of carbon: towards a bankrupt or collectivised economy?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Nowadays, very few people doubt the effects of dioxide emissions on climate change. The measures taken to slow the process down and limit as much as possible irreversible damages are costly, but its effects might well be priceless. In this article, Richard Tol estimates polluting effects inflicted to and borne by the society as a whole – the so-called social cost. His conclusion: “if everyone were to pay a carbon price equal to the social cost of carbon […], there is a fair chance that annual taxes would exceed annual income for many people. If the carbon price is a liability, this would imply bankruptcy. If the carbon price is a tax, this would imply complete collectivisation of the economy”. This definitely justifies greenhouse gas reduction today!]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Sep 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-social-cost-of-carbon-towards-a-bankrupt-or-collectivised-economy/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-social-cost-of-carbon-towards-a-bankrupt-or-collectivised-economy/</guid>
</item>
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<title>Temporary Agency Work as a Transition for a more efficient Labour Market?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Temporary agency work has known an important expansion during the last 40 years.  Today, 3,3 million agency workers are employed on a daily basis in the European Union. In 2012 they will be 5 million. The penetration rate is the most common indicator to measure the impact of agency work on the labour market.  This indicator compares the share of agency workers with the total number of employed people. Belgium has a penetration rate of 2,5%.  In this contribution we want to measure the impact of agency work in another way.  We apply the concept of the transitional labour market, developed by the German sociologist Gunther Schmidt. The transitional labour market model focuses on the transitions between school and education, work, unemployment, inactivity (household activities) and retirement.  A smooth transition between these different activities is an important feature of a well-functioning labour market. We will examine the the role of agency work in these different transitions. Traditionally, agency work is considered as important in the transition from school to work and from inactivity to work. Our analysis of the Belgian situation shows that agency work is crucial in the transition from work to work as well.  In this contribution we try to benchmark Belgium on an international basis.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 17 Sep 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/temporary-agency-work-as-a-transition-for-a-more-efficient-labour-market/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/temporary-agency-work-as-a-transition-for-a-more-efficient-labour-market/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>The Danish Employment Miracle</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Flexible hiring and firing rules, generous unemployment insurance and an active monitoring and assistance of the unemployed; those are the main elements of the Danish Flexicurity model that several Belgian politicians cite as a solution for our high unemployment rate. Many researchers stress the importance of the activation policy towards the unemployed. Others on the contrary, can not find a direct positive effect of specific assistance programs on employment. This paper builds a bridge between both views by showing that the motivation of the unemployed to find a job, ultimately comes from the threat to have to attend such an assistance program. 
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-danish-employment-miracle/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-danish-employment-miracle/</guid>
</item>
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<title>Trouble in paradise</title>
<description><![CDATA[ From the start of the Euro zone, the great danger of instability that threatens a single currency area was pointed out, if no explicit transfers were possible when an asymmetric shock occurs, that hits one country more than the rest of the members. The crisis in which the European project has been involved for years (like the rejection of the European Constitution) makes the further development of its economic structure politically impossible. But like a boomerang, this could turn itself against us in the coming years.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/trouble-in-paradise/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/trouble-in-paradise/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Europe vs. America</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Many of the recent economic problems have their origin in the United States: this does not mean, however, that unemployment and inflation will hit harder there. Most likely, it will be the other way around.]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 26 Aug 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/europe-vs-america/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/europe-vs-america/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>The U.S., land of economic liberalism, and sportive dirigisme</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The Olympic Games are a true triumph for China: an incredible organisation and a sportive success measured by the number of medals wan. Economic research shows that authoritarian regimes are more capable to succeed in top-class sports. America’s dirigisme in sports, on the other hand, is less well-known.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 22 Aug 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-us-and-of-economic-liberalism-land-sportive-dirigisme/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-us-and-of-economic-liberalism-land-sportive-dirigisme/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>A common framework for blue collar and white collar workers implies new labour market policies</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Marc De Vos calls for a common legal framework but stresses that it involves fundamental questions for better labour market performance. The impasse on the common framework hides a deficit of vision on labour market policy.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/a-common-framework-for-blue-collar-and-white-collar-workers-implies-new-labour-market-policies/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/a-common-framework-for-blue-collar-and-white-collar-workers-implies-new-labour-market-policies/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Social fraud in social security</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Belgium is accumulating victories in its battle against social fraud. This is good for the state, and good for our social system.]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 12 Aug 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/social-fraud-in-social-security/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/social-fraud-in-social-security/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>There comes the recession?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ According to Ivan van de Cloot, it’s important to distinguish the virtual losses of the stock exchange and housing market from the real economic activity. The financial crisis can slow the US and thus also the Belgian economy down, but will not necessarily lead to a recession. The pessimistic reporting of the press for the past few months, on the contrary, will certainly have its price.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 11 Aug 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/there-comes-the-recession/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/there-comes-the-recession/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>The olympic choice</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Marc De Vos analyses the failure of the Doha-round and warns for the creeping malaise in economic globalisation. Will the world community continue on the path of an international legal order and common wealth creation?
]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-olympic-choice/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-olympic-choice/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>The price of non-globalisation</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Globalisation has been accused of stealing jobs and depressing wages in the developed part of the world. According to this ECIPE paper, these fears are however based on erroneous facts and wild exaggerations. The authors analyse what some goods would have costed if globalization had been freezed at its level in 1970 and 1980 and claim that the remarkable period of disinflation between 1980 and today has fed into higher real income.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 01 Aug 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-price-of-non-globalisation/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-price-of-non-globalisation/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Oil through the roof</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Many hope a barrel of petrol will go back to a 100 dollar before the end of the year. Their argument is, of course, that the price of 135 dollars per barrel does not reflect the market price triggered by supply and demand but has been caused by financial speculation. In the United States the presidential candidates are trying to surpass one another by cursing the speculators. It is, however, not that simple to estimate the role of speculation on the current oil price. Ivan van de Cloot argues that its role should not be overestimated.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 31 Jul 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/oil-through-the-roof/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/oil-through-the-roof/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Public investments and the economy</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Often, public investments are not based upon economic arguments but turn out to be a real horse trading. Economists, on the other hand, always plead in favour of weighing social benefits against societal costs (including potential pernicious effects on health and environment). Public authorities oblige everybody to financially support their projects. It is only normal they should manage that money well.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 31 Jul 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/public-investments-and-the-economy/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/public-investments-and-the-economy/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Should public authorities subsidise external beauty?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Figures that have recently been published by the Belgian Health Care Knowledge Centre show that health insurance spending for plastic surgery has more than doubled in only 11 years. This example serves to introduce a debate on the desirability of health expenses in general.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/should-public-authorities-subsidise-external-beauty/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/should-public-authorities-subsidise-external-beauty/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>The economic returns to a second language</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Knowledge of an additional language may be associated with enhanced earnings because it may reflect what might generically be called ‘ability’ bias or because it may actually be useful at the workplace (and therefore demand of bilinguals is higher). Using Canadian data, this IZA publication found very substantial, statistically significant rewards to second official language use in Quebec, but not for the rest of Canada, which is Anglophone. This suggests that smaller language communities have larger incentives to learn other languages, well.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-economic-returns-to-a-second-language/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-economic-returns-to-a-second-language/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Oil prices: risk and opportunities</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Based on US data, this paper explores the roles of oil demand and supply shocks in industrial production. It shows that if oil shocks of both types lead to a higher price and have in this regard negative effects, demand shocks also have the positive effect of increasing the demand for goods and services by emerging economies. It suggests that the emergence of new players in the global economy may increase the cost of resources, but it also offers trade opportunities. It is the ability – or lack thereof – to innovate and produce goods that are not easily substitutable that determines whether the new challengers represent a risk or an opportunity for industrialised countries like Belgium.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 17 Jul 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/oil-prices-risk-and-opportunities/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/oil-prices-risk-and-opportunities/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Will Soaring Transport Costs Reverse Globalisation?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ This paper of CIBC World Markets Inc. discusses the impact of higher energy prices on transport cost and on globalization. It emphasizes that nowadays, the cost of moving goods, not the cost of tariffs, is the largest barrier to global trade. As an example, In 2000, when oil prices were $20 per barrel, transport costs were the equivalent of a 3% tariff rate. Currently, transport costs are equivalent to an average tariff rate of more than 9%. With the perspectives of a barrel at 200 dollars, this suggests not only a potential major slowdown in the growth of world trade, but also a fundamental realignment in trade patterns in the future.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 10 Jul 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/will-soaring-transport-costs-reverse-globalisation/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/will-soaring-transport-costs-reverse-globalisation/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Break the budgetary deadlock on ageing</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Marc De Vos argues for a policy strategy for new wealth creation and new social protection. Belgium is missing its appointment with demographic history and needs to do more than a minimalist budgetary policy.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 09 Jul 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/break-the-budgetary-deadlock-on-ageing/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/break-the-budgetary-deadlock-on-ageing/</guid>
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<item>
<title>High oil prices; the government should adapt as well</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The government cannot control escalating energy prices but should strongly support the adaptive capacity of our economy.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 01 Jul 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/high-oil-prices-the-government-should-adapt-as-well/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/high-oil-prices-the-government-should-adapt-as-well/</guid>
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<title>Languages and Economy</title>
<description><![CDATA[ As 59% and 53% of Flemish people master French and English, only 19% and 17% of the Walloon speak Dutch and English. The economic impact of this is not to be underestimated.]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 01 Jul 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/languages-and-economy/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/languages-and-economy/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>How to combine intensification of the work and population ageing?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ In industrialised nations, the current trend is an intensification of the work, by accumulation of diverse temporal constraints. At the same time, the population is ageing and the age structure of the working population is changing. This article of the “centre d’étude de l’emploi” underlines the challenge that the combination of these two tendencies represents. The authors approach the fact that the senior workers are less resistant to temporal pressure at work. They insist on the necessity of guaranteeing to seniors a suited working environment if one wants to promote longer professional careers.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/how-to-combine-intensification-of-the-work-and-population-ageing/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/how-to-combine-intensification-of-the-work-and-population-ageing/</guid>
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<title>It&#8217;s the economy, stupid!</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Marc De Vos sees insufficient economic growth as the root cause of the problems of purchasing power and low pensions. He notices a new Belgian paradox of insufficient means for our needs and too much expenditure for our capacity. Real policy reform is indispensable to stop further relative decline.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/its-the-economy-stupid/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/its-the-economy-stupid/</guid>
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<title>The Price of Political Crisis: Economic Adjustment and Political Transformation in Belgium and the Netherlands</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Political crisis is no longer 'news' in Belgium or the Netherlands.  Less well understood is the toll that this controversy is taking on patterns of economic policymaking. Belgium and the Netherlands used to rely on consensus to stabilize welfare state institutions and to underwrite national competitiveness.  This is no longer possible in times of political crisis. As a result, both countries are less flexible and more vulnerable than ever since the end of the second world war.  Worse, they may never recover the ability to foster economic consensus.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 23 Jun 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-price-of-political-crisis-economic-adjustment-and-political-transformation-in-belgium-and-the-netherlands/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-price-of-political-crisis-economic-adjustment-and-political-transformation-in-belgium-and-the-netherlands/</guid>
<enclosure url="http://www.itinerainstitute.org/upl/1/default/doc/Nota%2024_political%20crisis%20Erik%20Jones%20FVH01_ENG.pdf" length="476469" type="application/pdf" />
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<title>The creative economy</title>
<description><![CDATA[ A new development paradigm is emerging that links the economy and culture, embracing economic, cultural, technological and social aspects of development at both the macro and micro levels. Central to the new paradigm, called the creative economy, is the fact that creativity, knowledge and access to information are increasingly recognized as powerful engines driving economic growth and promoting development in a globalizing world. This UN report looks deeper into the concept of creative economy, its dimensions, measurement and (policy) implications. A must-learn concept for every economy that highly depends on innovation and seeks to be sustainable – like ours in fact.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 16 Jun 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-creative-economy/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-creative-economy/</guid>
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<title>Reason over the purchasing power emotion</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Marc De Vos nuances the cabal on purchasing power and argues for a pragmatic policy aimed at market functioning, sharp prizes, more employment and a focused compensation for inflation that also serves in the upcoming negotiations on the wage norm for 2009-10.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 13 Jun 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/reason-over-the-purchasing-power-emotion/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/reason-over-the-purchasing-power-emotion/</guid>
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<title>How to reconciliate inflation and purchasing power ?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Naïm Cordemans looks into the explanations of the gap between official and perceived inflation. He underlines that perceived inflation cannot be used as a reference for monetary policy or wage indexation. In the context of rising food prices, he discusses different ways to support the purchasing power of households. ]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 05 Jun 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/howtoreconciliateinflationandpurchasingpower/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/howtoreconciliateinflationandpurchasingpower/</guid>
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<title>Get richer, get happier !</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Two Wharton economists conclude that richer countries are happier than poorer ones and that as countries get richer, their inhabitants become happier. This finding directly challenges the conventional wisdom that there is no link between the level of economic development and the average level of happiness. Apparently, economic growth is a relatively good indicator of well-being and should be encouraged. Next to income-based indicators, alternative measures to better assess quality of life should however be further developed.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 02 Jun 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/getrichergethappier/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/getrichergethappier/</guid>
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<title>Can the social dialogue save the social policy?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Marc De Vos launches an appeal to the social partners to take up their responsibility, in the face of an impotent government, for a broad mobilisation on the Belgian labour market.]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 27 May 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/can-the-social-dialogue-save-the-social-policy/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/can-the-social-dialogue-save-the-social-policy/</guid>
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<title>Does wage fixation in Belgium increase unemployment rates in period of bad conjuncture?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ When times are difficult, companies often maintain labour costs under control. This study of the national bank indicates that, more often than not, this takes place through a decrease in hirings and an increase in dismissals. Wage fixation by the collective work agreements and automatic indexations indeed leave little space for wage cuts. Wage rigidity influences negatively work possibilities for job seekers.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 13 May 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/does-wage-fixation-in-belgium-increase-unemployment-rates-in-period-of-bad-conjuncture/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/does-wage-fixation-in-belgium-increase-unemployment-rates-in-period-of-bad-conjuncture/</guid>
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<title>Pension indexation VS the cost of ageing: An inevitable trade-off ?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Since large numbers of households prepare to retire, rapidly-aging economies will experience a surge in savings, which will depress world real interest rates in the next three decades. According to this IMF Working Paper, this will result in higher capital-labour ratios - since declining interest rate reduces the cost of capital – and, in fine, in increased wages – since workforce will be relatively scarcer and labour will be more capital intensive. Higher wages, in turn, will be passed on to pension benefits, exacerbating aging-related fiscal pressure. The conclusion of the author is that pension reforms, particularly those that change the indexation of pensions from wages to prices, are highly desirable since they provide substantial macro-insurance against long-run declines in world interest rates. Since higher wages will imply higher contributions, this would definitely help coping with ageing, while maintaining the retiree standard of living.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 13 May 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/pension-indexation-vs-the-cost-of-ageing-an-inevitable-trade-off/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/pension-indexation-vs-the-cost-of-ageing-an-inevitable-trade-off/</guid>
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<title>Can faster economic growth bail out retirement programs?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ According to this Paper of the Urban Institute, economic growth is highly desirable to face the challenge of an ageing population since it increases the tax revenues and makes the society suffer less from higher tax burden or slower benefits growth. However, the authors think that growth in the US cannot solve the long-run budgetary problems of ageing, since health care expenses and other entitlements are narrowly linked to economic dynamism.  They stress that, concerning the US, reforms leading to significant reductions in the growth of pension and health benefits (or increases in tax burdens) are required. In Belgium however, unless we move to ever more welfare adjustment, we still have scope for saving social protection; but if and only if we make the necessary reforms. 
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 09 May 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/can-faster-economic-growth-bail-out-retirement-programs/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/can-faster-economic-growth-bail-out-retirement-programs/</guid>
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<title>Flanders&#8217; economy compared</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The Flemish live in a prosperous region. The perception of Flanders as a European top region needs to be nuanced though – it has been resting on its laurels. Flanders performances for classic economic indicators are good but its prize list for other indicators (labour market, innovation …) is less pretty. That is why this report from the Flemish government identifies several indicators that are of crucial importance for the health of an innovation oriented economy. From thereon several benchmark regions that scored better than Flanders were selected. These are supposed to stimulate Flanders’ ambitions for the future.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 09 May 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/flanders-economy-compared/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/flanders-economy-compared/</guid>
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<title>Counting and Multidimensional Poverty Measurement</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Ever since the introduction of the Human Development Index (HDI) in the 70s, unidimensional poverty measurements almost belong to past. Despite its undisputable advantages, multi-dimensional thinking is still in an early stage and many problems are yet to be solved. This paper deals with the identification of the poor in a multidimensional setting; how can we aggregate across dimensions?  This paper introduces an intuitive – but yet technical! – approach to multidimensional poverty measurement and counting. ]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 30 Apr 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/counting-and-multidimensional-poverty-measurement/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/counting-and-multidimensional-poverty-measurement/</guid>
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<title>Does cultural diversity affect productivity?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The immigration debate has long ago stopped of being a social or a cultural one only. The general economic impact of interactions among a rising and increasingly diversified number of people is now widely recognised – just think about ageing. But is a culturally diversified society more or less efficient than a culturally homogenous one? The potential benefits – a wider variety of goods, services and skills – could be outweighed by potential costs such as racism and prejudices. Using EU 15 data, it is shown that cultural diversity stimulates productivity.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 30 Apr 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/does-cultural-diversity-affect-productivity/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/does-cultural-diversity-affect-productivity/</guid>
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<title>Inter-regional economic performance differences in Belgium: what is to blame?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ General economic performance highly depends on economic growth. For the past three decades, the latter was sensibly higher in Flanders than in Brussels or Wallonia. The employment growth rate was also higher in the northern part of the linguistic frontier. According to the Planbureau, the causes for the economic growth differences are to be found in differences in employment growth rate rather than in productivity growth differences as often assumed.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 30 Apr 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/inter-regional-economic-performance-differences-in-belgium-what-is-to-blame/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/inter-regional-economic-performance-differences-in-belgium-what-is-to-blame/</guid>
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<title>Inflation decreased during 2007, but has strongly accelerated since the beginning of the year</title>
<description><![CDATA[ This chapter of the Annual Report of the National Bank of Belgium reveals that inflation rate decreased from 2,3% to 1,8% between 2006 and 2007, which ranks Belgium amongst the countries with the lowest inflation rate in the Monetary Union for 2007. It underlines however that these good results are only due to temporary factors and notes that if inflation went down between January and August, it strongly accelerated during the last months of the year 2007, pushed up by the combined effects of an increase in the price of energy products and an acceleration in the price of foodstuffs. This tendency has continued during the first months of the year 2008, with an inflation rate which reached 3,64% on an annual basis for the month of February, ranking Belgium first in terms of inflation rate for this period…]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 01 Apr 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/inflation-decreased-during-2007-but-has-strongly-accelerated-since-the-beginning-of-the-year/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/inflation-decreased-during-2007-but-has-strongly-accelerated-since-the-beginning-of-the-year/</guid>
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<title>Entrepreneurship as a public good </title>
<description><![CDATA[ International comparisons learn that Belgium counts too few start-up companies. Apparently, potential entrepreneurs need to be activated just as the unemployed. Is there a genetic explanation for this passive attitude or is the average Belgian most and for all a rational free-rider preferring others to take up the efforts and risks of job creation?]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 31 Mar 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/entrepreneurship-as-a-public-good/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/entrepreneurship-as-a-public-good/</guid>
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<title>Capital Flows and Demographics &#8211; An Asian Perspective</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Demographic disparities can be mutually beneficial. Regions in the world are at different stages of the demographic transition: Some, as Europe, are ahead and already experience slowing or negative labor growth. Others, as India or Africa, are at early stage of the demographic transition, and witness strong labor growth. This paper of the IMF investigates the impact of demographics on international capital flows, focusing on Asia. The author ensures that open capital accounts will speed up the relocation of production from fast aging to slower aging economies and benefits everybody’s welfare. For that, he underlines that capital markets should be supervised and that countries should reform their unsustainable pay-as-you-go pension system. Definitely, pension reform has his bunch of opportunities.]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/capital-flows-and-demographics-an-asian-perspective/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/capital-flows-and-demographics-an-asian-perspective/</guid>
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<title>From words to action</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Marc De Vos welcomes the Solidarity Pact which the regional and federal employer organisations have collectively proposed. He supports the basic goal of more growth and more jobs for better solidarity. But missing are the concrete steps that employers and their organisations themselves are able and willing to take to realize this goal.]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/from-words-to-action/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/from-words-to-action/</guid>
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<title>How to respond to short and middle-term economic weakness?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Slowing economic growth inspires policy makers to look for formulas to turn the tide. This CBO study examines the potential of fiscal policy in the US context and recommends selection based upon three main criteria: cost-effectiveness, timeliness, and certainty of effects. Undoubtedly, this American lesson can also be instructive for other countries.]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/how-to-respond-to-short-term-economic-weakness/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/how-to-respond-to-short-term-economic-weakness/</guid>
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<title>Coming of age: Report on the euro area</title>
<description><![CDATA[ At the end of 2007, inflation in the euro area had jumped to above three percent, while economic growth was slowing and unsteadiness in financial markets persisting. This comprehensive study of Bruegel assesses whether Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) is equipped to sail trough less calm and, perhaps even stormy waters. It emphasizes that by many standards, the euro is a major success, but notes that since is has been launched, the performances of the euro area have not been spectacular. The report underlines that willingness to adapt the EMU policy framework in the light of the experience gained is crucial to the long-term success of the euro and identifies different drivers of reform.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Feb 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/coming-of-age-report-on-the-euro-area/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/coming-of-age-report-on-the-euro-area/</guid>
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<title>Financing Europe&#8217;s Fast Movers</title>
<description><![CDATA[ European “champions” are generally much older than American ones and new companies generally find it harder to emerge in Europe than in the US. This is what reveals this Bruegel policybrief which emphasizes the role of the finance system in fostering innovation and growth. It also stresses the importance of corporate finance for the unlocking of the growth potential in Europe and advocates that the ability to foster corporate growth should be given higher priority in EU financial policy. 
]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 15 Feb 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/financingeuropesfastmovers/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/financingeuropesfastmovers/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>How to respond to short-term economic weakness?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Slowing economic growth inspires policy makers to look for formulas to turn the tide. This CBO study examines the potential of fiscal policy in the US context and recommends selection based upon three main criteria: cost-effectiveness, timeliness, and certainty of effects. Undoubtedly, this American lesson can also be instructive for other countries.
]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 13 Feb 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/howtorespondtoshorttermeconomicweakness/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/howtorespondtoshorttermeconomicweakness/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>The International Monetary Fund rings the alarm bell for Belgium</title>
<description><![CDATA[ In its yearly report on Belgium the International Monetary Fund (IMF) urges policymakers to take serious budgetary and socio-economic measures. With a slowing economy and lack of budgetary margin Belgium needs restrictions on government expenditures as well as structural reforms. The IMF recommends making sure that health care costs do not grow more rapidly than the economy, continuing wage moderation efforts in spite of a rising cost of life, eliminating certain subsidies, reforming unemployment insurance with time limitations on unemployment benefits and making collective wage bargaining more flexible.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 31 Jan 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-international-monetary-fund-rings-the-alarm-bell-for-belgium/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-international-monetary-fund-rings-the-alarm-bell-for-belgium/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>The International Monetary Fund sounds a wake-up call for Belgium</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Marc De Vos gives perspectives on the recent report from the International Monetary Fund on Belgium. He concludes that the institutional crisis is blocking structural socioeconomic reforms that are both urgent and necessary.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 31 Jan 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-international-monetary-fund-sounds-wake-up-call-for-belgium/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-international-monetary-fund-sounds-wake-up-call-for-belgium/</guid>
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<item>
<title>'My car, my fiscal contribution'</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Not only visitors of the European Motor Show in Brussels but also the Belgian fisc is fond of cars. At the occasion of this two-yearly mass for car lovers, critics point towards unnecessarily powerful engines, the SUV-hype or the 'green propaganda' of the car industry. As a symbol of consumer society, cars are indeed important vehicles of fiscal solidarity. This explains why a radical reform of automobile taxation based upon use instead of power is not on the agenda.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 25 Jan 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/my-car-my-fiscal-contribution/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/my-car-my-fiscal-contribution/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>The Belgian economy in 2008: growth in slow motion and inflation</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Is the Belgian economy declining? According to the Belgian Federal Planning Bureau the Belgian growth will only reach 1.9% in 2008 against 2.7% in 2007. Inflation will also rise by more than 1%. Even if the Planning Bureau finds that the number of unemployed will decline, there are still severe problems on the Belgian labor market. Regional differences of unemployment rate are rising. Reforms are necessary if Belgium wants to improve this situation.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 18 Jan 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/2008-growth-in-slow-motion-and-inflation/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/2008-growth-in-slow-motion-and-inflation/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Belgium is the world&#8217;s globalisation champion</title>
<description><![CDATA[ According to researchers of the KOF Swiss Economic Institute, Belgium is the world’s most globalised country. The KOF Index of Globalisation measures the economic, social and political dimensions of globalisation. Whereas Belgium does not rank first on any of these sub-indices, the country ranks among the top ten on all three, which results in the top position of the overall globalisation index.. The most recent index also shows that globalisation is still on the rise, driven by increased economic and political globalisation, while social globalisation stagnates.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 11 Jan 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/belgium-is-the-worlds-globalisation-champion/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/belgium-is-the-worlds-globalisation-champion/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Globalisation has only limited impact on wages in advanced economies</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The declining share of income accruing to labour in advanced economies is often portrayed as an unwelcome side effect from international competition through globalisation. This IMF Working Paper however explains that globalisation is only one of several factors that have affected the declining labour income share. Rapid technological change has had a bigger impact, especially on the wages of unskilled workers. To maximize the benefits from labour globalisation and technological change while also addressing the distributional impact, policies should seek to improve the functioning of labour markets, strengthen access to education and training and ensure adequate social safety nets that cushion the impact on those adversely affected.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 10 Jan 2008 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/globalisation-has-only-limited-impact-on-wages-in-advanced-economies/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/globalisation-has-only-limited-impact-on-wages-in-advanced-economies/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Belgium did not take advantage of the real estate boom</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Over the last years, real estate prices strongly rose in many European countries and in the United States. The effect of this boom on the employment in the construction sector is not the same in all the countries. According to this IZA working paper, Belgium did not take advantage of this boom while other countries such as Spain, Sweden or the United States raised their employment rate.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 20 Dec 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/belgium-did-not-take-advantage-of-the-real-estate-boom/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/belgium-did-not-take-advantage-of-the-real-estate-boom/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>The Belgian productivity in slow-motion</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The launch of the Lisbon strategy in 2000 was strongly motivated by the observation of a declining trend in European labour productivity growth over the preceding decade. This Federal Planning Bureau paper compares the labour productivity growth of three small open European countries: Austria, Belgium and the Netherlands. This comparison shows that, while Austria and Belgium recorded a decrease in their productivity growth between 1995 and 2004, the Netherlands followed the American pattern and has recorded an increase in their growth rate since 1995. Belgium could learn from the Netherland where productivity growth is driven by key factors such as ICT, R&D and innovation.]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 18 Dec 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-belgian-productivity-in-slow-motion/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-belgian-productivity-in-slow-motion/</guid>
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<item>
<title>More and better use of ICT for a more prosperous Europe</title>
<description><![CDATA[ For most of the post-war period, productivity was growing faster in Europe than in the United States. Yet, after 1995, the trends reversed. Robert Atkinson from the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF) observes that the ICT revolution was responsible for the lion’s share of U.S. productivity growth and discusses why a productivity turnaround is critical for the future of Europe. Policy recommendations include the use of tax incentives and tariff reductions to spur ICT investment as well as the active encouragement of universal digital literacy and digital technology adoption. In terms of benefits from ICT investments Belgium belongs to the top students of the EU. Nevertheless there is still significant scope for productivity improvements in our country, as also confirmed by a study of the Federal Planning Bureau that can be found elsewhere on our website.]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 04 Dec 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/more-and-better-use-of-ict-for-a-more-prosperous-europe/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/more-and-better-use-of-ict-for-a-more-prosperous-europe/</guid>
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<item>
<title>Innovation and adaptation: how companies and countries stay wealthy</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The challenge for Belgium and other wealthy countries is to stay wealthy in a rapidly evolving global economy. Companies and countries face an ever more volatile market place. As the “sweet spots” for corporate success are constantly changing, successful entrepreneurs have a social capacity for flexibility and adaptation. To policymakers, successful adjustment has often been posed as a choice between social protection and market flexibility. This study of the Berkeley Roundtable on the International Economy (BRIE) recasts this all too common framing and emphasises instead that a strong social protection system could be leveraged to a unique advantage in the emerging digital era.]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 27 Nov 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/innovation-and-adaptation-how-companies-and-countries-stay-wealthy/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/innovation-and-adaptation-how-companies-and-countries-stay-wealthy/</guid>
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<item>
<title>The happy few &#8211; internationalised European firms</title>
<description><![CDATA[ This Bruegel study reveals that only a handful of top exporters account for the bulk of aggregate exports and foreign direct investment (FDI). This finding is consistent across the countries researched. In Belgium, the top 1% exporters account for almost half of total Belgian exports while the top 10% exporters account for 84% of total Belgian exports. The authors show that trade missions do not necessarily improve trade and that policies to increase the number of firms competing internationally (by lowering barriers to export and fostering performance in terms of employment and productivity) are more important. Policy recommendations include promotion of intra-industry competition and broadening of the export base. Policymakers should forget about the incumbent superstars and rather nurture the superstars of the future.]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 20 Nov 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-happy-few-internationalised-european-firms/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-happy-few-internationalised-european-firms/</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>Ageing does not rime with innovation</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The effects of ageing on our economy go beyond a “simple” retirement financing problem. Innovation is also an issue. This CESifo working paper demonstrates that there is a positive link between the working age population and the number of startups. Less innovation and creativity, this is certainly not good news for the future economics growth in an ageing Belgium.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 09 Nov 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/ageing-does-not-rime-with-innovation/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/ageing-does-not-rime-with-innovation/</guid>
</item>
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<title>Globalisation: panacea or pandemic?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Globalisation is a real phenomenon that both enraptures and divides public opinion. At the occasion of an international forum, Marc De Vos offers general perspectives on the components, the consequences, the challenges and the future of globalisation. Globalisation is neither panacea nor pandemic but at the bottom line a force for better health.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 26 Oct 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/globalisation-panacea-or-pandemic/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/globalisation-panacea-or-pandemic/</guid>
<enclosure url="http://www.itinerainstitute.org/upl/1/default/doc/Globalisation%2020-10-07.pdf" length="10538696" type="application/pdf" />
</item>
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<title>Belgium is missing the Lisbon train.</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The Federal Planning bureau is ringing the emergency bell. If Belgium does not undertake additional efforts, we will miss all the Lisbon strategy objectives from 2010. Improvement of public finances, diminution of the fiscal and social contribution pressure on labor, increases in the activity rate and shrinkage of greenhouse gas emissions require new reforms. These reforms are also necessary to improve the functioning of the labor market. The Planning Bureau notices that the diminution of the social contribution improves employment but only partially compensates for the fiscal loss of the government.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 25 Oct 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/belgium-is-missing-the-lisbon-train/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/belgium-is-missing-the-lisbon-train/</guid>
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<title>Philanthropy: What&#8217;s in it for Belgium?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Marieke Huysentruyt gives an introduction to the global philanthropy phenomenon and shows how one can draw lessons from it on creativity and innovation.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 24 Oct 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/philanthropy-whats-in-it-for-belgium/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/philanthropy-whats-in-it-for-belgium/</guid>
<enclosure url="http://www.itinerainstitute.org/upl/1/default/doc/Presentation%20Philanthropy.pdf" length="763158" type="application/pdf" />
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<title>Belgium needs budget surpluses to finance ageing.</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Also the European growth champion faces the challenge of an aging population. This IMF publication recommends a small fiscal surplus to prepare for long-term spending challenges. Otherwise, Ireland risks an escalating public debt after 2035. The cost of aging will be slightly lower in Belgium but our country still has a high public debt. This publication suggests that Belgium has no other option that building up a fiscal surplus.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 15 Oct 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-challenge-of-population-aging-in-ireland/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-challenge-of-population-aging-in-ireland/</guid>
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<title>The EU and its internal market have a far-reaching social dimension.</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The European Union is often criticized for its focus on free market efficiency. A ‘more social’ project should complement the ‘neo-liberal agenda’ of the EU. Jacques Pelkmans shows that there is nothing ‘a-social’ about the internal market or the EU at large. He concludes that the social dimension of the EU is actually going quite far and even accepting considerable fragmentation of the internal market.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 28 Sep 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/how-social-is-european-integration/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/how-social-is-european-integration/</guid>
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<title>Tax revenue trends and challenges in the European Union</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The impact of ageing, globalization and the desire to shift taxes away from labour poses significant challenges for European governments. This paper by economists of the European Commission reviews the most recent taxation trends in the EU and discusses several tax policy issues in the light of the main challenges.]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 18 Sep 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/tax-revenue-trends-and-challenges-in-the-european-union/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/tax-revenue-trends-and-challenges-in-the-european-union/</guid>
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<title>The strong Euro and Europe&#8217;s competitiveness</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The European Commission published very detailed information on Europe’s price and cost competitiveness (including Q2 2007) to assess the impact of the strong Euro.]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 14 Sep 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-strong-euro-and-europes-competitiveness/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/the-strong-euro-and-europes-competitiveness/</guid>
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<title>Wanted: globalisation fear vaccine</title>
<description><![CDATA[ We live in a platinum age of global economic growth. The European Union takes also profit of globalisation. A recent opinion survey shows that the European public opinion does not trust globalisation. There is therefore need for change directed protection that does not stifle the dynamics of change itself. Globalisation is a success formula but it is nothing without democratic and political support.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 22 Aug 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/wanted-globalisation-fear-vaccine/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/wanted-globalisation-fear-vaccine/</guid>
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<title>Estonia: a new European growth miracle?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ ]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 16 Aug 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/estonia-a-new-european-growth-miracle/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/estonia-a-new-european-growth-miracle/</guid>
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<title>Given Regional Disparities, Should we Promote Mobility or Regionalise Wages?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Given regional disparities in the European Union and in Belgium in particular, policymakers must choose either for more mobility on the labour market or for more wage flexibility. Promoting mobility in Belgium implies a significant reduction of real estate taxes, just as in the United Kingdom.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 16 Aug 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/given-regional-disparities-should-we-promote-mobility-or-regionalise-wages/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/given-regional-disparities-should-we-promote-mobility-or-regionalise-wages/</guid>
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<title>Can Belgium be inspired by the French reforms?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ In May 2007, the French elected a new president: Nicolas Sarkozy. In June 2007, his political party, the UMP, won the legislative elections. During  these two political campaings, Nicolas Sarkozy and his Prime Minister promoted a broad reform programme linked to many social and economical issues (pensions, labour market, migration, taxation,...). Could Belgium find some inspiration in the French reforms?
]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 13 Aug 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/can-belgium-be-inspired-by-the-french-reforms/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/can-belgium-be-inspired-by-the-french-reforms/</guid>
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<title>Belgium lags behind in patent policy.</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The new Eurostat publication 'Biotechnology in Europe; patents and R&D investments' shows that Denmark is leading the patent race in this high-tech sector. Between 1998 an 2003, Belgium produced fewer patents. Table 5 refers to the time it took to implement the EU Biotechnological Inventions Directive of July 1998; two years in Denmark and seven years in Belgium.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 09 Aug 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/biotech-in-europe-denmark-is-leading/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/biotech-in-europe-denmark-is-leading/</guid>
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<title>Dark clouds above Finland?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The recent IMF Country report on Finland shows that the most competitive European economy faces several urgent challenges. Special concerns relate to the deterioration of public finances, the limited anticipation on the consequences of ageing, the sluggish productivity in protected sectors, the persistence of excessive fiscal pressure and the lack of more flexible labour market institutions.]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 07 Aug 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/dark-clouds-above-finland/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/dark-clouds-above-finland/</guid>
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<title>Ageing but healthy</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Ageing hangs as the Sword of Damocles over the current governmental negotiations. Marc De Vos explains that the impact of ageing is also caused by the ageing of the working-age population, which is not beneficial to future innovation and productivity. On the other hand, the ageing workforce is ever healthier and better trained. We need to grasp that opportunity to capitalize on the benefits of ageing.]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 17 Jul 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/ageing-but-healthy/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/ageing-but-healthy/</guid>
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<title>And the Winners of Globalisation are... the German SMEs</title>
<description><![CDATA[ In 2007, the share of Germany in world exports increased to 10%. The ‘sick man of Europe’ still leads before China. German multinational companies flourish and 2300 German SMEs developed market leadership in global niches. SMEs with mainly family ownership account for 40% of German exports or 4% of global exports. Is Familienkapitalismus the best answer to globalization?]]></description>
<pubDate>Sat, 07 Jul 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/en-de-winnaar-van-de-globalisering-is-de-duitse-kmo/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/en-de-winnaar-van-de-globalisering-is-de-duitse-kmo/</guid>
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<title>Making the Most of Globalization</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Has Globalization locked the world in a destructive tax-rate race to the bottom? Is free trade a zero-sum game where every winner necessarily creates a loser? Is offshoring threatening jobs in Western Europe and beyond? In “Making the Most of Globalization” the OECD answers each of these questions with a resounding “no” based on empirical evidence.  ]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 15 Jun 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/making-most-globalization/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/making-most-globalization/</guid>
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<title>Wages, Profits and Income Inequality: an Infernal Combination?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Marc De Vos nuances the recent controversy on wages, profits and income inequality.]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 08 May 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/wages-profits-income-inequality-an-infernal-combination/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/wages-profits-income-inequality-an-infernal-combination/</guid>
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<title>From Globalisation to Inspiration for Belgium: How the Changing World Leads to New Opportunities and Challenges</title>
<description><![CDATA[ At the celebration of “One Year Itinera Institute”, Jim O’Neill paints both a realistic and optimistic future for Belgium under the continuing economic globalisation.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 18 Apr 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/from-globalisation-to-inspiration-for-belgium/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/from-globalisation-to-inspiration-for-belgium/</guid>
<enclosure url="http://www.itinerainstitute.org/upl/1/default/doc/slides_jim_oneill.pdf" length="199378" type="application/pdf" />
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<title>Growth and Productivity in Belgium</title>
<description><![CDATA[ How do we grow? The Federal Planning Bureau gives an overview of the main features of the economic growth in Belgium between 1970 and 2004. The importance of productivity is underscored. ]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 15 Mar 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/growth-productivity-belgium/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/growth-productivity-belgium/</guid>
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<title>Miracle on Kildarestreet: What Ireland&#8217;s Economic Revival Means for Arizona</title>
<description><![CDATA[ How did Ireland become the ‘Celtic Tiger’? If we want to apply to Irish recipe to other countries, we should not use the wrong ingredients. The Goldwater Institute identifies the key features of the Irish growth. ]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 15 Mar 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/miracle-kildarestreet-what-irelands-economic-revival-means-arizona/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/miracle-kildarestreet-what-irelands-economic-revival-means-arizona/</guid>
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<title>Restructuring: a Necessary Evil</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Marc De Vos reflects on the referendum at Volkswagen Forest and concludes that the employees have chosen for the future. Restructurings are genuine dramas but are sometimes necessary to prepare the company or the economy for new opportunities.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 28 Feb 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/restructuring/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/restructuring/</guid>
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<title>Prosperity in Neo-Industrial Times: How Irrelevant Are Delocalisations?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Luc Rochtus and Johan Albrecht nuance the relevance of delocalisations for future wealth creation in neo-industrial times.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 21 Feb 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/prosperity-in-neo-industrial-times/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/prosperity-in-neo-industrial-times/</guid>
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<title>Global Warming and Social Heating</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Jean Hindriks perceives a new class struggle between the highly qualified, for whom globalisation offers new opportunities, and the more vulnerable and less qualified.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 15 Feb 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/global-warming-and-social-heating/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/global-warming-and-social-heating/</guid>
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<title>Annual economic report 2007 of Germany</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The German economy is growing again and further reform programs for 2007-2008 are announced by the government. The focus is on a better government, an enforcement of competitiveness, progress towards the knowledge society and securing bases for prosperity in the long term.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 01 Jan 2007 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/annual-economic-report-2007-of-germany/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/annual-economic-report-2007-of-germany/</guid>
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<title>Which Response to Delocalisation?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Fiscal advantages or vouchers for vocational training are insufficient to relieve the sentiment of insecurity that de-motivates workers. Jean Hindriks argues for an insurance against delocalisation in order to improve risk allocation between state, corporations and workers.]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 20 Dec 2006 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/which-response-to-delocalisation/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/which-response-to-delocalisation/</guid>
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<title>Hope Springs Eternal After Volkswagen &#8211; Forest</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Belgium is shell-shocked by the dramatic downsizing of Volkswagen-Forest. Marc De Vos explains that the calamity at Forest is primarily the consequence of legislative, structural and human failures. The gradual decline of Belgian’s industrial base is not inevitable. Belgium must and can transform itself into a powerhouse of research, innovation and technology that also supports industrial production.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 23 Nov 2006 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/hope-springs-eternal-after-volkswagen-forest/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/hope-springs-eternal-after-volkswagen-forest/</guid>
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<title>Investeren in Belgi&#235;: De dingen zijn niet altijd wat ze lijken</title>
<description><![CDATA[ How can Belgium reap the benefits from foreign direct investment? How attractive are Belgium and Europe for investors? According to Ernst & Young, in 2005 Belgium climbed from the 9th to the 4th place in the European top 20 countries in which to invest. But behind the statistics lie structural weaknesses. ]]></description>
<pubDate>Sun, 01 Oct 2006 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/investeren-belgie-dingen-zijn-niet-altijd-wat-ze-lijken/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/investeren-belgie-dingen-zijn-niet-altijd-wat-ze-lijken/</guid>
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<title>India: 10 times 10 %</title>
<description><![CDATA[ India experiences fast economic growth but the country is also a democracy struggling with appalling poverty, inequality and poor living conditions in megacities. Globalisation offers chances to accelerate economic development in India. Johan Albrecht explains that Western companies can equally benefit.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 04 Sep 2006 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/india-10-times-10/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/india-10-times-10/</guid>
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<title>Supreme Belgium</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Belgian public opinion has recently been bombarded with victory declarations on the Belgian economy and employment. Marc De Vos explains that the current growth figures appear to be more cyclical than structural. They offer little guarantee for the future and therefore cannot be an alibi to postpone necessary structural reforms.]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 03 Aug 2006 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/supreme-belgium/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/supreme-belgium/</guid>
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<title>Do All Belgians Face the Same Inflation Rate?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ Inflation is not popular since it affects everyone. But are we all equally affected by inflation? This question matters in Belgium with the automatic indexation of wages and welfare benefits. Indeed if inflation turns out to affect poor households more than the rich, possibly due to different consumption patterns, indexation may offer unequal protection against inflation. In this paper, Jean Hindriks shows that, surprisingly enough, the inflation rate does not differ much across income groups.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 May 2006 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/do-all-belgians-face-the-same-inflation-rate/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/do-all-belgians-face-the-same-inflation-rate/</guid>
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<title>Competitiveness: the Ultimate Economic Theme for 2006?</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The competitiveness of the Belgian economy seems to be endangered. To safeguard our international competitiveness, the social partners want to elaborate control mechanisms securing that the evolution of the Belgian wage cost resembles the trends in our neighbouring countries. Johan Albrecht argues that wage cost policy will probably not impact the Belgian unemployment rate because our fiscal system continues to price labour out of the market, and this observation also holds for labour that is not exposed to international competition. Our future welfare level will be determined by the successful integration in our economy of economically non-active groups and of the evolution of labour productivity. Therefore we need fundamental reforms. The focus on industrial wages in our neighbouring countries risks crowding out concerns for essential reforms.]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 09 May 2006 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/competitiveness-the-ultimate-economic-theme-2006/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/competitiveness-the-ultimate-economic-theme-2006/</guid>
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<title>Policy Reform and the Price of Gradualism</title>
<description><![CDATA[ The challenges of ageing, migration and globalisation are often perceived as internal and external threats that eventually will transform our socio-economic system. From a dynamic perspective however, every change offers opportunities. Johan Albrecht explains that as societies and economies can adapt to new circumstances and conditions, policymakers need to decide on how to guide and steer the necessary adaptation processes. Without reforms, the unavoidable adaptation is only postponed and will eventually turn out to be much more expensive. In response to the current reform challenge, Belgian pragmatism has so far favoured gradualism. Several analyses from independent organisations not only highlight the risks from the soft and gradual approach; they show that ambitious reforms bring net-gains for all societal groups.]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 13 Mar 2006 12:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
<link>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/policy-reform-and-the-price-of-gradualism/</link>
<guid>http://www.itinerainstitute.org/en/_paper/policy-reform-and-the-price-of-gradualism/</guid>
<enclosure url="http://www.itinerainstitute.org/upl/1/default/doc/nota1.pdf" length="33192" type="application/pdf" />
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