Complex Europe: Quantifying the cost of disintegration

A-Tier
Journal: Journal of International Economics
Year: 2022
Volume: 138
Issue: C

Authors (3)

Felbermayr, Gabriel (not in RePEc) Gröschl, Jasmin (not in RePEc) Heiland, Inga (Universitetet i Oslo)

Score contribution per author:

1.341 = (α=2.01 / 3 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

We propose novel estimates of the economic consequences of undoing European goods and services markets integration. Using a quantitative multi-country, multi-sector trade model, we disentangle two important layers of complexity: First, European integration is governed by various, partly overlapping arrangements — the Customs Union, the Single Market, the Common Currency, the Schengen Area, free trade agreements — and fiscal transfers, all of which affect production, trade, and income differently. Second, decades of integration have led to dense cross-border input–output (IO) networks, which endogenously adjust to trade cost shocks. Based on our preferred gravity estimates, we find disintegration to trigger statistically significant welfare losses of up to 23%. In a conservative specification, effects are about half the size. Robustly, the Single Market dominates quantitatively, but the losses from dissolving the Schengen Area are substantial, too. Compared to a model variant without IO linkages, our complex model predicts significantly larger aggregate losses.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:eee:inecon:v:138:y:2022:i:c:s0022199622000794
Journal Field
International
Author Count
3
Added to Database
2026-01-25