Deepening the EU’s Single Market for Services

By Christian H Ebeke, Jan-Martin Frie, Louise Rabier

December 6, 2019

Preview Citation

Format: Chicago

Christian H Ebeke, Jan-Martin Frie, and Louise Rabier. Deepening the EU’s Single Market for Services, (USA: International Monetary Fund, 2019) accessed December 22, 2024

Disclaimer: IMF Working Papers describe research in progress by the author(s) and are published to elicit comments and to encourage debate. The views expressed in IMF Working Papers are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF, its Executive Board, or IMF management.

Summary

The services sector is increasingly important for the euro area economy, but productivity growth in the sector has stalled over the past two decades. Remaining barriers to cross-border trade in services within the EU Single Market contribute to this weak performance. Our empirical analysis suggests that slow progress in tackling these barriers is associated with political economy factors such as weak government support in parliaments, low government efficiency and high markups. To remove the cross-border restrictions on services trade, we suggest combining incentives such as financial support, technical assistance and improved communication on barriers with more effective enforcement.

Subject: Economic sectors, International trade, Legal support in revenue administration, Production, Productivity, Revenue administration, Services sector, Trade in services, Trade liberalization

Keywords: EU KLEMS, EU Services Directive, EU work force, Euro area services sector, Global, Government, Legal support in revenue administration, Productivity, Service trade restrictiveness, Services sector, STRI EU, Trade in services, Trade liberalization, WP

Publication Details

Pages:

21
Volume:

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DOI:

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Issue:

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Series:

Working Paper No. 2019/269
Stock No:

WPIEA2019269
ISBN:

9781513520681
ISSN:

1018-5941

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