Economic Advantages of Free Movement of Goods

Tasks

This project conducts an evaluation on the economic advantages of free movement of goods in the European Single Market. The scope of the research is to focus on economic achievements and potentials of the European Single Market as a growth engine. The results presented show that the Single Market has had substantial benefits on trade flows, output and income per capita. However, there is great variation in size of gains, such that small Member States and Eastern European countries benefit most.

Methods

Review the literature and provide a survey of previous studies, especially ex-ante analysis by the European Commission and estimates from quantitative trade models.

Data and other sources

The study summarises and reviews insights from the international trade literature and relevant empirical applications to the European Single Market. These studies are then complemented by data from Eurostat to shed light on current developments in the free movement of goods in the European Single Market.