Theory of economic integration

Stages of the economic integration: free trade area, customs union, common market, economic and monetary union; theory of customs union: static and dynamic effects, theory of the common market: influence of the movement of means of production on welfare.

Customs union within the European Community

Evolution of the European Union in the field of economic integration: from customs union to internal market of the EU; elimination of traditional barriers: duties and measures having equivalent effects, prevention of import of goods at lower prices than those of the national production, and quantitative restrictions and measures having the equivalent effects, prevention of the import of certain products in quantities exceeding those necessary to satisfy local demand not covered by national production; exemptions from the ban on the application of traditional barriers in trade between Member States on grounds of public morality, public policy or public security, the protection of health and life of humans, animals or plants, the protection of national treasures possessing artistic, historic or archaeological value or the protection of industrial and commercial property; establishment of the common customs tariffs within the framework of the common commercial policy; consequences of enlargement for enterprises and their partners from third countries.

Completion of the internal market

"White paper" (1985) of the European Commission on completing the internal market: program of elimination of all physical, technical and fiscal obstacles from its publication within 7 years, which was characterised in particular by: a more flexible approach to harmonisation methods; Single European Act: significant changes to the Community decision making process, creation of the Single Market; not complete or correct transposition of the directives establishing the single market; Single Market Action Plan presented by the Commission in 1997; Single Market Scorebord; Project entitled SLIM (simpler legislation for the internal market); challenges of enlargement and main problems of acceding countries in transposition of internal market directives.

Elimination of internal frontiers within the internal market

Elimination of all checks and all formalities in respect of goods moving within the Community; establishment of the one single border-free area for the purposes of the movement of goods within TIR (international road transport) and ATA (temporary admission of goods) carnets, establishment of a system for collecting statistical information on exchange of goods between Member States directly from undertakings (INTRASTAT), EDICOM - trans- European network for collection, production and dissemination of statistics on the intra-Community and extra-Community trading of goods; effects of elimination of controls at the internal border on trade between new and old Members States.

Free movement of goods

Elimination of the so-called technical barriers to trade resulting from national regulations obliging the producers of industrial products and foodstuffs to satisfy certain criteria or to meet certain standards and technical specifications; the removal of technical obstacles to trade in industrial products based on Article 100 of the EC Treaty; prevention of new technical obstacles: adoption of new legislation and creation of further technical obstacles to trade during the gloomy economy climate of the 1970's, judgement of the Court of Justice of 20 February 1979 in the "Cassis de Dijon" case: any product lawfully manufactured and marketed in a Member State should in principle be admitted to the market of any other Member State, the principle of mutual recognition, common standardisation and certification policy: new approach to technical harmonisation and standards, essential safety requirements, Community marking CE, common standardisation policy, relevant national body for certification and recognition; potential consequences of free movement of goods for intra-traders within the EU.

Free movement of workers

The common labour market: right to move and reside within the territory of the Member States; the right to stay in a Member State for employment and retain in the territory of that Member State after having been employed in it, the principle of equal treatment, prohibition of discrimination throughout the Community in different areas such as employment, education, social security, health care and access to goods and services; co-ordination of social security and other measures for migrating workers; recognition of diplomas; economical arguments concerning the transition periods and obstacles on free movement of workers from new Member States.

Freedom to provide services

The EC Treaty's provisions concerning the abolition or restrictions on freedom of establishment and freedom to provide services; services of general interest as a key element of the single market and of European competitiveness. The share of services in the value added of the Community economy and the range of economic activities. The impact of the draft of the directive on services in the internal market on the situation of SME and big entrepreneurs.

Free movement of capital

The provisions of the EC Treaty concerning the liberalisation of the movement of capital, 1960's directives concerning capital transfer liberalisation, the 1988 directive on movement of capital, the provisions concerning the free transfer of capital. The movement of foreign direct investments, re-allocation of the investments between Member States.

Right of establishment

Right of establishment entails permanent installation in a Member State in order to pursue an economic activity in that State; Right to enter and to reside in the Member State: the right for nationals of EU Member States to work or pursue activities as self employed. The situation of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in the EC market.

Tax policy within the internal market - indirect taxation

Harmonisation of direct and indirect taxation, the rule of fiscal neutrality of Community trade; idea behind the value added tax; the rule of the country of origin and the rule of the country of destination; common system of taxes: taxation and conditions for competition; removal of fiscal frontiers and controls at internal borders; standard VAT rat and reduced rates; special taxes on consumption (excise duties); the rule of country of destination; goods covered by the exceed taxes: tobaccos, alcohol (beer, wine, spirits), mineral oils and energy; the effect of the tax policy within the internal market on undertakings and trade between Member States.

Tax policy within the internal market - direct taxation

Harmonisation of direct taxation; income tax and capital tax; minimum degree of harmonisation of direct taxes; business taxation: code of conduct on business taxation; efforts to combat tax avoidance.

Anti-monopoly policy

The common competition policy as a essential element to the achievement and maintenance of the single market; the EC Treaty's provisions concerning anti-trust policy: prohibition of agreements between undertakings, decisions by associations of undertakings and concerned practices affecting the prevention, restriction or distortion of competition within the internal market, ban on the abuse of dominant position (centralisation in the Single Market), prevention control of mergers and co-operations; the effects of anti-monopoly rules on the behaviour of companies within the internal market of the EU.

Procedural and legal requirements concerning notification of state aid

Arguments adduced by governments for interventions in economic activities; definition of state aid and public aid; prohibition of state aid: aids compatible and incompatible with EU law, notification of state aid measures to the European Commission; general aids in response to genuine economic or social needs; the idea of the de minimis state aid; the obligations of reports on the beneficiaries of state aid.

Conditions of admissibility of regional, sectoral state aid and horizontal state aid

State aid for the purpose of regions, negotiation of regional state aid maps with the Commission authorities; the new revision of the regional aid guidelines and the impact on the development of regions and the cohesion within the EU, fearfulness that sectoral aid to industry may distort competition in the single market. The provisions of admissibility of different sectoral state aid. Effects on the EU industry of the aid to shipbuilding, steel industry, textile-clothing sector, motor vehicle sector. Aid granted in order to achieve legitimate objectives and approved by the Commission under certain conditions: state aid for research and development, employment and training, small and medium-sized enterprises, environmental protection and the rescue and restructuring of firms; the impact on economy and the economic and financial position of beneficiaries; problems concerning state aid in new Member States and the question of the level of competitiveness between enterprises from old and new Member States.

Influence of the internal market on EU economy

The main outcomes of the Report on European Economy and the Programme on the Internal Market of 1992, the activities within the Action Plan for the Single Market, the Single Market Scorebord and the Strategy for Europe's Internal Market, the initiatives concerning the completion of the internal market within the Lisbon Strategy; enlargement as a challenge for the completion of the internal market.

- Every year, at the end of the term, there will be organised a Round table (seminar) for Students of the "Internal Market - economic dimension" lecture. The main goal of this event will be to discuss the present issues concerning the Impact of the Internal Market on the Lisbon Strategy. The speakers for this discussion will be invited from various ministries and central offices of the Polish government and public administration. It will be a kind of summing up session of the whole lecture on the "Internal market - economic dimension".