European Integration and Global Governance

The aim is to understand the effects and interactions of European integration on the economy, state and society in order to derive conclusions for European and Austrian economic policy and to contribute to overcoming the challenges. The COVID-19 crisis and the Russian war in Ukraine have highlighted the importance of global and European interdependencies. The resilience of supply and production networks is of great importance in times of crisis.

WIFO regularly advises and prepares studies for EU institutions and stakeholders, and is active in the EU Research Framework Programme (Horizon Europe). Furthermore, WIFO is involved in a number of European research networks.

Numerous WIFO studies focus on EU policies and their effects at European and national level. For example, WIFO deals with funding instruments within the framework of European research, regional, agricultural and social policy, which provide important impulses for the orientation of economic, socio-political, technological and scientific activities. Research questions derived from the central challenges of the EU, such as the implementation of the Europe 2020 strategy ("smart, sustainable and inclusive growth"), the achievement of the goals formulated in the package "Fit for 55", regional cohesion or the future design of the EU budget, are also addressed. The research takes place against the background of geopolitical changes. The EU offers a platform for a small open economy like Austria to bring its interests into the dynamics of "global governance".