With the accession of ten countries on 1 May 2004, the cross-border activities between old and new member states of the European Union were further facilitated, by which the integration of the European economy was also advanced. For the trade in merchandise, the major barriers have already been removed as the so-called European treaties have taken effect. In contrast, the free movement of labour has not been completely achieved. With a transition period of up to seven years, the old and the new members have been given the opportunity to adjust to the new situation. Against the background of the recent enlargement round, ifo Dresden has estimated for Saxony the migration and commuter potential from the eight central and eastern European countries (CEE) and published the results in ifo Dresden berichtet.
With the accession of the new member states, the population of the European Union increased by some 74 million to approximately 455 million people. It is well known that the old EU member states are bracing themselves for demographic change. But also in the new EU member states, low birth rates, a negative migration balance as well as increased longevity will mean an even more serious problem from demographic change than in the old EU states. In the light of this population development, some CEE countries reformed their pension systems fundamentally at the end of the 1990s. To be sure, the increase in pension costs has been stopped and the trend to early retirement has been slowed down. However, pension reforms in these countries have not yet been completed.
Saxony is particularly affected by the EU eastern enlargement, since it borders on both Poland and the Czech Republic. Furthermore, Saxony has a high rate of Unemployment. In an empirical study, the influence on the Saxon market of the expanded market between Saxony and eastern European has been analysed. Foreign trade effects were theoretically modelled and econometrically estimated for Saxony and the new Länder.
H. Schmalholz, „Innovationspotenziale im sächsischen Dreiländereck gezielt mobilisieren“, in: ifo Dresden berichtet 02/2005, p. 33-37 (Download, PDF, 98 KB).
W. Gerstenberger, B. Grundig, H. Hofmann, C. Pohl, H. Schmalholz, C. Vögtle, M. Votteler and M. Werding: Auswirkungen der EU-Osterweiterung auf Wirtschaft und Arbeitsmarkt in Sachsen, ifo Dresden Studie 35, Dresden/Munich 2004. (Download, PDF, 2 MB).
Sächsisches Staatsministerium für Wirtschaft und Arbeit (Hrsg.): Analyse der Auswirkungen der EU-Osterweiterung auf Wirtschaft und Arbeitsmarkt in Sachsen. Studien 25, Dresden 2004.
H. Schmalholz and M. Votteler: „Perspektiven und Aktivitäten sächsischer, polnischer und tschechischer Unternehmen im Hinblick auf die EU-Osterweiterung – Ergebnisse einer Unternehmensbefragung“, in: ifo Dresden berichtet 02/2004, p. 5-15 (Download, PDF, 254 KB).
H. Hofmann, C. Pohl and M. Werding: „EU-Osterweiterung und Zuwanderung nach Sachsen“, in: ifo Dresden berichtet 02/2004, p. 16-26 (Download, PDF, 257 KB).
W. Gerstenberger: „Auswirkungen der EU-Osterweiterung auf Wirtschaft und Arbeitsmarkt in Sachsen“, in: ifo Dresden berichtet 01/2004, p. 5-18 (Download, PDF, 864 KB).
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