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Peter Huber · Danuše Nerudová Petr Rozmahel Editors Competitiveness, Social Inclusion and Sustainability in a Diverse European Union Perspectives from Old and New Member States Competitiveness, Social Inclusion and Sustainability in a Diverse European Union ThiS is a FM Blank Page Peter Huber • Danusˇe Nerudova´ • Petr Rozmahel Editors Competitiveness, Social Inclusion and Sustainability in a Diverse European Union Perspectives from Old and New Member States Editors Peter Huber Danusˇe Nerudova´ Austrian Institute of Economic Mendel University Research (WIFO) Brno, Czech Republic Vienna, Austria Petr Rozmahel Mendel University Brno, Czech Republic ISBN 978-3-319-17298-9 ISBN 978-3-319-17299-6 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-17299-6 Library of Congress Control Number: 2015945160 Springer Cham Heidelberg New York Dordrecht London © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. Printed on acid-free paper Springer International Publishing AG Switzerland is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com) Contents Introduction .............................................. 1 Peter Huber, Danusˇe Nerudova´, and Petr Rozmahel Part I Patterns of Heterogeneity The Competitiveness of the EU Countries: A Multi-dimensional Cluster Analysis Approach ................................... 13 Petr Rozmahel, Ladislava Issever Grochova´, and Marek Litzman Long-Run Heterogeneity Across the EU Countries ................ 37 Svatopluk Kapounek Sustainable Development in the EU ............................ 47 David Hampel, Ladislava Issever Grochova´, Jitka Janova´, Ladislav Kaba´t, and Lubosˇ Strˇelec Part II Policies for Competitiveness, Social Inclusion and Sustainability in the EU Current Developments in Corporate Social Responsibility in the EU ... 77 Eva Abramuszkinova´ Pavlı´kova´ and Marcela Basovnı´kova´ The Internationalisation of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises as a Path to Competitiveness ................................. 99 Lea Kubı´cˇkova´, Marcela Tuzova´, and Martina Toulova´ Key Aspects of Competitiveness: Focus on European Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises ............................... 121 Michaela Beranova´, Jakub Tabas, and Jan Vavrˇina Pigouvian Carbon Tax Rate: Can It Help the European Union Achieve Sustainability? ..................................... 145 Danusˇe Nerudova´ and Marian Dobranschi v vi Contents Part III Strategies and Instruments: The Potential for Policy Learning A Lesson for the Contemporary European Periphery from the Transition Process of the CEE Countries ..................... 163 Ludeˇk Kouba Geospatial Infrastructure for European Union Sustainable Development ............................................. 179 David Procha´zka, Jaromı´r Landa, Jana Procha´zkova´, and Martin Klima´nek Reforming Welfare States ................................... 191 Peter Huber, Thomas Leoni, and Hans Pitlik Contributors Marcela Basovnı´kova´ Department of Business and Economics, Mendel Univer- sity in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic Michaela Beranova´ Department of Business Economics, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic Marian Dobranschi Department of Accounting and Taxes, Mendel University of Brno, Brno, Czech Republic Ladislava Issever Grochova´ Department of Economics, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic David Hampel FBE Mendelu in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic Peter Huber WIFO, Vienna, Austria Jitka Janova´ FBE Mendelu in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic Ladislav Kaba´t FBE Mendelu in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic Svatopluk Kapounek Mendel University, Brno, Czech Republic Martin Klima´nek Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic Ludeˇk Kouba Department of Economics, Mendel University, Brno, Czech Republic Lea Kubı´cˇkova´ Department of Marketing and Trade, Mendel University, Brno, Brno, Czech Republic Jaromı´r Landa Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic Thomas Leoni WIFO, Wien, Austria Marek Litzman Department of Economics, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic vii viii Contributors Danusˇe Nerudova´ Department of Accounting and Taxes, Mendel University of Brno, Brno, Czech Republic Eva Abramuszkinova´ Pavlı´kova´ Department of Law and Social Sciences, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic Hans Pitlik WIFO, Wien, Austria David Procha´zka Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic Jana Procha´zkova´ Brno University of Technology, Brno, Czech Republic Petr Rozmahel Department of Economics, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic Lubosˇ Strˇelec FBE Mendelu in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic Jakub Tabas Department of Business Economics, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic Martina Toulova´ Department of Marketing and Trade, Mendel University, Brno, Brno, Czech Republic Marcela Tuzova´ Department of Marketing and Trade, Mendel University, Brno, Brno, Czech Republic Jan Vavrˇina Department of Business Economics, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic Introduction Peter Huber, Danusˇe Nerudova´, and Petr Rozmahel 1 Motivation and Background to This Collective Volume The concept of diversity and heterogeneity may be considered one of the central features of the European Union (EU) and applies both to the economic and the political dimensions of the project of European integration. Economically, the four rounds of enlargements by 16 countries and the introduction of the common market program, in addition to the European Monetary Union (EMU), noticeably increased the heterogeneity of the EU. In just two decades, the addition of these countries moved the European Union from a free trade association of 12 countries with a population of approximately 380 million to a common market area of 28 countries (most of which have also joined the EMU) with a population of almost 600 million. Thus, among the 12 EU countries that were EU members in the late 1980s, the second wealthiest country (ignoring Luxembourg, which is the wealthiest of these 12 countries but is an outlier) in terms of GDP per capita at purchasing power parities (the Netherlands) was approximately 1.8 times wealthier than the poorest country under the same metric (Greece); however, among the 28 countries that are currently members of the EU (two decades later), the same ratio was 2.9. Politically—putting aside the obvious differences in interests between countries of such vastly differing economic development levels—this diversity is P. Huber (*) WIFO, Arsenal, Objekt 20, 1030 Vienna, Austria e-mail: [email protected] D. Nerudova´ Department of Accounting and Taxes, Mendel University of Brno, Brno, Czech Republic e-mail: [email protected] P. Rozmahel Department of Economics, Mendel University in Brno, Zemeˇdeˇlska´ 1, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic e-mail: [email protected] © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016 1 P. Huber et al. (eds.), Competitiveness, Social Inclusion and Sustainability in a Diverse European Union, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-17299-6_1 2 P. Huber et al. documented by the increasingly complex institutional set-up and the growing concerns about the adequacy of governance within both the EU and the EMU resulting from the differing speeds of integration followed by different member countries. Thus although the concept of a multi-speed European Union is and always was a highly controversial topic in theoretical debates on European inte- gration, the integration process in practice has repeatedly allowed individual countries to decide whether and when individual integration steps are adopted. Although this autonomy has significantly contributed to the progress of integration, it has also increased the complexity of governance issues and—as evidenced by the recent economic crisis—has led to significant economic vulnerabilities. This heterogeneity—which is likely to increase, given that the EU in 2014 was negotiating membership with six countries, which all differ widely in terms of economic development and level of integration—also poses a number of questions with respect to the viability of a number of the EU’s joint common economic and political development initiatives, such as the EU 2020 strategy and its long-term goal of creating smart, sustainable and inclusive growth in Europe. Although the prolonged impact of the economic and financial crisis has clearly shifted the priorities of European economic policy to more short term crisis management, the underlying diversity in the EU also raises issues as to what type of policies, instruments and strategies

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