Motivation
During the last
decade the HIVA
has investigated the relation between economic integration, fiscal policy and
social protection. The results have been disseminated in conferences organised
especially with the support of EZA (European Centre for Workers questions).
Special attention was given to the way in which economic integration
influences daily economic reality and political decision-making on the level
and scope of social protection in the member states, and at a European level,
and what are the implications for the objectives of social movements.
Almost
simultaneously a group of Greek and Canadian researchers started a series of
international biennial conferences on economic integration in Europe and North
America, and for this purpose created the Athenian Policy Forum. Since then
five (5) international conferences have
taken place every two years. They have stimulated and exchanged critical
research on the transformation of the Western-European and North-American
economies and their adjustment to a changing global and internal context of
economic and monetary integration with changing demographic, environmental,
technological, trade, social and political aspects.
In
this period UFSIA developed increased international and European activity on
the analysis of international trade, supported by the Chair Jean Monnet of
Prof. E. Claessens, which in 2000 was recognized as a center of
excellence (Europacentrum Jean Monnet). On the same campus the Centrum voor
Sociaal Beleid has an established national and international reputation on
research about social protection.
The
Athenian Policy Forum wants to stimulate further scientific debate on the
issues in between the biennial conferences. The combined interest of
HIVA-K.U.Leuven (looking at monetary and economic integration from the
viewpoint of social protection) and UFSIA (social protection in Belgium and
Europe, international trade, competitiveness and economic integration)
resulted in the present international colloquium in Flanders. Besides
scientific contributions from Europe and North America, special attention is
given to policy makers at European and national level.
Programme
The EU, and to a lesser extent its
free trade equivalent NAFTA, creates important effects on internal and
external trade possibilities, increased competition and increased
competitiveness. The completion of the internal market and the start of the
Monetary Union in Europe are revolutionary changes. Therefore, the impact will
probably be much more substantial than could be estimated before this
‘change of regime’. At the same time scholars and policy-makers, and also
the business world and trade unions are worried about the impact on economic
activities, growth, employment and social protection. What are the new trade
patterns and what are the new comparative (or competitive?) advantages; what
will be the implications for industrial change and industrial policy; what
will be the role of the states and the regions in globalised competition
(trade?) between trade blocs; what will be the possibilities for fiscal
policies; what is the danger of social dumping or will there be persistent and
continued growth of social protection?
THURSDAY
14 DECEMBER, LEUVEN CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY
Social protection versus globalisation and integration
Morning
Session
Chairperson
Morning Session: Prof
dr. Marc Vervenne, Vice Rector Human Sciences and Vice-President Higher
Institute of Labour Studies, Catholic University of Leuven
8.00
Welcome with coffee
9.30
Opening speech by Prof dr. Marc
Vervenne, Vice Rector Human Sciences: Enhancing economic and social
progress. The role of our University
PART I
SOCIAL SECURITY AND EMERGING MARKET SOLUTIONS
9.45
Jozef Pacolet, Catholic
University of Leuven: The growing competition or complementarity between
public and private pension provision.
10.15
ISAAC ALFON, Financial Services Authority UK.:
Controlling private pension providers (and long term care insurers) as
financial institutions; the challenges and the experience of the FSA
10.45
Coffee
11.15
Gary Burtless,
The Brookings Institution, USA, The National Academy of Social Insurance Study
Panel on Privatisation of Social Security and the ongoing debate
in the USA
11.45
Bea Van Buggenhout and Dries
Crevits: Catholic University of Leuven, Social protection in a
globalising economy: challenges for social security
12.15
Lunch
Afternoon
Session
Chairperson
afternoon Session: Prof dr. Jozef
Pacolet, Catholic University of Leuven
PART I
Continued
14.15
Bea Cantillon:
University of Antwerp,The European model: the choice between fighting poverty,
social protection and enhancing
integration
14.45
Peter Townsend, London
School of Economics and Emeritus Professor University of Bristol: Policies to
defeat growing poverty in Europe .
PART II
SOCIAL ASPECTS IN A GLOBAL ECONOMY
15.15
Josse Van Steenberge,
Rector UIA: Endogeneous job creation in the developped world or the social
economy in a globalising economy
15.45
Coffee
16.15
Hans Bruyninckx,
Catholic University of Leuven: Sustainable development: common or diverging
role of old and new social movements
16.45
Robert R. Kerton,
University of Waterloo, Canada
The consumer interest in Trade agreements, after Seattle
17.15
Paul Löwenthal:
The role of human capital and wage policies in a development oriented
industrial policy. The case of an
integration between unequal partners
18.30
Apéritif
19.00
Conference dinner at Faculty
Club
FRIDAY
15 DECEMBER 2000,ANTWERPEN, UFSIA
Integration, trade and competitiveness
8.00
Coffee
Morning
Session
Chairperson
Morning Session: Prof dr. Bea
Cantillon: University of Antwerp
9.00
Welcome and introduction
C. Reyns, rector of Antwerp
University
PART I
COMPETITION, COMPETITIVENESS AND THE STATE
9.15
Jean Luc Dehaene, Former
Prime Minister of Belgium, European society: combining the (globalised) market
and the (welfare) state.
9.45
Andrej Kumar, University
of Ljubljana, Slovenia: How to make a country?
PART II
Fiscal Policy and competitiveness/competition
10.45
Paul Van Rompuy and Philippe
Abraham, Catholic University of Leuven, The role of income policy and
fiscal policy: theory for Euroland and Belgian practice
11.15
Coffee
11.45
Anastasios G. Malliaris,
Loyola University Chicago, USA, Global monetary instability and the taxation
of capital mobility
12.15
George D. Demopoulos,
Athens University of Economics
and Business, Can Market forces replace fiscal policy in the European Union?
12.45
Lunch
Afternoon
Session
Chairman
Afternoon Session: Prof. Dr. Evrard
Claessens, University of Antwerp
PART III
EMU & INTRA TRADE
14.15
Jan Smets, National Bank
of Belgium, EMU and economic growth: how ‘real’ are the targets of a
Central Bank
14.45
Paul Verdin: Catholic
University of Leuven, INSEAD and Solvay Business School, ULB, Corporate
strategy and European integration: an update
PART IV
DELOCALISATION & STATES & REGIONS & CITIES
15.
15
Peter Karl Kresl,
Bucknell University, USA, The new
role of cities/regions in economic development
15.45
Nicholas
C. Baltas,
Athens University of Economics and Business, The EU’s enlargement: economic
implications and the CAP
16.15
Evrard Claessens:
University of Antwerp, Trade deflection:
the morning after 1992
PART V
CLOSING REMARKS
16.45
Christos C. Paraskevopoulos,
York University, Canada, and President Athenian Policy Forum, Trade, blocs and
asymmetry: a decade of research in the Athenian Policy Forum
17.15
Reception
Practical
Information
Dates:
14 & 15 December 2000. It is possible to subscribe for one of the 2 days
or for both.
The
conference
language is English. There will be no simultaneous translation.
Subscription
Subscription
for the conference is only possible by completing the enclosed registration
form.
Deadline
for returning the form is Friday 9 December. On-site registrations are
possible but will be subject to a complementary fee of 5 EUR per day. Moreover
it will necessitate a cash payment (credit card payment also possible).
Subscription
will only be considered final after receipt of your payment. We therefore
strongly advise to pay by credit card.
Meeting
fees:
40 Eur per day
80 Eur for the 2 days
(conference participation, coffee, documentation)
Lunches
and dinner:
optional but subscription in advance is
necessary (see registration form)
Lunch 14/12: 20 EUR (Faculty Club)
Dinner 14/12: 45 EUR (Faculty Club)
Lunch 15/12: 20 EUR
Cancellation
Policy
All
meeting cancellations must be submitted in writing to Anne De Smet at the
following address: MOMENTUM, Industrieweg 3, 3001 Leuven, Belgium BEFORE
November 30, 2000. Refunds will
be subject to a 10 Euro processing fee. Refunds will only be processed after
the conference.
Organising
Committee
Prof.
Dr. Jozef Pacolet
Head Sector Social and Economic Policy
Higher Institute of Labour Studies
Catholic University of Leuven
Van Evenstraat 2a
B-3000 Leuven
Belgium
Phone +32 16 32 31 49
Fax +32 16 32 31 34
E-mail Jozef.Pacolet@hiva.kuleuven.ac.be
http://www.kuleuven.ac.be/hiva/
Prof. Dr. Evrard Claessens
Europacentrum
Jean Monnet
Prof
Dr. Bea Cantillon
Centrum voor Sociaal Beleid
Universiteit Antwerpen
UFSIA, Prinsstraat 13
B-2000 Antwerpen, Belgium
Phone +32 3 220 41 11
Fax +32 3 220 44 20
E-mail evrard.claessens@ufsia.ac.be
bea.cantillon@ufsia.ac.be
With
the support of
European
Center for Workers Questions
Athenian Policy Forum
Conference
Venues and Travel Information
Both
venues are remarkable historical sites. The Faculty Club is located in
Leuven’s Grand Beguinage, in an oasis of peace, and in the middle of
picturesque 13th century houses. Its widearray of buidlings and its
centrally-located ‘House of Chièvres’ offer a variety of facilities for
meetings.
Similarly,
the ‘Hof van Liere’ in Antwerp consists of a magnifiscent
16th century dwelling and adjacent historic buidlings, build by the
Jesuits in the 17th century. Together they form an oasis of quietness in the
heart of the city centre.
There
are frequent trains from the major Belgian cities to Antwerp Central Station.
From the railway station the easiest way to reach the UFSIA-campus is on foot
(15 minutes: see map)
For
more information on accessibilty you can also consult the website of
the UFSIA at www.ufsia.ac.be
Four
anniversaries to celebrate
10
years Chair Jean Monnet UFSIA
10
years Athenian Policy Forum
575
years Catholic University of Leuven
25
years Hoger Instituut voor de Arbeid, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Organising
Secretariat
C/O Anne De Smet
Industrieweg 3
3001 Leuven
Belgium
Phone: +32 16 39.15.62
Fax:
+32 16 39.15.63
E-mail: momentum@village.uunet.be
Website: www.momentum-pco.com
Four conferences
to celebrate:
The
Hoger Instituut voor de Arbeid (Higher Institute of Labour Studies) celebrates
in 1999 – 2000 its 25th anniversary. This anniversary marks 25
years of scientific research within the framework of a co-operation between
the ACW (General Christian Workers’ Union) and the K.U. Leuven.
The
HIVA has
set itself the task of researching areas which are significant to the labour
movement and it has also sought to build a bridge between the world of
universities and research and the world of the social movement and policy. In
that context the Social and Economic Policy Sector has repeatedly organised
seminars which have explicitly aimed to create opportunities for encounter
between the Belgian or European labour movement and the research community.
Four
seminars has been taken place within the programme of celebrations for the
25th anniversary of the HIVA.
Each of them relates to the function and financial viability of the social
security system and the welfare state in general and their relationship to the
economy.
The
four seminars are:
1.
The cost of not taxing. Encounter Day between University and the Labour
Movement, Brussels, 19 March 1999.
2.
Pensions and pension funds. Encounter Day between the University and
the Labour Movement, Leuven, 12 May 1999
3.
The State of the Welfare State in 1992 and Five Years Later, in
collaboration with EZA, Brussels 27-28 March 2000
4.
Trade, Competitiveness and Social Protection, International colloquium,
HIVA-K.U.Leuven in collaboration with EZA, UFSIA and the Athenian Policy
Forum, Leuven and Antwerp, 14 and 15 December
2000
