Studies

  • Published in
    Study
    48 pages

    This study examines the impact on the automatic stabilisation properties of national unemployment benefit systems of a European policy initiative that would introduce minimum standards to those systems. 

  • Published in
    Study
    135 pages

    Do civil society organisations in France, Germany, Italy, Greece, Hungary, and Poland share a common understanding of the values of democracy, the rule of law, and solidarity? This research shows that CSOs tend to converge in their definitions of these values, even if they display more diverse interpretations of solidarity than of democracy and the rule of law. It also reveals that CSOs recognise the crucial role that the civil sector plays in promoting these values. 

  • Published in
    Study
    85 pages

    This study looks at the state of gender balance in the European Economic and Social Committee, both at the political (members) and administrative (staff) level, and considers the main factors influencing the gender composition of the Committee. 

  • Published in
    Study
    84 pages

    This report provides a study of the retail sector, which is one of the biggest in Europe in terms of the number of enterprises active and individuals employed. The study aims to provide practical insights on revitalising small retailers in urban and rural areas. The underlying objective is achieved through identifying the main trends, challenges and opportunities faced by small retailers, and outlining what types of good practices have been put into place to support these enterprises in city-centres, including highlights on the situation of small retailers located in rural areas.

  • Published in
    Study
    118 pages

    This Study aims at making a comprehensive overview of the EU State aid rules and their impact on SMEs in the period 2014-2018 with the goal to identify which policy issues create the greatest challenges for SMEs (incl. social partners and NGOs), and what are the best practices available to tackle the issues.

  • Published in
    Study
    17 pages

    This publication is a compendium of studies carried out in 2016 at the EESC.

  • Published in
    Study
    15 pages

    This publication is a compendium of studies carried out in 2017 at the EESC.

  • Published in
    Study
    82 pages

    Right wing populism and nationalism, while not a new phenomenon, has in the recent years taken hold in many countries, including several within the European Union; sometimes as opposition, sometimes as government. Often, the ideological mixture of welfare chauvinism and nationalism is intended to appeal to the working class, with different degrees of success.

  • Published in
    Study
    63 pages

    This study analyses the impact of changes in corporate tax on investment, growth, employment and public finance. It is based on both a review of existing theoretical and empirical literature and a new event study considering the economic impact of significant changes in corporate tax rates in developed economies between 1981 and 2014.

  • Published in
    Study
    43 pages

    Over the years, European value chains have become increasingly relevant to employment in the EU. While research on industrial value chains is broadly covered in recent years, the effects of value-chains in European service sectors still needs to be quantified. Especially the impact of cross border services in the EU need further coverage. This study tries to fill this gap by quantifying the number of employees dependent on the exports of services to other member states.