Italy has yet to recover from the economic consequences of the financial and sovereign debt crisis that began more than a decade ago. In addition to losing 1.4 million jobs across the manufacturing and construction sectors, new industries driving growth across the EU, such as knowledge-intensive...

Economic convergence is a major aim of the EU. Innovation and investment in economically weaker regions are key steps to foster convergence • Public institutions and the regulatory environment for investments differ substantially across EU member states and increase economic disparities •...

Private businesses’ nominal value added in Greece has fallen by 38 percent over the last ten years. Micro firms were hit particularly hard. Despite efforts to stabilize the macroeconomic environment, there are only weak signs of recovery. Future prospects are not much better, as—with the...