Number 22, of Economic Studies Series

Some 15 years have now passed since the coming into force of the treaty under which Spain joined the European Communities. During this time Spain has become one of the more important countries in the European Union (EU) structure. Nevertheless, the EU is perceived by many in business circles as something far off and complex. True enough, the institutions of the Union form a bureaucratic maze in which it is difficult to find one’s way but many of the decisions which affect business are discussed and agreed upon in Brussels. If an entrepreneur is not able to readily move about in this world the competitive capacity of the business could be seriously limited.

How does one go about obtaining the necessary ability to not get lost in the EU jungle? With the aim of helping companies deal better and more frequently with Brussels, ”la Caixa” Research Department has dedicated Volume 22 of its Economic Reports Series to the subject of How to deal with Brussels, prepared by Robin Pedler, professor of Oxford University and academic director of the European Centre for Public Affairs in Brussels.

The European Union creates opportunities but also threats for a company. The question is whether it is possible to improve the capacity to influence the events that take place and for this purpose it is necessary to have a better understanding of the processes. The EU is a level of government and consequently makes legal decisions which companies must meet. It is of interest to the entrepreneur to be well informed and where necessary to be able to take action.

Summary

---

All documents are in Adobe Acrobat format (PDF).
To view a document in PDF format you need the Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you don’t have it already loaded on your computer, you can donwload it now.