This book explores the multiple challenges that the global technology shift is posing to the EU. It raises the question of how European societies will mobilize the positive effects of the rapid technological advancement in digitalization, robotization, and artificial intelligence, while mitigating the negative consequences in terms of job losses, cybercrime, and social and political polarization. From the vantage point of experts from economics, law, and political science, this book provides insights into the role that the EU is and ought to be playing in regulating global platform companies, addressing taxation in the digital economy, mitigating job displacements on the labour market, and tackling ethical concerns of artificial intelligence and the prospect of digital democracy. All chapters are based on up-to-date research findings, succinct assessment of the current state of affairs and ongoing debates. They conclude with policy recommendations for policy makers on European and national levels.
This volume has a solid foundation in the highly topical question of technological change. More importantly, the individual chapters are written by qualified scholars whose analytically advanced contributions are likely to interest a wide audience. I can strongly recommend this book for scholars and students in political science, law, and economics.
Carl Fredrik Bergström, Professor of European Law, Uppsala University, Sweden
When the Commission took office in 2019, it put forward its vision as to how Europes digital future could be shaped in a way that makes the digital transition enrich peoples lives and make sure that European businesses fully benefit from the opportunities offered by digital technologies. Then COVID drastically accelerated the take up of digital solutions. As the digital transformation affects every single one of us it is important that we have the widest possible debateon its inherent risks and opportunities. This is why I warmly recommend this book. It brings together an inter-disciplinary set of scholars able to analyse the multifaceted implications of the technological shift. And I could not agree more with the books main takeaway, i.e. that we need to create an adaptive regulatory framework capable of harnessing the positive effects of technological changes while buttressing the negative impact on European society and citizens.
Ambassador Kim Jųrgensen, Head of Cabinet to Commissioner and Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager, European Commission
1. What Does the Technological Shift Have in Store for the EU?
Opportunities and Pitfalls for European Societies, Antonina Bakardjieva
Engelbrekt, Karin Leijon, Anna
Michalski, and Lars Oxelheim.- 2. Technological Megashift and the EU:
Threats,
Vulnerabilities and Fragmented Responsibilities, Lindy M. Newlove-Eriksson
and Johan Eriksson.- 3. Technological Discontinuities and the
Climate Transition in Europe: The Role of Policy in Two Traditions of
Economic Thinking, Staffan Jacobsson and Björn Sandén.- 4. AI in the EU:
Ethical Guidelines as a Governance Tool, Stefan Larsson.- 5. How Does the EU
Protect Competition in the Digital Platform Economy?, Björn Lundqvist.-
6. Digitalisation, Productivity and Jobs: A European Perspective, Fredrik
Heyman, Pehr-Johan Norbäck, and Lars Persson.- 7. Technological Shifts and
the Social Partners: Is the European Semester Heading Towards a Social
Europe?, Jenny Jansson, Olle Jansson, and Jan Ottosson.- 8.Money for Nothin:
Digitalization and Fluid Tax Bases, Mårten Blix and Emil Bustos.- 9. New Tax
on Digital Services: A Step Towards Fairer Taxation in the EUs Single
Market?, Pernilla Rendahl.- 10. Digital Democracy and the European
Union, Martin Karlsson.
Antonina Bakardjieva Engelbrekt is Professor of European Law in the Faculty of Law, Stockholm University, Sweden, and Chair of the Swedish Network for European Legal Studies. She was Torsten and Ragnar Söderberg Professor of Legal Science (2015-2018). Her research interests include European economic law, processes of Europeanisation and globalization.
Karin Leijon holds a Ph.D. in Political Science and is a researcher in the Department of Government, Uppsala University, Sweden. Her research interests include European legal integration, judicial politics and public administration.
Anna Michalski is Associate Professor in Political Science in the Department of Government, Uppsala University, Sweden and Associate Senior Fellow at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs. She is Chair for the Swedish Network for European Studies in Political Science (SNES). Her research interests include European foreign policy and socialization in international organizations.
Lars Oxelheim is Professor of International Business and Finance at the University of Agder, Norway, and affiliated with the Research Institute of Industrial Economics (IFN), Stockholm, Sweden. His research interests include the interplay between the firm and its macroeconomic environment and, economic and financial integration as well as managerial aspects.
