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  • © 2021

The European Union and the Technology Shift

Palgrave Macmillan
  • Provides insights into the role that the EU is and ought to be playing in regulating the activities of global platform companies
  • Is based on up-to-date research findings, succinct assessment of the current state of affairs and ongoing debates
  • Concludes with policy recommendations for decision and policy makers on European and national levels.

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Table of contents (10 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xi
  2. What Does the Technological Shift Have in Store for the EU? Opportunities and Pitfalls for European Societies

    • Antonina Bakardjieva Engelbrekt, Karin Leijon, Anna Michalski, Lars Oxelheim
    Pages 1-25
  3. Digitalisation, Productivity and Jobs: A European Perspective

    • Fredrik Heyman, Pehr-Johan Norbäck, Lars Persson
    Pages 135-159
  4. Money for Nothin’: Digitalization and Fluid Tax Bases

    • MÃ¥rten Blix, Emil Bustos
    Pages 185-209
  5. Digital Democracy and the European Union

    • Martin Karlsson
    Pages 237-261
  6. Back Matter

    Pages 263-264

About this book

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 Europe’s digital future could be ‘shaped’ in a way that makes the digital transition enrich people’s 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 book’s 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 Jørgensen, Head of Cabinet to Commissioner and Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager, European Commission


Reviews

‘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 Europe’s digital future could be ‘shaped’ in a way that makes the digital transition enrich people’s 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 debate on 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 book’s 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 Jørgensen, Head of Cabinet to Commissioner and Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager, European Commission

Editors and Affiliations

  • Faculty of Law, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden

    Antonina Bakardjieva Engelbrekt

  • Department of Government, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden

    Karin Leijon, Anna Michalski

  • University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway

    Lars Oxelheim

About the editors

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.    





Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 109.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 139.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 139.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access