论欧洲一体化进程中的公平与效率

Efficiency and Equity in the Process of European Integration

欧洲一体化之所以能够取得如此大的成就,从某种程度上看,是因为正确处理了一体化进程中的公平与效率的关系问题。其经验可以概括为:从公平着眼实现效率目标。欧洲一体化从关税同盟起步、经统一大市场直至经货联盟,经济效率得到了较快提升。但效率提升的同时也造成了更大程度的不公平。为此,欧盟主要从三项共同政策着手来加强公平目标、保证经济效率,即共同农业政策、共同地区政策和社会政策。在共同农业政策领域,欧盟注重强弱势产业之间以及农业内部的公平与效率平衡;在共同地区政策领域,通过欧盟与成员国两个层面,解决市场一体化后地区之间的不平衡发展问题;在社会政策领域,通过促进就业等措施强调社会融入和人文关怀,谨慎地调整成员国过分强调结果公平对经济效率的抑制机制。这些反市场化措施在一定程度上削减了市场一体化给社会公平目标所带来的负面效应,使欧洲一体化能够不断地向纵深发展。经济效率的提升为实现公平目标提供了物质基础;反过来,公平目标为经济效率的实现提供了机制化保证。不过,经历新一轮的扩大之后,成员国之间发展程度的巨大差异挤压了欧盟原有政策的实施空间,妥善处理公平与效率问题将成为欧盟未来发展所面临的新挑战。

The great achievements of the European integration made during its 50 years practice, to some extent, are owing to EU's efforts to solve the issue of efficiency and equality. From the Custom Union at the very beginning to Common Market and E-conomic and Monetary Union, the efficiency of market economy in the EU was improved remarkably during the integration process. Yet, at the same time, the problem of inequity was aroused. In order to solve this problem, the EU introduced three policies, namely: common agricultural policy, common regional policy and common social policy. These policies could be regarded as anti-market measures aiming at offsetting market failure. With the eastward enlargement, the European Union will face an even Stronger challenge when dealing with the problems of efficiency and equity emerging from the wide development gaps among the 25 member states.