ABSTRACT
The central problem which the authors in this book address is that of how to achieve a sustainable form of economic system within Europe in a world in which all states, and the regional groupings which they may create, are subject to the forces of globalization. These three concepts represent the nodal points around which the chapters of the book are organized, and each of the three is in its own right a focus of controversy and debate. This introduction seeks to outline some of these debates in order to enable the reader to grasp the complexity of the central problem. It also situates each contribution within the framework created by the three structuring concepts.
