Banque de France – France Stratégie Conference on French Competitiveness

Due to the rise of emerging economies, most of the advanced countries have experienced losses in global market shares. Over the last 15 years, France is second only to Japan in that respect, among the ten main OECD exporters. Since 1980, on average, France is losing 1 point of market share every ten years. This helps understand that France current account balance is negative since 2005.

With a view to present innovative approaches and to foster the debate on these issues, Banque de France and France Stratégie are jointly organising a conference “French competitiveness: new challenges, new measures” on December 16th.

The conference will discuss new measures of competitiveness currently being developed that will help better understand the determinants of France’s performance. New research studies looking at price and quality determinants of competitiveness and innovative approaches based on value-added data will also be presented and discussed.

In the context of the Five Presidents' Report and the Commission’s proposal on Competitiveness National Boards, these new tools and empirical results will allow the last panel to debate policy recommendations to foster France’s competitiveness.

Organisation : Soledad Zignago (Banque de France) & Vincent Aussilloux (France Stratégie)

To attend this conference, please contact 1404-ENTREPRISES-UT@banque-france.fr by November 16th, as the number of seats is limited.

Speech by François Villeroy de Galhau, Governor of the Banque de France

Session I New measures of competitiveness

Chair: I. Méjean, École Polytechnique

Assessing European competitiveness : the CompNet approach
F. di Mauro, ECB

New measures of European competitiveness
G. Békés, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Central European University & CEPR

Measuring export competitiveness: a website
D. Taglioni, Banque mondiale

Discutant: Y. Decreux, International Trade Center

Session II Determinants of European & French competitiveness

Chair: V. Aussilloux, France Stratégie

The competition for global value-added: export and domestic market shares
G. Gaulier, Banque de France

Exploring price and non-price determinants of trade flows
F. Zollino, Banque d’Italie

Innovation, price and non-price competitiveness: a look a France
H. Ben Hassine, France Stratégie

Discutant: F. Bellone, GREDEG, OFCE

Session III Competitiveness policies for France

Chair: J. Pisani-Ferry, France Stratégie

Introduction :

In search of lost market shares
T. Mayer, Sciences Po.

Panel :

G. Cette, Banque de France
X. Ragot, OFCE
C. Martinez-Mongay, European Commission
M. Houbedine, French Treasury

Conclusion:

J. Pisany-Ferry, Commissioner-General, France Stratégie