16. oktober 2015

The European Economic Association elects Peter Norman Sørensen

The EUROPEAN ECONOMIC ASSOCIATION (EEA) is an international scientific body with membership open to all persons involved or interested in economics. The EEA council counts 32 members nominated and elected within the association. Peter Norman Sørensen is elected for a five-year term.

The aims of the European Economic Association

The EEA is eager to foster closer links between theory-oriented and policy-oriented economists, as well as between students and more senior economists from all parts of Europe.

The EEA aims at:

  • contributing to the development and application of economics as a science in Europe;
  • improving communication and exchange between teachers, researchers and students in economics in the different European countries;
  • developing and sponsoring co-operation between teaching institutions of university level and research institutions in Europe." (article 2 of statutes)

The EEA holds annual congresses. In 2003 the Journal of the European Economic Association (JEEA) was established as the official Journal of the association.

The EEA history

In the summer of 1984 Jean-Jaskold Gabszewicz, Louis Phlips, Jacques Thisse and Jean Waelbroeck decided to set up a European Economic Association. In December that year Louis Phlips presided a meeting that enthusiastically approved the idea of a European Economic Association. The group set itself up as a Steering Committee and started to define the purpose and activities of the new association.

The Executive Committee met for the first time in the summer of 1985. European Nobel Prize winners Hicks, Meade, Myrdal, Stone and Tinbergen endorsed the founding of the EEA in a letter to prospective members. A Finance Committee was set up to recruit "Founding Institutional Members", who would pledge $ 5 000 USD over the next five years.

By early 1986 almost 900 Founding Members had joined up. Since then membership has increased and now stands at more than 3100. Due to demand, in the first thirty years of its existence the European Economic Association has gone through a process of rapid expansion of activities.