The Globalisation, Sustainability and Spillover Profile of the European Union and Germany

Abstract

There are alternative terms in use to explain globalisation and its various dimensions. The timeline of globalisation has been identified by Friedman (2006) as: Globalisation 1.0 (1492-1800); Globalisation 2.0 (1800-2000); and, Globalisation 3.0 (since 2000), during which Europe experienced: empires; successions; revolutions; emancipations; unifications; utopias; partitions; and democracies, according to Simms (2014). In 2021, the European Union (EU) celebrates 60 years of economic integration theory (Balassa, 1961) and 70 years of European integration in practice (the European Coal and Steel Community, 1951). Since the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty the EU has had the international legal capacity and in the context of its multi-level governance (EU level; member state level; microregional level; local level) it proceeds in a top-down manner in terms of the subsidiarity principle vis-à-vis globalisation. Both globalisation in general, just like the EU in particular, have been fuelled by spillovers. This is the reason why, with the “3Es of sustainability” in mind, we explore in our paper the globalisation, sustainability and spillover profile of the EU and its biggest member state – Germany – through the following (updated) indexes: The KOF Globalisation Index; the SDG Index (and related “Leave no one behind” Index) as well as the Spillover Index.