The list of achievements and remarkable developments is simply too long to tell. Like Mărcō Pō-Lō, though, I have not come empty-handed. I have come here, indeed, to exchange not goods, but information, and some ideas! I am aware that the celebrations for the Chinese New Year are coming to an end.
Importantly, the impressive enlargement of the EU and the successful creation of the euro area have gone hand in hand with Europe’s integration into the global economy. Globalisation provides great opportunities for flexible economies. However, Europe still needs to make progress in this field in order to fully gain from globalisation.