Collaboration between the JRC and the UNU-WIDER

JRC B2 Fiscal Policy Analysis Unit has concluded an important Collaborative Research Arrangement with the United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER). UNU-WIDER’s research focuses on the interlinked development challenges of transforming economies, states, and societies. Its flagship SOUTHMOD project aims to develop and promote tax-benefit microsimulation models in the Global South. Building on the successful EUROMOD platform, SOUTHMOD facilitates rigorous policy analysis and fosters evidence-based decision-making in the developing world.

This collaboration focuses on further expanding the understanding of economic and social issues related to taxes and social benefits, strengthening technical capabilities in microsimulation modelling and related software development, promoting cooperation in capacity building for tax-benefit microsimulation and facilitating the fiscal and distributional assessment of actual or hypothetical policy reforms. In summary, the agreement aims to deepen the cooperation between the two institutions in the field of tax-benefit microsimulation in order to help governments design policies that reduce poverty, inequality, and ensure sustainable economic growth.