IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/aic/saebjn/v66y2019isip215-228n172.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Real Convergence and European Integration with Focus on the New Member States

Author

Listed:
  • Ovidiu Stoica
  • Angela Roman
  • Delia-Elena DiaconaÈ™u

Abstract

Our paper aims to analyse the dynamics of real economic convergence and the impact of several macroeconomic and institutional factors on this process, within the EU countries for the period 1995-2018. Employing cross-sectional and panel data techniques, this paper examines both the level and dynamics of absolute and conditional convergence within the EU28 countries and identifies key drivers of economic growth within the EU28 and subsequent groups (the EU15 versus New EU Member States group), by taking into consideration the impact of the recent global economic crisis. We find that the real convergence process is quite uneven and unstable over the 1995-2018 period. Our results confirm the negative effects of the recent global economic crisis on per capita GDP growth, suggesting a weakening of the convergence process at the EU28 level, especially at the level of New EU Member States. In addition, we find that investment, the openness of the economy and the quality of the institutional framework represent the main drivers of real convergence within the EU countries. JEL Codes - F43; F45; C33

Suggested Citation

  • Ovidiu Stoica & Angela Roman & Delia-Elena DiaconaÈ™u, 2019. "Real Convergence and European Integration with Focus on the New Member States," Scientific Annals of Economics and Business (continues Analele Stiintifice), Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, vol. 66(si), pages 215-228, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:aic:saebjn:v:66:y:2019:i:si:p:215-228:n:172
    DOI: 10.47743/saeb-2019-0035
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://saeb.feaa.uaic.ro/index.php/saeb/article/view/1152
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.47743/saeb-2019-0035?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Laurent Cavenaile & David Dubois, 2011. "An empirical analysis of income convergence in the European Union," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(17), pages 1705-1708.
    2. Robert J. Barro, 1991. "Economic Growth in a Cross Section of Countries," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 106(2), pages 407-443.
    3. Magdalena Morgese Borys & Éva Katalin Polgár & Andrei Zlate, 2008. "Real convergence and the determinants of growth in EU candidate and potential candidate countries - a panel data approach," Occasional Paper Series 86, European Central Bank.
    4. Morgese Borys, Magdalena & Polgár, Éva Katalin & Zlate, Andrei, 2008. "Real convergence and the determinants of growth in EU candidate and potential candidate countries: a panel data approach," Occasional Paper Series 86, European Central Bank.
    5. Nikolay Nenovsky & Kiril Tochkov, 2014. "Transition, Integration and Catching Up: Income Convergence between Central and Eastern Europe and the European Union," Mondes en développement, De Boeck Université, vol. 0(3), pages 73-92.
    6. Robert M. Solow, 1956. "A Contribution to the Theory of Economic Growth," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 70(1), pages 65-94.
    7. Gül Ertan Özgüzer & Ayla Oğuş-Binatlı, 2016. "Economic Convergence in the EU: A Complexity Approach," Eastern European Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(2), pages 93-108, March.
    8. Yin, Ling & K. Zestos, George, 2003. "Economic Convergence in the European Union," Journal of Economic Integration, Center for Economic Integration, Sejong University, vol. 18, pages 188-213.
    9. Rolf Färe & Shawna Grosskopf & Dimitri Margaritis, 2006. "Productivity Growth and Convergence in the European Union," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 25(1), pages 111-141, April.
    10. Jesus Crespo Cuaresma & Doris Ritzberger-Grunwald & Maria Antoinette Silgoner, 2008. "Growth, convergence and EU membership," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(5), pages 643-656.
    11. Acemoglu, Daron & Johnson, Simon & Robinson, James A., 2005. "Institutions as a Fundamental Cause of Long-Run Growth," Handbook of Economic Growth, in: Philippe Aghion & Steven Durlauf (ed.), Handbook of Economic Growth, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 6, pages 385-472, Elsevier.
    12. Péter Halmai & Viktória Vásáry, 2012. "Convergence crisis: economic crisis and convergence in the European Union," International Economics and Economic Policy, Springer, vol. 9(3), pages 297-322, September.
    13. Borut Vojinovic & Zan Oplotnik & Mariusz Prochniak, 2010. "EU enlargement and real economic convergence," Post-Communist Economies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(3), pages 303-322.
    14. Mihály Borsi & Norbert Metiu, 2015. "The evolution of economic convergence in the European Union," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 48(2), pages 657-681, March.
    15. Zbigniew Matkowski & Mariusz Próchniak, 2007. "Economic Convergence Between the CEE-8 and the European Union," Eastern European Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(1), pages 59-76, February.
    16. Dzenita SILJAK & Sándor Gyula NAGY, 2018. "Economic convergence of the Eastern Partnership countries towards the EU-13," Eastern Journal of European Studies, Centre for European Studies, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, vol. 9, pages 169-185, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Maciej Stefański, 2020. "To What Extent does Convergence Explain the Slowdown in Potential Growth of the CEE Countries Following the Global Financial Crisis?," KAE Working Papers 2020-058, Warsaw School of Economics, Collegium of Economic Analysis.
    2. E. Tsanana & X. Chapsa & C. Katrakilidis, 2016. "Is growth corrupted or bureaucratic? Panel evidence from the enlarged EU," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(33), pages 3131-3147, July.
    3. Matkowski, Zbigniew & Prochniak, Mariusz & Rapacki, Ryszard, 2016. "Real Income Convergence between Central Eastern and Western Europe: Past, Present, and Prospects," EconStor Conference Papers 146992, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    4. Siljak Dzenita, 2018. "Beta Convergence among Former Socialist Countries," South East European Journal of Economics and Business, Sciendo, vol. 13(2), pages 72-83, December.
    5. Niccolò Comerio & Fausto Pacicco, 2024. "The role of tourism in reducing economic inequalities: the case of Italy," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 41(3), pages 839-880, October.
    6. Cieślik, Andrzej & Wciślik, Dominika Róża, 2020. "Convergence among the CEE-8 economies and their catch-up towards the EU-15," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 39-48.
    7. Dzenita SILJAK & Sándor Gyula NAGY, 2018. "Economic convergence of the Eastern Partnership countries towards the EU-13," Eastern Journal of European Studies, Centre for European Studies, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, vol. 9, pages 169-185, December.
    8. Monfort, Mercedes & Cuestas, Juan Carlos & Ordóñez, Javier, 2013. "Real convergence in Europe: A cluster analysis," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 689-694.
    9. Athanasios Athanasenas & Xanthippi Chapsa & Athanasios Michailidis, 2015. "Investigating Social Protection Convergence in the EU-15: A Panel Data Analysis," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(2), pages 79-96.
    10. Cabral, René & Castellanos-Sosa, Francisco A., 2019. "Europe's income convergence and the latest global financial crisis," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(1), pages 23-34.
    11. Xanthippi Chapsa & Athanasios L. Athanasenas & Nikolaos Tabakis, 2019. "Real Convergence in EU-15: A Comparative Analysis of North versus South Europe," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(3), pages 3-21.
    12. Żuk, Piotr & Savelin, Li, 2018. "Real convergence in central, eastern and south-eastern Europe," Occasional Paper Series 212, European Central Bank.
    13. Sándor Gyula Nagy & Dzenita Siljak, 2019. "Economic convergence of the Western Balkans towards the EU-15," Revista Finanzas y Politica Economica, Universidad Católica de Colombia, vol. 11(1), pages 41-53, February.
    14. Olcay COLAK, 2015. "Convergence Revisited: Case Of Eu And Eastern Europe," Regional Science Inquiry, Hellenic Association of Regional Scientists, vol. 0(1), pages 69-81, June.
    15. Siljak Dzenita & Nagy Sándor Gyula, 2019. "Do Transition Countries Converge towards the European Union?," TalTech Journal of European Studies, Sciendo, vol. 9(1), pages 115-139, June.
    16. Lehmann, Hartmut & Silvagni, Maria Giulia, 2013. "Is There Convergence of Russia's Regions? Exploring the Empirical Evidence: 1995–2010," IZA Discussion Papers 7603, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    17. Dzenita Siljak & Sandor Gyula Nagy, 2021. "The Effects of the Crisis on Convergence between the Eastern Partnership and EU-15 States," Economic Studies journal, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences - Economic Research Institute, issue 7, pages 3-18.
    18. Marcin Grela & Aleksandra Majchrowska & Tomasz Michałek & Jakub Mućk & Agnieszka Stążka-Gawrysiak & Grzegorz Tchorek & Marcin Wagner, 2017. "Is Central and Eastern Europe converging towards the EU-15?," NBP Working Papers 264, Narodowy Bank Polski.
    19. Mihály Borsi & Norbert Metiu, 2015. "The evolution of economic convergence in the European Union," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 48(2), pages 657-681, March.
    20. Greta Marianna & Lewandowski Krzysztof, 2015. "The Impact Of The Global Financial And Economic Crisis Convergence Process In OECD Countries," Comparative Economic Research, Sciendo, vol. 18(1), pages 81-96, March.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    European integration; beta convergence; conditional convergence; economic growth; financial crisis;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F43 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - Economic Growth of Open Economies
    • F45 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - Macroeconomic Issues of Monetary Unions
    • C33 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:aic:saebjn:v:66:y:2019:i:si:p:215-228:n:172. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sireteanu Napoleon-Alexandru (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/feaicro.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.