IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/ovi/oviste/vxxy2020i2p126-133.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Real Convergence in the European Union: An Empirical Approach

Author

Listed:
  • Ana-Maria Holobiuc

    (Bucharest University of Economic Studies)

Abstract

One of the fundamental pillar of the European integration architecture aims the convergence of economic performance between Members. This objective has proved to be increasingly difficult to achieve nowadays, given the economic, social and sanitary challenges that occurred both at regional and global level. The aim of this paper is to study conditional β-convergence between 2000 and 2019, trying to identify the factors that enhanced economic growth. By applying panel regressions, we have found evidence in favor of the convergence process at Community’s level, taking into consideration the inverse relationship between the initial level of income and the subsequent growth rates. Moreover, the results of the empirical study suggest that factors such as gross savings, imports, real labor productivity, business freedom and citizens’ voice and accountability had a favorable impact on the economic growth rates in the European Union between 2000 and 2019.

Suggested Citation

  • Ana-Maria Holobiuc, 2020. "Real Convergence in the European Union: An Empirical Approach," Ovidius University Annals, Economic Sciences Series, Ovidius University of Constantza, Faculty of Economic Sciences, vol. 0(2), pages 126-133, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:ovi:oviste:v:xx:y:2020:i:2:p:126-133
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://stec.univ-ovidius.ro/html/anale/RO/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Section%202/9.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Romer, Paul M, 1986. "Increasing Returns and Long-run Growth," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 94(5), pages 1002-1037, October.
    2. Mariusz Próchniak, 2011. "Determinants of economic growth in Central and Eastern Europe: the global crisis perspective," Post-Communist Economies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(4), pages 449-468, May.
    3. Rumen Dobrinsky & Peter Havlik, 2014. "Economic Convergence and Structural Change: the Role of Transition and EU Accession," wiiw Research Reports 395, The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw.
    4. 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.
    5. Robert J. Barro & Xavier Sala-i-Martin, 1991. "Convergence across States and Regions," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 22(1), pages 107-182.
    6. Robert J. Barro & Xavier Sala-i-Martin, 1990. "Economic Growth and Convergence across The United States," NBER Working Papers 3419, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. Rumen Dobrinsky, 2013. "What is Happening to Growth in Europe?," wiiw Research Reports 385, The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw.
    8. Enrico Piero Marelli & Maria Laura Parisi & Marcello Signorelli, 2019. "Economic convergence in the EU and Eurozone," Journal of Economic Studies, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 46(7), pages 1332-1344, November.
    9. Barro, Robert J & Sala-i-Martin, Xavier, 1992. "Convergence," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 100(2), pages 223-251, April.
    10. Lucas, Robert Jr., 1988. "On the mechanics of economic development," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 22(1), pages 3-42, July.
    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. ?gel de la Fuente, "undated". "Convergence Across Countries And Regions: Theory And Empirics," UFAE and IAE Working Papers 447.00, Unitat de Fonaments de l'Anàlisi Econòmica (UAB) and Institut d'Anàlisi Econòmica (CSIC).
    2. Douglas Holtz-Eakin, 1992. "Solow and the States: Capital Accumulation, Productivity and Economic Growth," NBER Working Papers 4144, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Jones, Larry E. & Manuelli, Rodolfo E., 1997. "Endogenous growth theory: An introduction," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 21(1), pages 1-22, January.
    4. Grafström, Jonas, 2017. "An Econometric Analysis of Divergence of Renewable Energy Invention Efforts in Europe," Ratio Working Papers 295, The Ratio Institute.
    5. Eckey, Hans-Friedrich & Türck, Matthias, 2007. "Convergence of EU-Regions. A Literature Report," INVESTIGACIONES REGIONALES - Journal of REGIONAL RESEARCH, Asociación Española de Ciencia Regional, issue 10, pages 5-32.
    6. de la Fuente, Angel, 1997. "The empirics of growth and convergence: A selective review," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 21(1), pages 23-73, January.
    7. Ahmet Kýndap & Tayyar Dogan, 2019. "Regional Economic Convergence and Spatial Spillovers in Turkey," International Econometric Review (IER), Econometric Research Association, vol. 11(1), pages 1-23, April.
    8. Roberto Ezcurra, 2001. "Convergencia Y Cambio Estructural En La Unión Europea," Documentos de Trabajo - Lan Gaiak Departamento de Economía - Universidad Pública de Navarra 0111, Departamento de Economía - Universidad Pública de Navarra.
    9. Ronny Correa-Quezada & Lucía Cueva-Rodríguez & José Álvarez-García & María de la Cruz del Río-Rama, 2020. "Application of the Kernel Density Function for the Analysis of Regional Growth and Convergence in the Service Sector through Productivity," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 8(8), pages 1-20, July.
    10. Zhang, Xiaobei & Wang, Xiaojun, 2021. "Measures of human capital and the mechanics of economic growth," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    11. Cunado, J. & Perez de Gracia, F., 2006. "Real convergence in Africa in the second-half of the 20th century," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 58(2), pages 153-167.
    12. Durlauf, Steven N. & Quah, Danny T., 1999. "The new empirics of economic growth," Handbook of Macroeconomics, in: J. B. Taylor & M. Woodford (ed.), Handbook of Macroeconomics, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 4, pages 235-308, Elsevier.
    13. Huang, Ho-Chuan, 2005. "Diverging evidence of convergence hypothesis," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 27(2), pages 233-255, June.
    14. Capolupo, Rosa, 2009. "The New Growth Theories and Their Empirics after Twenty Years," Economics - The Open-Access, Open-Assessment E-Journal (2007-2020), Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel), vol. 3, pages 1-72.
    15. Ben-David, Dan, 1996. "Trade and convergence among countries," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(3-4), pages 279-298, May.
    16. Iancu, Aurel, 2008. "Real Convergence and Integration," Journal for Economic Forecasting, Institute for Economic Forecasting, vol. 5(1), pages 27-40, March.
    17. Evans, Paul & Karras, Georgios, 1996. "Convergence revisited," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 37(2-3), pages 249-265, April.
    18. Carolina Gómez Cuenca, 2006. "CONVERGENCIA REGIONAL EN COLOMBIA: un enfoque en los Agregados Monetarios y en el Sector Exportador," Ensayos Sobre Economía Regional (ESER) 2201, Banco de la República - Economía Regional.
    19. Eckey, Hans-Friedrich & Türck, Matthias, 2005. "Convergence of EU-regions: A literature report," Volkswirtschaftliche Diskussionsbeiträge 80, University of Kassel, Faculty of Economics and Management.
    20. Cheong, Tsun Se & Wu, Yanrui, 2013. "Regional disparity, transitional dynamics and convergence in China," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 1-14.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Real convergence; conditional β-convergence; European Union;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O40 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - General
    • O47 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Empirical Studies of Economic Growth; Aggregate Productivity; Cross-Country Output Convergence
    • O52 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Europe

    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:ovi:oviste:v:xx:y:2020:i:2:p:126-133. 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: Gheorghiu Gabriela (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/feoviro.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.