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Spatial heterogeneity and interregional spillovers in the European Union: Do cohesion policies encourage convergence across regions?

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Author Info

  • Ramajo, Julián
  • Márquez, Miguel A.
  • Hewings, Geoffrey J.D.
  • Salinas, María M.

Abstract

Using a spatial econometric perspective, the speed of convergence for a sample of 163 regions of the European Union (EU) over the period 1981-1996 is estimated. For this purpose, we use a specification strategy which allows an explicit modeling of both spatial heterogeneity and spatial autocorrelation found in the analyzed sample. The estimated final model combines groupwise heterocedasticity, the identification of two spatial regimes and spatial dependence. Our results show how an appropriate consideration of the role of spatial effects can shed new insights into the European convergence process. We find that regions in the EU cohesion-fund countries (Ireland, Greece, Portugal and Spain) are converging separately from the rest of regions of the EU. Our estimations indicate that over the analyzed period, there was a faster conditional convergence in relative income levels of the regions belonging to Cohesion countries (5.3%) than in the rest of the regions of the EU (3.3%). Therefore, our results contrast with other evidence that points to the fact that the convergence process in Europe has weakened or even has stopped at the beginning of the 1980s. Moreover, our work shows clear evidence of separate spatial convergence clubs among EU regions.

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Bibliographic Info

Article provided by Elsevier in its journal European Economic Review.

Volume (Year): 52 (2008)
Issue (Month): 3 (April)
Pages: 551-567

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Handle: RePEc:eee:eecrev:v:52:y:2008:i:3:p:551-567

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Citations

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Cited by:
  1. Catarina Cardoso & Eric J. Pentecost, 2011. "Human Capital and Spatial Heterogeneity in the Iberian Countries’ Regional Growth and Convergence," Discussion Paper Series 2011_04, Department of Economics, Loughborough University, revised Nov 2011.
  2. Suárez Cano, Patricia & Mayor Fernández, Matías & Cueto Iglesias, Begoña, 2011. "How important is access to employment offices in Spain? An urban and non-urban perspective," Investigaciones Regionales, Asociación Española de Ciencia Regional, issue 21, pages 119-140.
  3. Tani, Massimiliano & Manuguerra, Maurizio, 2013. "The Effect of Migration and Spatial Connectivity on Regional Skill Endowments across Europe: 1988-2010," IZA Discussion Papers 7292, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
  4. Azomahou, Théophile T. & El ouardighi, Jalal & Nguyen-Van, Phu & Pham, Thi Kim Cuong, 2011. "Testing convergence of European regions: A semiparametric approach," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 28(3), pages 1202-1210, May.
  5. Vitor Joao Pereira Domingues Martinho, 2011. "Spatial Autocorrelation and Verdoorn Law in the Portuguese NUTs III," Papers 1110.5578, arXiv.org.
  6. Sassi, Maria & Pecci, Francesco, 2008. "Agricultural and Economic Convergence in the EU Integration Process: Do Geographical Relationships Matter?," 2008 International Congress, August 26-29, 2008, Ghent, Belgium 44459, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
  7. Giuseppe Arbia & Michele Battisti & Gianfranco Di Vaio, 2009. "Institutions and geography: Empirical test of spatial growth models for European regions," Working Papers CELEG 0907, Dipartimento di Economia e Finanza, LUISS Guido Carli.
  8. VANDENBULCKE, Grégory & DUJARDIN, Claire & THOMAS, Isabelle & DE GEUS, Bas, 2009. "Cycle commuting in Belgium: Spatial determinants and ‘re-cycling’ strategies," CORE Discussion Papers 2009073, Université catholique de Louvain, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE).
  9. Dimitris Kallioras & Panagiotis Artelaris & Lefteris Topaloglou & Maria Tsiapa, 2011. "Detecting the Growth Pattern(s) of the EU Border Regions: A Convergence Clubs Approach," ERSA conference papers ersa11p76, European Regional Science Association.
  10. Mohl, P. & Hagen, T., 2010. "Do EU structural funds promote regional growth? New evidence from various panel data approaches," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(5), pages 353-365, September.
  11. T√∫lio Cravo, 2011. "Regional Economic Growth and SMEs in Brazil: a Spatial Analysis (Submission for the Refereed Y-session Papers)," ERSA conference papers ersa10p508, European Regional Science Association.
  12. Cem Ertur & Julie Le Gallo, 2008. "Regional Growth and Convergence: Heterogenous reaction versus interaction in spatial econometric approaches," Working Papers hal-00463274, HAL.
  13. Philipp Breidenbach & Timo Mitze & Christoph Schmidt, 2011. "Evaluating EU Regional Policy: Many Empirical Specifications, One (Unpleasant) Result," ERSA conference papers ersa11p1144, European Regional Science Association.
  14. Genovaitė Liobikienė & Justina Mandravickaitė, 2013. "Convergence of new members of the EU: changes in household consumption expenditure structure regarding environmental impact during the prosperous period," Environment, Development and Sustainability, Springer, vol. 15(2), pages 407-427, April.

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