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Regional Specialisation and Concentration in the EU

In: Regional Convergence in the European Union

Author

Listed:
  • Martin Hallet

    (Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs)

Abstract

Spatial issues have received renewed interest in economics following the development of the new economic geography. At the same time, there is a general concern that the process of European integration would lead to higher regional specialisation making regions more prone to adverse shocks and increasing adjustment costs in the case of a relocation of firms. In particular, the warning by Krugman (1993) to EMU participants to learn the “lessons of Massachusetts”, i.e. the need for a highly specialised region to have efficient adjustment mechanisms as a reaction to a shock to its leading sector when the nominal exchange rate is not available in a monetary union, has received major attention. He predicted that Europe, once it has completed a single market with a single currency, would soon have the same degree of regional specialisation as the US. While trade and specialisation is a basic theoretical concept in economics, which already Adam Smith identified as the main source of the wealth of nations, it is all the more surprising that the empirical evidence on spatial patterns of specialisation following the integration of economies is very scarce and inconclusive. Due to problems of data availability, this holds in particular for the regional, sub-national level in Europe. The objective of this paper is to provide some new empirical results on these issues.

Suggested Citation

  • Martin Hallet, 2002. "Regional Specialisation and Concentration in the EU," Advances in Spatial Science, in: Juan R. Cuadrado-Roura & Martí Parellada (ed.), Regional Convergence in the European Union, chapter 3, pages 53-76, Springer.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:adspcp:978-3-662-04788-0_3
    DOI: 10.1007/978-3-662-04788-0_3
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Karl Aiginger & Stephen W. Davies, 2004. "Industrial specialisation and geographic concentration: Two sides of the same coin? Not for the European Union," Journal of Applied Economics, Universidad del CEMA, vol. 7, pages 231-248, November.
    2. Roberto Basile & Alessandro Girardi, 2009. "Specialization and risk sharing: evidence from European regions," ISAE Working Papers 122, ISTAT - Italian National Institute of Statistics - (Rome, ITALY).
    3. Roberto Ezcurra & Pedro Pascual & Manuel Rapun, 2006. "Regional Specialization in the European Union," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(6), pages 601-616.
    4. 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.
    5. Marelli, Enrico, 2004. "Evolution of employment structures and regional specialisation in the EU," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 35-59, March.
    6. Krieger-Boden, Christiane, 2002. "European integration and the case for compensatory regional policy," ERSA conference papers ersa02p240, European Regional Science Association.
    7. Constantin POSTOIU, 2015. "FOREIGN TRADE AT REGIONAL LEVEL IN ROMANIA AS A TOOL IN BUILDING SMART SPECIALISATION STRATEGIES Abstract : In the context of the new EU Cohesion Policy and Europe 2020 strategy, regions are encourage," EcoForum, "Stefan cel Mare" University of Suceava, Romania, Faculty of Economics and Public Administration - Economy, Business Administration and Tourism Department., vol. 4(Special I), pages 1-3, august.
    8. Benito , Juan Miguel & Ezcurra, Roberto, 2004. "Spatial disparities in the European Union: national and sectoral elements," INVESTIGACIONES REGIONALES - Journal of REGIONAL RESEARCH, Asociación Española de Ciencia Regional, issue 4, pages 75-98.
    9. Berthold, Norbert & Neumann, Michael, 2004. "Ballungsprozesse im Standortwettbewerb: Was können die deutschen Bundesländer ausrichten?," Discussion Paper Series 71, Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg, Chair of Economic Order and Social Policy.
    10. Frank Bickenbach & Eckhardt Bode, 2008. "Disproportionality Measures of Concentration, Specialization, and Localization," International Regional Science Review, , vol. 31(4), pages 359-388, October.
    11. Riccardo Pozzi & Rosalba Rombaldoni & Edgar J.Sanchez Carrera, 2018. "Inequalities, spatial disparities and agglomeration of economic activity in European regions," Working Papers 1805, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Department of Economics, Society & Politics - Scientific Committee - L. Stefanini & G. Travaglini, revised 2018.
    12. Berthold Norbert & Neumann Michael, 2004. "Ballungsprozesse im Standortwettbewerb der deutschen Bundesländer," ORDO. Jahrbuch für die Ordnung von Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft, De Gruyter, vol. 55(1), pages 169-190, January.
    13. repec:rre:publsh:v:36:y:2006:i:3:p:324-61 is not listed on IDEAS
    14. Gabriela Carmen Pascariu & Ramona Frunza & Anca Stângaciu, 2010. "Romanian Foreign Trade - A Regional Perspective," CES Working Papers, Centre for European Studies, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, vol. 2(1), pages 60-73, March.

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