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Regional Productive Specialisation and Inequality in the European Union

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  • Roberto Ezcurra
  • Carlos Gil
  • Pedro Pascual
  • Manuel Rapún

Abstract

This paper examines productive specialization in the regions of the European Union over the period 1977 to 1999 using the information provided by various methodological instruments. The results obtained reveal a process of convergence in regional productive structures during the twenty-three years considered. This has been due to the behavior of regions with high levels of specialization at the start of the period, whose productive structures have tended to shift to wards the European average overtime. The analysis carried out also high lights the major role played by regional size, level of development and geographical location in explaining specialization in the European context. Finally, the empirical evidence provided suggests that changes in regional productive structures are closely linked to the evolution of the spatial distribution of per capita income in the European Union. Keywords: Specialization, economic activity, regions, European Union. JEL Code: F15, R11, R12.

Suggested Citation

  • Roberto Ezcurra & Carlos Gil & Pedro Pascual & Manuel Rapún, 2004. "Regional Productive Specialisation and Inequality in the European Union," ERSA conference papers ersa04p372, European Regional Science Association.
    • Handle: RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa04p372
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    Cited by:

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    2. Jaramillo, Daiana & Calá, Carla Daniela & Belmartino, Andrea, 2016. "Especialización industrial en Argentina: patrones provinciales y evolución reciente (1996-2014)," Nülan. Deposited Documents 2743, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Sociales, Centro de Documentación.
    3. Longhi, Christian & Musolesi, Antonio & Baumont, Catherine, 2014. "Modeling structural change in the European metropolitan areas during the process of economic integration," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 395-407.
    4. Francisco Diniz & Maria Teresa Sequeira, 2015. "Portrait Of Portugal’s Nut Iii Regions In Productive Location Clusters," Economy of region, Centre for Economic Security, Institute of Economics of Ural Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, vol. 1(1), pages 104-114.
    5. 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).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    specialization; economic activity; regions; european union. jel code: f15; r11; r12.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F15 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Economic Integration
    • R11 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes
    • R12 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Size and Spatial Distributions of Regional Economic Activity; Interregional Trade (economic geography)

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