particular emphasis on the impact of productivity convergence and effects of timing of trade and financial liberalization on the … convergence patterns. We compare the mechanisms behind the three investment margins (horizontal investment to new varieties …

integration, convergence in the European retail payments market is measured during the period 1995-2011 for the most used retail … estimating convergence are used: sigma convergence and beta convergence. There is some evidence of convergence for all payment … instruments has declined over time in Europe. The pace of convergence has picked up since the introduction of the single currency …

-capita output convergence across a large sample of European regions during the period 1995-2005. We find that net fiscal transfers …, while achieving regional redistribution, seem to impede output growth and promote an “immiserising convergence”: output …

We study the convergence of European bond markets and the anchoring of inflation expectations in euro area countries …) has led to substantial convergence in euro area sovereign bond markets in terms of interest rate levels, unconditional …

productivity convergence among euro area countries. While no convergence can be found on the aggregate level, selected service … sectors and manufacturing sub-industries indicate evidence of convergence. In a search for factors influencing productivity … competitive environment, eventually facilitating economic convergence. JEL Classification: C33, O47, J24, L60, L80 …