Europe is undergoing simultaneous processes of integration and systemic transformation. Within this process, the Balkan region can be seen as being on the periphery of both processes. On the one hand, the process of economic transformation is both slower and less deep in the Balkan region, and...

This article examines the current status, limits, prospects, and policies of cross-border cooperation in the border zone of Albania, Bulgaria, FYROM (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia), and Greece on the basis of a survey sample of 291 manufacturing firms located near the borders in all four...

The European economic landscape has changed dramatically during the last decade, following the collapse of the bi-polar world. The parallel and interacting processes of economic integration and transition are the driving forces of these changes. In this context, the EU new member-states...

An empirical model has been deployed to account for regional industrial growth and performance in Greece’s post EU-accession period. The results obtained suggest that the effect of European integration on manufacturing has been rather adverse across Greek regions. Regions that are more...

This paper challenges the ability of the conventional literature initiated by Barro and Sala-i-Martin (1991, 1992) to detect actual convergence or divergence trends across countries or regions and suggests an alternative dynamic framework of analysis, which allows for a better understanding of...

The European Union’s eastward enlargement following 1st May 2004, has brought in the foreground a new geography in Europe, changing the EU’s external borders. The re-allocation of activities, opportunities and threats are changing the role and significance of the borders. Within...

The process of EU integration has been associated with a variety of outcomes in time and space. A critical question has to do with the impact of open markets on the differences, in economic performance, among more and less advanced countries. Given that industrial activity is more exposed to the...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate convergence or divergence trends at global scale. Design/methodology/approach – The paper questions the methodology and findings of the conventional convergence literature using linear OLS models. It introduces polynomial (quadratic)...