From the point of view of the consequences of European integration, similarities of economic structures of member states are of high relevance. The main objective of the paper is to analyse how those similarities looked like in the period of 1970-2006 for EU15 and in 1995-2006 for EU25...

This paper, attempting to tackle separately real and structural convergence, is an in-depth study of the convergence processes in Latvia and Europe. Latvia's structural convergence towards both the EU and other neighbouring (Baltic) countries is estimated using the Krugman index. Real...

This research paper develops a comparative analysis between the new members states of the European Union (EU) – from Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) – and PIIGS countries (Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece and Spain) in terms of economic convergence with the Euro Area, in the last decade. In...

Estimating structural convergence is a relatively recent topic in specialised literature. Based on the Solow theory of economic growth by stages and on empirical data for European Union we estimated a model to simulate structural changes. Using a set of selected indicators, we analyse the...

Building on the three-sector-hypothesis, the New Theory of Trade, and the New Economic Geography, we investigate the development of economic structures of European countries over the last three decades using employment data. We test for structural convergence which we analyze on the aggregate...

Eight years after the onset of the "Great Recession," the eurozone is deeply split between "Northern" EMU economies that seem to be doing reasonably well and "Southern" countries that continue to struggle with socioeconomic catastrophe. This paper argues that the continuing malaise is a...

Early, the convergence theory was suggestively expressed in the Solow model. This can be shown in line with the fact that while economic development is advancing (expressed by the income per capita growth), on long run there is a general convergence process among countries. Generally, empirical...

Building on the three-sector-hypothesis, the New Theory of Trade, and the New Economic Geography, we investigate the development of economic structures of European countries over the last three decades using employment data. We test for structural convergence which we analyze on the aggregate...

The aim of this paper is to assess the importance played by economic divergences in the current crisis of the euro area. Since the introduction of the single currency there were many debates regarding the heterogeneity of the countries that adopted it. Heterogeneity represents an impediment for...

In this paper we assess the evolution of Romania’s economic convergence with the European Union (EU) and Euro area, during the period 2000-2010. In order to determine the number of years required to reach the EU and Euro area average, we employ an economic convergence index, made up of real...