GROWTH DISPARITIES AMONG REGIONS OF THE VISEGRAD GROUP COUNTRIES: AN EVIDENCE OF THEIR EXTENT AND NATURE
Loading...
Date
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Technická Univerzita v Liberci
Technical university of Liberec, Czech Republic
Technical university of Liberec, Czech Republic
Abstract
The deepening of regional disparities is an issue of increasing importance that has been systematically emphasized in the EU policy, especially since the process of “Eastern Integration” has started. The paper focuses on the Visegrad Group countries whose regions are less developed in the EU context. The aim of the research is to assess the development of disparities in regional economic performance of the Visegrad Group countries, to identify how the factors of economic growth determine these disparities, and partly to assess whether the integration of the Visegrad Group countries into the EU infl uenced the development of regional disparities in these countries. For the analysis of disparities during 2000–2013 we selected an approach of measuring real convergence (sigma-convergence). Disparities were measured in the context of a breakdown of the GDP per capita into sub-components, refl ecting on the development of disparities in productivity and employment. The results show that, although regions of the Visegrad Group countries converged towards the EU average and also in terms of the Visegrad Group as a whole, regional disparities within countries rather increased. This led to a paradox where, although the objective of reducing regional disparities across the EU was satisfi ed, from a national perspective disparities increased. The Labour productivity factor, with its dominant yet steadily growing contribution, is the main determinant of disparities in the performance of the Visegrad Group regions. Other sources of disparities are characterized by a stable development or convergence. Only Polish regions deviated from the general conclusions, since the extent of disparities among them grew constantly, and the nature of disparities was the Labour participation rate. In terms of the impact caused by accession into the EU, the measured changes were rather minor and the identifi ed trends had mostly been in place before the Visegrad Group countries entered the EU.
Description
Subject(s)
Visegrad Group, Central Europe, regional disparities, productivity, growth, EU enlargement
Citation
ISSN
12123609