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Political integration and economic convergence within the European union

Lane, Jan-Erik (2007) Political integration and economic convergence within the European union. Zeitschrift für Staats- und Europawissenschaften, 4 . pp. 444-467. ISSN 1610-7780

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Abstract

Regional integration agreements would make economic sense, if there were real positive outcomes connected with them. The EC or the EU has aimed at economic integration through setting up a thick regional regime involving EU law, the internal market and the monnaie unique. What does it all amount to in reality? Reply: real economic convergence meaning equalisation of economic affluence, first over Western Europe, and then over Central Europe. This documentation finds clear evidence in favour of economic convergence in both the “EC club” (the old member states in Western Europe) and the “EU club” (the old and new member states in Western and Central Europe) at the same time as GDP has expanded considerably. Economic convergence has spilled over into quality of life, although the equalisation of the country human development scores has not progressed equally fast. Economic convergence has been fuelled by a sharp rise in economic openness, especially for intra-EC or -EU trade. The success of the economic EU project compensates a long way for the stalemate of the EU political project after the negative votes on the draft constitution.

Item Type: Journal Article
Subjects: J Political Science > JA Political science (General)
Divisions: Faculty of Business and Economics (FBE) > School of Government, Development and International Affairs
Depositing User: Ms Mereoni Camailakeba
Date Deposited: 11 Jan 2007 03:42
Last Modified: 05 Jul 2012 06:43
URI: http://repository.usp.ac.fj/id/eprint/170
UNSPECIFIED

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