Lack of regional convergence

Abstract

We start by laying out some stylized facts on regional growth in Europe from 1960 onwards (Section 2). On this basis we proceed in Section 3 to an econometric analysis on how these facts can be explained, allowing for a broad range of causal factors as well as the possibility that the dynamics differ across various types of regional ‘clubs’. Section 4 broadens the analysis by taking into account the possible impact of changes in EU regional support in the last decade. Finally, in Section 5 we return to the questions of what all this has to say for regional convergence in Europe in the future, what the lessons for policy are and how the future research agenda in this area should look like.