Socio-Economic Gaps within the EU: A Comparison

Abstract

This research investigates socio-economic gaps between countries of the European Union (EU). The countries, for comparison purposes, are grouped into five sets to find out if the different groupings differ in means and variances. The overall conclusion is that the 15 core combinations outperform the rest when comparisons are made on the basis of 45 socio-economic variables. However, the newly added countries in the enlargement appear to be fairly homogeneous when compared in accordance with the 45 variables. Of special interest is whether the inclusion of Turkey among the newly admitted would have changed the pattern of homogeneity among them. The answer to this question is a guarded yes. Copyright International Atlantic Economic Society 2007European union, EU enlargement, Socio-economic indicators, Convergence, F40,

Institutional development gap in the social sector: Cross-country analysis

“…An essential finding of this study confirmed the link between social welfare convergence, institutional convergence and convergence of other structural factors. Niroomand and Nissan, (2007), Migala-Warchol & Pasternak-Malicka, (2018) found the convergence of social parameters of development particularly relevant in choosing the direction and social policy tools. Smirnov et al, (2019) investigated the convergence of the socio-economic security indicator in the municipalities of Latvia and its constituents.…”

EU countries from central and Eastern Europe, and the investment development path model: a new assessment

“…This group of countries shows relative homogeneity in terms of sharing the same communist heritage, common experience in establishing and developing a market economy, and in acceding to the European Union (EU): with eight countries joining the EU in 2004, two (Bulgaria and Romania) in 2007 and the last one (Croatia), in 2013. Moreover, all of these countries display relative homogeneity in terms of many socio-economic variables (Niroomand and Nissan, 2007) and have exhibited a tendency to economic convergence over the last two decades (Amplatz, 2003, andMatkowski andPróchniak, 2007). At the same time, however, there are considerable differences between them in their level of development and in the completion of the transition process to a market-led system (see e.g.…”

Institutional and Socio-Economic Convergence in the European Union

“…Conditional convergence implies that differences may be permanent due to cross-country structural factors. Sub-Periods: 1995-2007and 2008 Taking into account this perspective, first interesting conclusion from our results is that the process of conditional convergence is more pronounced in new EU member states, and in the EU as a whole compared to the more competitive economies. A second result from the analysis by sub-periods that deserves our attention is that the speed of conditional convergence has increased during the second period for nearly all indicators and groups of countries.…”

“…For instance,Niroomand and Nissan (2007) analysed socio-economic gaps between EU countries considering 45 different variables but not simultaneously.…”