EMU versus the regions? Regional convergence and divergence in Euroland
探讨欧洲货币一体化对欧盟区域经济趋同或分化的影响，分析1975-98年区域生产率和就业增长趋势，发现生产率趋同微弱而就业增长分化显著，指出区域影响仍存争议。
There is currently considerable interest in and debate over the impact of increasing European economic and monetary integration (EMU) on the regions of the EU. Opinion is sharply divided over whether EMU is leading to regional economic convergence or regional economic divergence. This paper examines the theoretical arguments and empirical evidence for these opposing views, and presents some additional analysis of patterns of regional productivity trends and employment growth over the period 1975–98. The picture that emerges is a complex one: whilst worker productivity shows only very weak convergence across the EU regions (a process which halted altogether after the mid-1980s), regional employment growth has been sharply divergent. Although there is little support for the claim that EMU will lead to regional convergence, these findings suggest that until much more detailed investigation of the specific impacts on particular types of region is undertaken, the regional implications of EMU will remain a contentious issue.