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The paper is realised in order to demonstrate the EU multilevel integration's hypothesis across the Danube EU Member States. The analysis is focused on four important economic indicators (GDP, unemployment, inflation and government gross debt) and covers 2012-2021. The analysis follows three steps: comparative analysis, regression analysis and forecasting analysis, as well. The Danube Member States were grouped on three integration levels, according to the French President's opinion. The paper succeeds in demonstrating that the Member States grouping on different integration levels is not a scientific approach. It is only a political decision able to support the leadership of the greater Member States' economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students of European integration have produced an enormous amount of literature on the intergovernmental negotiations that led to the establishment of such organizations as the OEEC, the EEC and EFTA. However, only a few have devoted substantial attention to the international contacts between companies that attempted to undermine the integration process by building private trade barriers that would replace those that governments had agreed to remove. The paper producers began to build such barriers soon after EFTA and the EEC had been set up. Although these attempts were not always successful, the industrialists did manage to create arrangements that were substantially more extensive in their geographical and product scope than those that had existed before. The British government and the EEC were reluctant to challenge these arrangements, and in some cases even actively promoted them. The interwar decades are widely considered to be the ‘golden era’ for international cartels; but for the paper cartels, the ‘golden era’ began in the 1960s, when previous bilateral links were replaced with multilateral ones. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

• UF MBR can treat eucalyptus P&P wastewater for potential water reuse. • Fluorescent EEM can track changes of organic substances and foulants in MBR system. • MBR foulants can be identified using fluorescence regional integration. • Irreversible foulant in the MBR comprised of mainly protein-like substances. • Concentration of proteins in foulants significantly correlated to fouling potential. Membrane bioreactors (MBRs) are an alternative technology to achieve high quality effluent for water reuse for eucalyptus pulp and paper (P&P) industries, but membrane fouling is still a challenging factor that restricts its application. This study aims to investigate characteristics of reversible and irreversible fouling of the submerged polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) MBR for treating eucalyptus P&P wastewater. Six batches of MBR experiments with different mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) concentrations were performed. The membrane cleaning protocol included three-steps: backwashing with DI water and subsequently NaOH solution, and then soaking with NaOCl solution, for which achieved 54.6 ± 11 %, 76.6 ± 10 % and 97.8 ± 2 % of flux recovery, respectively. Formation of a cake layer comprised of organic substance and soluble microbial products (SMPs), mostly polysaccharides and proteins, was the main contributor to flux decline of the MBR. Concentration of proteins in the irreversible foulant was found to be positively correlated with degree of membrane fouling. Using fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) with fluorescence regional integration (FRI) analysis revealed that, during MBR treatment, protein-like substances in the permeate water significantly decreased, simultaneously with the increase in relative proportions of humic-like and fulvic-like substances. Further analysis on the irreversible foulants showed that protein-like substances, including tyrosine-like and tryptophan-like substances, were disproportionately more important to membrane fouling than humic-like substances relative to their respective concentration in raw P&P wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the importance of integrated transport and logistics systems for sustainable global trade. It highlights recent disruptions to global supply chains caused by events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and trade wars, which have led to the need for supply chain reconfiguration and increased resilience. The article also emphasizes the role of decarbonization and digitalization in shaping the functions and roles of international transportation and logistics. It presents three research papers that explore various challenges and opportunities in transport and logistics integration, including inland terminal location selection, international logistics policies, and the optimization of air-rail freight transportation. The article concludes by suggesting future research directions, including the incorporation of decarbonization indicators and the use of IoT and big data for real-time modeling of greenhouse gas emissions. [Extracted from the article]

This article is an introduction to this Special Issue on Rethinking in Regional Integration in Africa which is based on a collaborative research project, implemented by African Economic Research Consortium (AERC), the leading economic capacity building institution in Africa, and funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB). This project is very timely given the establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) which came into force on 01 January 2021. In this introduction, we first provide a brief background on regional integration in Africa. We next describe the AERC project and the process of selection of the papers and then provide a quick summary of the ten published papers and their contributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author comments on Australia's Defense White Paper entitled "Defending Australia in the Asia-Pacific Century: Force 2030," which was released in May 2009. It is suggested that Australia's new defense policy was created in response to the rapid speed of globalization and increasing economic interdependence, as well as the declining power of the U.S. The author also argues that the policy document is beset with contradictions and there are no details of immediate challenges.

The article presents a list of papers about economics literature, including "Export or domestic-led growth in Asia?," "The People's Republic of China and its neighbours: evolving patterns of trade and investment," "Number of children and their education in Philippine households," and "East Asian economic integration and its impact on future growth."

The article focuses on the competition law regime in Vietnam and international economic integration. Topics include law reform within Vietnam, the enactment of the Vietnamese Law on Competition (VLC), and the authority of the Vietnamese Competition Administration Department (VCAD). Information is provided on abuse of dominant positions and exclusive dealing.

This paper views China Production Network (CPN) as an integral component of the Global Production Network (GPN) and constructs null model (GIVCBN-I model) and the counterfactual model (GIVCBN-II or GIVCBN-III model) to identify and measure the potential industrial relocation risk exposure of CPN based on the Multi-Regional Input-Output (MRIO) table. The main findings are as follows. Firstly, Altasia will induce more of China's industrial and supply chains to break compared with ASEAN, which also means that strong industrial complementarity exists between Japan, South Korea, India, Bangladesh and the ASEAN member countries, enabling Altasia to have a more significant substitution effect on China. Secondly, the counterfactual models' network-level characteristic indicators are worse than those of the null model in economic terms, suggesting that removing trade barriers for intermediate goods within Altasia could lead to the decoupling of industrial sectors in the CPN, thereby accelerating the trend of China's industrial and supply chains relocating offshore. Thirdly, according to the comparison results of node-level characteristic indicators, Altasia has weakened China's influence scope, profitability, and robustness of risk within the global industrial and supply chains, but mainly concentrating on its resource-intensive and labor-intensive sectors rather than capital-intensive and technology-intensive sectors, which indicates that some China's industrial sectors still maintain substantial competitive advantages in the GPN. In sum, this paper provides theoretical guidance for identifying and analyzing the trends of industrial relocation in the Asia-Pacific region and helps industrial policymakers deepen the understanding of regional economic integration and its impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper revisits core pieces of literature on EU foreign policy studies to gauge how far the endogenous institutional quality of EU foreign policy structures has matured by assessing its growth over time. In revisiting two foundational studies, it discusses whether the EU's foreign policy capabilities are still so unequivocally below the state level. First, it will return to the "capabilities-expectations gap" [Hill, C., 1993. The capability-expectations gap, or conceptualizing Europe's international role. Journal of Common Market Studies, 31 (3), 305–328] to investigate the quality of the institutional structure in foreign policy and in how far the EU's institutions fulfil general functions of foreign policy today. Second, it will explore whether "Who Speaks for Europe?" is still a pertinent question [Allen, D., 1998. Who speaks for Europe? The search for an effective and coherent external policy. In: J. Peterson, and H. Sjursen, eds. A common foreign policy for Europe? Competing visions of the CFSP. 41–58]. The results of this assessment allow a conceptualisation of foreign policy capabilities evolving in long-term, slow processes, yet resulting in differences in institutional quality that may otherwise be overlooked. The paper contributes to the overall assessment of the EU's maturation in foreign policy by providing assessments on institutional growth and developing a scale of foreign policy capabilities to capture these slow incremental developments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increasing number of countries have launched their central bank digital currencies (CBDC) in recent years, but the economic impacts of CBDC adoption are underexplored. To empirically assess how CBDC adoption influences regional economic integration, this paper investigates the Greater Bay Area, where China carried out one of its first digital renminbi pilot programs. The Greater Bay Area provides a good example because the growing acceptance of digital renminbi in the area can potentially mitigate transaction costs and risks due to the exchange rate volatility of the Chinese renminbi, Hong Kong dollar, and Macao pataca. CBDC adoption can lead to greater real and financial integrations by facilitating cross-border trade in goods and services. This paper evaluates deviations from uncovered interest rate parity, purchasing power parity, and real interest rate parity across Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao based on monthly interest rate and price data from January 2016 to December 2022. The time series have mean values near zero, which validate the parity conditions and indicate high degrees of financial, real, and economic integrations. The Markov regime-switching regression model identifies three regimes: (1) pre-Covid, (2) post-Covid, and (3) post-CBDC. The Covid-19 outbreak brought lower integration and stability, but the launch of the CBDC restored some of the pre-Covid integration and stability. Regimes 1 and 2 are persistent, and transitions from Regime 3 back to Regime 1 are probable. Hence, this study finds evidence that CBDC adoption improves regional economic integration in the short and long run. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses economic and social theory of Talcott Parsons. Parsons's persistent attention to economic theory has been relatively neglected by critics of Parsons who, in attacking the alleged functionalism of Parsonian sociology, concentrated on the issues of value consensus and normative integration, believing that Parsons had relatively little interest in the economic base of society. This neglect of Parsons's economic sociology was probably intensified by the Marxist undercurrent of much so-called conflict theory. In recent years there has fortunately been considerable interest shown in Parsons's analysis of economic theory and more specifically in his economic sociology. At Amherst, Parsons came under the influence of the philosopher Alexander Meiklejohn, who prompted his students to consider broad questions relating to alternatives to industrial capitalist society and who created an educational environment within which students were involved in a general analysis of the social sciences. It was this engagement with institutional economics that marked Parsons's departure from biology into the social sciences as an academic career. Parsons was introduced to a broad spectrum of social theory relating to cultural and biological dimensions of human existence as explanations of social differentiation.

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Calls for papers related to economic integration in East Asia.

When the stakeholder theory challenged the neoclassical shareholder theory, it was a step forward in the theoretical and practical debate about the role and responsibility of businesses in society and how wide the responsibility is. Today, neither of these theories go far enough to explain the responsibilities of businesses in society and neither do corporate social responsibility nor corporate sustainability given the complexity of the business environment in which companies operate and how far they are going, or how far they are pushed, to respond to grand challenges or the opportunities they may entail. The aim of this paper is to provide a theoretical exploration and a critical appraisal of the need for a paradigm shift from shareholders and stakeholders to future successors. This is grounded in a discussion about corporate social responsibility/corporate sustainability, and the relevance of environmental constraints, multilateral sustainability policies and pathways, and needs and requirements of corporate future successors that are important for businesses that want to prosper in the long-term. The findings suggest that forward-looking supranational political and economic unions, intergovernmental organizations, regional and local governments, and leading businesses have moved ahead of theory towards including intra- and intergenerational interests and the natural environment into their policies, regulations, and strategies. In doing so, they even go so far as to grant personhood to the natural environment, thereby recognizing the importance of the natural environment for their own and the prosperity of present and future generations who will be future successors of businesses. Consequently, the implication of the paper is to suggest a new theoretical lens which has a much wider scope than shareholder and stakeholder theories currently do, and a strategic roadmap, emphasizing the importance of future successors for corporate responsibility and successful business operations in the long-term and pinpoint ways forward in doing so. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a strong relationship between regional integration and economic performance. This paper investigates the impact of regional integration on macroeconomic indicators in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) – a trade block created by the former Soviet republics in 2014. This study compares two types of regional collaboration strategies: first, unilateral trade liberalization with the one-sided opening of market access that does not imply any mutual concessions, and second, reciprocal regional liberalization evaluated as the degree of regional economic integration between the countries. We apply a random effect panel data analysis with the dataset over 25 years since 1995 covering five countries (Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia). We find that, under the current stage, the EAEU positively affects trade flows, negatively affects the level of employment, and has no impact on other economic performance indicators. We also conclude that despite the declared level of economic integration – customs union – Eurasian block functions mainly as a free trade area facilitating mutual trade, which is different from the broader objectives that regional integration aims to achieve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional integration plays a pivotal role in the socio-economic advancement of various global regions and is closely linked with the expansion of construction land. This expansion is a major contributor to urban carbon emissions. Utilizing a geographical regression discontinuity design (GRDD), this paper estimates the impact of urban construction land expansion on carbon emissions and explores the underlying mechanisms within the regional integration process of the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), China. The findings reveal that urban construction land expansion significantly influences carbon emissions, displaying an inverted "U"-shaped pattern. Furthermore, this expansion affects carbon emissions through the transformation of industrial structures, shifts in consumption patterns, and enhancements in scientific and technological investments. Our findings span the performance of the Yangtze River Delta from its early development stages to a relatively mature phase. This paper also partially reveals how the Yangtze River Delta, with both megacities and large- to medium-sized cities, manages urban construction land expansion during the integration process and strives for low-carbon emissions reduction. These results can provide green growth recommendations that balance socio-economic development, low-carbon emissions, and social equity not only for other urban agglomerations in China but also for similar regions in other developing countries by altering construction land utilization patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Off-balance-sheet policies are an important but understudied phenomenon that emerged from a technical subtlety in the calculation of public debt statistics. Taking the case of an exemplary European off-balance-sheet policy, public–private partnerships (PPPs), this paper analyzes the technocratic processes that allow the emergence of such debt-neutral instruments. In the aftermath of the sovereign debt crisis, off-balance-sheet policies have become an important policy tool for Member States in the European Economic and Monetary Union, enabling them to strike a balance between the perceived 'public investment gap' and the mantra of fiscal consolidation. The case study shows how the lack of political solutions to Europe's investment-consolidation conundrum leaves it to technical experts to find workable solutions within the existing rules. The off-balance-sheet status of PPPs came under threat in 2014 but was reaffirmed through a coordinated effort by two strange bedfellows: the European Investment Bank (EIB), a promoter of PPPs, and Eurostat, the European authority responsible for public debt and deficit indicators. I argue that Eurostat and the EIB have entered into strategic cooperation to increase each other's room for manoeuvre, diffuse political pressure and avoid bureaucratic overload. This paper contributes to a better understanding of the role of technocrats and their expertise, which shape the mutual relations between fiscal constraints and financialized investment policies in the European investor states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research article explores the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC) to ascertain whether it is a myth or a reality. It also examines its transparency, timeliness, and primary objectives. Against the backdrop of instability in the Middle East, mainly arising from the ongoing Gaza situation, the study assesses the regional and global implications of the IMEC, considering arguments both in favour and against the initiative. Nevertheless, the problem has a similar impact on all such ventures as China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) since the successful realisation is contingent upon the stable and enabling regional environment. This exploration suffers from the challenge of access to authentic sources. Given the contemporary nature of the subject matter, this study will primarily rely on secondary literature. Employing an Intergovernmentalism theoretical approach, this research delves into the dynamics of IMEC, discussing its intended objectives and challenges. The central argument contends that a meticulous analysis of the corridor's cause and effect on Pakistan's economic and geostrategic interests is imperative. The IMEC initiative exhibits the potential of a relatively cheap system, enhancing contemporary transportation infrastructure. However, the study asserts that the IMEC presents an obvious threat to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the BRI, potentially compromising Pakistan's economic and strategic interests. The paper adopts a nuanced perspective, emphasising that IMEC and BRI contrast in strategic planning and development approaches. Should the IMEC materialise according to its envisaged plan, it will yield substantial diplomatic, strategic, and economic benefits for India. The article concludes by underscoring the challenges faced by IMEC, including coordination complexities, financial constraints for some participating nations, and potential geopolitical tensions affecting corridor operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines the efforts to enhance regional cooperation in the Western Balkans and how this has increased engagement between the EU and the Western Balkans.1 The regional initiatives are more present when the European Union (EU) shows little interest in the Western Balkans region. However, these efforts have yet to address all the concerns adequately and have not brought to life tangible results despite many political declarations. One of the most commented initiatives, like the Open Balkans, has caused concern in the region and caused tension between Kosovo and Albania over the past few years. The paper enlightens the challenges of regional cooperation during the last years, the contribution of this process in the integration process, and the role played by Albania. Also, the paper tries to analyze the success and failures of the "Open Balkan" initiative and the Regional Common Market. Furthermore, the paper framework examined the progress of regional cooperation initiatives and the region's attention to the European integration process. Additionally, the paper seeks to determine whether regional cooperation is a viable alternative for the region or merely an external-driven initiative and the role of the EU in promoting regional cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The agri-food sector stands as a fundamental pillar of the European Union's economic framework, essential for sustaining the region's population and playing a significant role in the overall economic health and stability of the EU. This study offers a comprehensive analysis of labor productivity trends in the EU's agri-food sector over the past decade, focusing on a comparative assessment between Romania and top-performing EU economies. Using data from Eurostat and national databases, we explore the dynamics of labor productivity, considering factors such as turnover, number of enterprises, and employment levels in the agri-food industry. The research reveals significant disparities in productivity growth, with countries like the Netherlands, Denmark, and Belgium showing high productivity levels, while Romania, despite a notable improvement, remains below the EU average. The study underscores the importance of strategic investments and policy interventions in boosting productivity and competitiveness in the agri-food sector across Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

African development is defined by a number of meta-trends, including climate disruption, digitalisation, informalisation, regionalisation and most recently the impacts of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The paper under consideration here is informed primarily by two of these: regionalism and the COVID-19 pandemic. Africa, or at least parts of it, have been severely affected by pandemics in recent decades. At the same time deepening regionalisation allows for more coordinated and effective actions to mitigate their worst effects. However, to date, regional integration efforts have not generally delivered desired results, and in the area of Health Science Research (HSciR) specifically, which is the area of focus for this paper. This important paper considers the nature of current activities in relation to health research by regional organizations on the continent. It provides a baseline study and incipient manifesto for increased effectiveness and greater contribution in the area of HSciR on the continent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the new development pattern, this paper explores the characteristic tendencies and intergenerational changes of consumption structure upgrade (CSU) as well as the theoretical logic and empirical paradigm affecting the domestic value chain circulation. This paper constructs a region-industry decomposition framework for domestic value chain circulation based on backward demand to explore the impact of CSU on domestic value chain circulation. The results show that: first, CSU can optimize the structure of domestic value chain circulation and strengthen inter-regional value chain linkage; second, CSU promotes domestic value chain circulation through innovation drive, resource optimization and industrial coupling; finally, the domestic value chain circulation effect caused by CSU may be constrained by market segmentation, and accelerating regional economic integration across a country can help build up the main position of domestic value chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

t An index system is constructed to measure the integration of environmental protection and high-quality economic development in different cities in China from 2006 to 2018, and to explore its evolution and driving forces. From the three dimensions of integration foundation, integration depth and integration performance, this paper adopts AHP-Entropy combined weighting method to build the integration index. In addition, this paper comprehensively uses exponential decomposition, comparative analysis and σ convergence and divergence analysis to explore the spatio-temporal differences and dynamic mechanisms. The results show that the overall integration level of China’s cities continues to improve, of which technological progress is the core driving force, the transformation of development mode is a crucial path, and the intensity of environmental governance is the key support. The evolution and driving forces of the integration level of first-tier cities, new first-tier cities and other cities are significantly different. Promoting integration level is a critical way for resourcebased cities to break the resource curse. Urban agglomeration integration led by the growth pole can effectively improve the overall regional integration level. This paper innovates that the relationship between environmental protection and high-quality economic development is discussed from the perspective of integration, and the paths to improve the integration level of resource-based cities and urban agglomerations are identified. This paper is helpful to clarify the differences in integration levels and driving forces of different cities, and provide a reference value for the precise implementation of high-quality development and “beautiful China.” [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents announcements relating to economic history, presenting a call for papers for the 2012 Asia-Pacific Economic and Business History (APEBH) Conference and announcing that John Cranfield and Kris Inwood won the prize for the best paper for the 2011 APEBH Conference.

The city cluster of the Yangtze River Delta is a highly dynamic and competitive economic region in China. The integration of the market across the 27 cities is crucial in driving economic growth in the area. This paper aims to provide policymakers with recommendations on promoting regional integration, enhancing the structure, and improving overall performance. By utilizing the benefits and resources of each community more effectively, greater economic gains can be achieved. The findings of this study can also be applied to other Chinese towns or business areas. Market integration is a necessary foundation for regional integration, as it enables the seamless movement of goods and factors throughout the region while simultaneously reducing entry barriers and supporting the creation of a unified market. Unfortunately, the "vassal economy" model has impeded the region's economic growth. The integration of regional markets is crucial for economic growth. However, it is equally important to create industrial clusters with central towns as their hubs. The Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration is a prime example of one of six world-class city clusters demonstrating how market integration can result in high-quality economic progress. The paper's primary discoveries are threefold: firstly, there has been a progressive elevation in the level of market integration among the 27 cities within the Yangtze River Delta city cluster, characterized by increasingly intimate connections concerning trade, investment, and population mobility. Secondly, this heightened market integration exerts a catalytic impact on the real economic growth of the Yangtze River Delta city cluster, particularly concerning regional industrial restructuring, transformation, and upgrading. Finally, market integration is poised to expedite the industrial division of labor and synergistic development between the cities, thus promoting a concentration of advanced manufacturing and new industries in the central cities and furthering the development of profitable industries in the central individual cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Logistics channel is the lifeblood to ensure that logistics serves the circulation inside and outside the region, and to realize regional economic integration, it greatly contributes to the implementation of the national unified market strategy. As the government plays an important role in the construction of logistics channels, this paper further clarifies the effect of government participation and support policies by defining the role and functions of the government in the construction of logistics channels. Based on the evolutionary game theory, the paper reveals the equilibrium conditions of logistics channel construction under the market mechanism and government guidance under the assumption of bounded rationality. We construct an evolutionary game model among participating stakeholders, then study the evolutionary stability strategy of logistics channel participation behavior using the stability theorem for the model's differential equations. In order to explore the dynamic evolution process of both parties' choices under the two modes, we investigates the influence of the initial intention, cooperative income, cost proportion, penalty coefficient and construction cost of participating enterprises on both parties' strategic decisions under the market mechanism and government guidance modes through numerical simulation. We find that: (1) under the market mechanism and government guidance modes, there is a game equilibrium in the participation behavior of logistics enterprises in the national unified market, and that the conditions for realizing the equilibrium of cooperation among stakeholders under the guidance of the government are easier to meet; (2) The initial intentions of the two players in the game along the logistics channel influence each other, and government participation can change the effects of cooperative income, the penalty coefficient and construction cost on the system game strategy, which has a positive effect on the channel construction; (3) At the same time the simulation shows that the government's promotion effect has certain limitations, and the government should provide reasonable guidance to prevent enterprises from hindering the healthy development of logistics channels. This study provides a theoretical reference for the government and logistics enterprises, especially relying on logistics channels to support the regional coordination of national unified market development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The process of market integration has a profound impact on regional output activities. This paper discusses the impact mechanism of market integration on regional productivity. Using China's province-level panel data from 2006 to 2019, a spatial econometric model is constructed to empirically analyse the actual impact of China's market integration process on regional productivity at this stage. The empirical study found that the spatial distribution of China's regional productivity at the current stage exhibits the agglomeration characteristics of "high in the east and low in the west". The process of market integration can not only significantly promote the productivity of the region, but also have a significant positive impact on the productivity of geographical and economic neighbouring regions. The subregional empirical results show that the marginal impact of the market integration process on productivity in different regions is heterogeneous, showing that the marginal impact on the eastern and coastal regions is stronger than that in the central and western regions. Altogether, this study provides empirical evidence of the positive impact of market integration on regional productivity in the spatial dimension, having significant implications for regional coordinated and sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to examine the impact of a country's entry into the monetary union on its economic variables growth rate of real GDP as well as on GDP per capita growth for the period from 2010 to 2020. The clustering method and the ANFIS method were used in the data analysis. A total of two cluster analyses were performed. The first cluster includes countries that joined the EU in 2004 and became EZ members by 2010. The second cluster refers to those countries that joined the EU in 2004 but are not yet members of the EZ. For the first individual cluster analysis two models were analysed and for the second individual cluster three models were analysed using the ANFIS method. As expected, the results showed that GDP growth is connected with trade, inflation and gross investments in fixed capital in the observed countries, while GDP per capita is connected with unemployment, interest rates and public debt. With regard to GDP growth, the difference between countries that are in the eurozone and those that are not is not significant, which is in line with other studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The digital technology has injected new vitality into the development of enterprises, which is conducive to promoting the development of enterprises to improve quality and efficiency. Based on measuring the comprehensive index of enterprise digitisation and enterprise vitality, this paper discusses the influence and mechanism of digital transformation on enterprise vitality. It is found that digital transformation has a positive promoting effect on enterprise vitality, and with the improvement of the level of development vitality, it shows a marginal increasing trend, but with the evolution of the enterprise life cycle, it shows a marginal decreasing trend. Mechanism analysis shows that digital transformation promotes the vitality of enterprises mainly by improving productivity, alleviating information asymmetry and improving resource allocation. With the improvement of regional market integration, institutional quality, scientific and educational resources and industrial upgrading, digital transformation plays a more important role in promoting the vitality of enterprises. There exists obvious industry concentration, executive background and property right nature heterogeneity. The conclusion of this paper provides a series of empirical evidence for enterprises to digitally release their vitality and promote the high-quality development of enterprises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immediately after Brexit, the UK started negotiations to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The decision is puzzling. First, Brexiteers lauded regaining sovereignty as a key benefit of Brexit, yet the UK Government sought accession to another trade grouping (albeit one far more restrained in regulation and supranationalism). Secondly, CPTPP is a Trans-Pacific project, the UK is not located in that geographic region. UK accession to CPTPP symbolises an operationalisation of the spatial imaginaries of a ‘free-trading’ ‘Global Britain’ that emerged during Brexit. It represents an illustrative example of a state reshaping its boundaries within a ‘space of flows’ where economic interactions and the rules that order these transcend national territories and geographic proximity. This paper draws on UK government and CPTPP documents related to the accession process to establish how the parties understood the process and the reconfiguration of spatial dynamics and redefinition of the TP part of CPTPP to include the UK. It pays particular attention to the development in the discourses of imaginaries of communities of rules and norms as being more significant than geographic considerations in determining the geographic reach of a regional integration initiative like CPTPP. The paper argues that it was this imaginary of a community of standards and free-trade values that justified the recasting the UK as ‘belonging’ in this regional grouping and enabled this new spatial projection for the UK and CPTPP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the spillover effects of economic sanctions against Russia on research in neighbouring countries. The assumption of the paper is that such effects should take place given the high level of regional integration in the post‐Soviet area. The study uses bibliometric data retrieved from the Web of Science for analysis; more specifically, the data on publications during 2019, 2021 and 2023 from each of the four countries of interest – Kazakhstan, Belarus, Ukraine and Russia. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics and graphs. The results clearly point to the potential presence of negative externalities of economic sanctions on research systems of neighbouring countries not directly involved in the war. The paper discusses implications of the effects and recommendations, which can be used by policy makers to alleviate the effects on the neighbouring countries and by scholars to further investigate the phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Africa appears to be an appealing investment destination, with African stock markets offering foreign investors the gateway to tap into the continent's potential growth opportunities. Despite the significant growth and development of stock markets on the continent in recent decades, however, there remain some obstacles to overcome. This paper aims to examine the challenges faced by African stock markets which diminish their appeal to foreign investors and assess regional integration as a potential solution. Key takeaways: (1) African stock markets are often inadequately regulated and exhibit limited size, depth and liquidity, compounded by high currency volatility, prohibitive trading costs and macroeconomic and political instability, making them less attractive to foreign investors; (2) policy makers and regulators in developing countries should focus on fostering the development of vibrant and liquid public equity markets that are well regulated by creating a favourable market ecosystem through legislation, tax incentives and other measures to encourage listings; (3) for financial markets to operate effectively, they must exist within a comprehensive supportive framework encompassing legal, economic and political elements and coordinated monetary policies, potentially through currency zones; (4) the regional integration of stock exchanges can facilitate global integration, and some progress has been made in this regard. African stock markets remain weakly integrated, however, and economic integration initiatives are still hampered by low intra-African trade and inadequate infrastructure; (5) while the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) lays a solid foundation for economic integration, African countries should allocate additional resources to implement the AfCFTA and ensure increased intra-Africa trade to assist in making its stock markets more attractive to foreign investors and potentially launching a continental exchange in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) are prominent regional organisations in the global South. However, their divergence becomes evident when considering variations in governance and institutional structures. This article attributes these differences to distinct approaches to national sovereignty by their members. Factors including historical colonial legacies, member states' experiences, and shared norms shape the construction of sovereignty in ASEAN and ECOWAS. ASEAN prioritises individual sovereignty and self-determination. In contrast, ECOWAS adopts a more flexible approach, emphasising collective action to address common challenges, even if it involves compromising some aspects of sovereignty. These trajectories continue with ASEAN Charter and ECOWAS Revised Treaty that transformed the organisation into a parliamentary structure with Court of Justice. By examining these dynamics, this paper sheds light on the nuanced relationship between sovereignty and regional integration, providing insights into governance and decision-making processes in ASEAN and ECOWAS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores challenges and possible ways to increase the level of BIMSTEC regional integration from a socio-cultural perspective. It also investigates member states' vision of BIMSTEC and of the Bay of Bengal, especially where they intertwine and divert from one another. The paper postulates that, for BIMSTEC to transform itself into a socio-politically relevant organisation, it must also be culturally more integrated. BIMSTEC should strive to promulgate a shared narrative of regional identity based on the idea of the Bay of Bengal as an interconnected geographical and historical region. Through popular public imagination of the Bay of Bengal and coherent visions shared by its member states and, BIMSTEC will be able to situate itself into public consciousness and mobilise public support for the organisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the effects of political instability on financial development in the West African Economic and Monetary Union region (WAEMU) countries. The results are obtained using the autoregressive staggered lag model (ARDL) over an analysis period from 2002 to 2021. The main reason for this analysis period is the availability of data. The results show that political instability reduces financial development by lowering financial efficiency. Moreover, inflation tends to increase the negative effects of political instability on financial development. On the other hand, the interest rate manages to mitigate the negative effects of political instability on financial development. The results therefore suggest that measures should be taken to mitigate the risks of political instability. Consequently, the results suggest the development of policies against rising inflation and for the revision of interest rates in order to influence the level of political instability and financial development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional integration policies play a crucial role in promoting coordinated regional development. However, it remains unclear whether the polices simultaneously take into account urban–rural integration to achieve a dynamic balance between efficiency and equity. Based on socioeconomic data from 250 cities in China between 2003 and 2019, we used a staggered difference-in-difference method to investigate the impact of the strategy for the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta (YD integrated development) on integrated urban–rural development. Our results indicate that the YD integrated development effectively promotes integrated urban–rural development and this conclusion holds after conducting various robustness tests and heterogeneity analyses. Additionally, the YD integrated development can facilitate integrated urban–rural development through the following three main pathways: promoting economic growth, improving road transport links, and advancing technological progress. This paper offers new insights for advancing integrated urban–rural development. The next step could involve the further exploration of the connections between external regional integration policies and internal rural reforms, which will contribute to expediting the establishment of an integrated urban–rural pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a small number of texts written in close proximity to World War II, Friedrich A. Hayek describes his ideal international order as a union of sovereign nation states that confers upon its members the freedoms and material benefits of a common market. An important objective of this "interstate federation" is to secure peace. Hayek also discusses two additional arguments in favor of international federalism. First, he argues that inter-jurisdictional competition within a federation protects free markets and limits the scope of discretionary economic policy. Second, he maintains that a federal structure helps to align the actions of government with the interests of voters, thus realizing the true democratic ideal. The present paper sketches the historical development of Hayek's proposal. It then describes his theoretical arguments for (international) federalism and highlights the relationship of these arguments to more recent scholarship in the fields of public finance and public choice. In closing, the paper underscores that Hayek's writings on federalism are part of his attempt to formulate a positive liberal agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional integration is aimed at promoting socioeconomic growth and development in a region through economic cooperation among the member states. The European Union (EU) was established to promote economic and political cooperation among member countries. EU's unprecedented success in regional integration offers lessons for other regions. Unlike the EU, SAARC has not been successful in achieving significant economic integration among member states. Despite its potential, SAARC has been plagued by political and economic differences among member states, especially between Pakistan and India. South Asian countries are unable to boost regional integration not only because of their political differences but also due to other sub-regional and trans-regional initiatives that run anti to the spirit of regional integration under the umbrella of SAARC. India's role towards regional integration in South Asia is considered significant being the leading nation in the region. This paper first identifies the economic and political factors that hinder regional integration in South Asia. Then, it focuses on the dynamics of successful regional integration in Europe intending to underline the lessons to be learned by the South Asian countries to boost their regional cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]