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This paper examines spatial disparities in terms of development within EU countries, using data for 272 regions in the current 28 member states over the period 1996-2010. The analysis carried out confirms that within-country inequality is an important component of overall inequality across European regions. Indeed, regional inequality increased in most EU countries throughout the study period. The results also underline the relevance of national development for within-country inequality, although the relationship is not linear. The advances in national GDP per capita first increase regional inequality. However, beyond a threshold level, the link turns from positive to negative and richer countries tend to experience lower levels of regional inequality. Moreover, the opening of national borders to international markets is associated with higher regional inequality in the EU countries. At the same time, countries with better quality of government have lower levels of regional inequality. These results do not depend on the specific measure used to quantify the magnitude of regional disparities within the sample countries, Este trabajo examina las disparidades espaciales en términos de desarrollo en el interior de los Estados miembros de la UE. Para ello se utilizan datos correspondientes a 272 regiones pertenecientes a 28 países a lo largo del periodo 1996-2010. El análisis llevado a cabo confirma que la desigualdad en el interior de los diferentes países es un componente importante de la desigualdad espacial observada en el conjunto de la UE. De hecho, la desigualdad regional ha aumentado en la mayoría de los países de la UE durante el período objeto de estudio. Los resultados también ponen de manifiesto la relevancia de los procesos de desarrollo nacional a la hora de explicar la evolución de la desigualdad regional, si bien la relación no es lineal. Los avances del PIB per cápita nacional ¡nicialmente contribuyen a aumentar las disparidades regionales. No obstante, una vez alcanzado un determinado nivel de desarrollo la relación se hace negativa, de forma que los países más desarrollados tienden a experimentar menores niveles de desigualdad regional. Asimismo, la apertura de las fronteras nacionales a los mercados internacionales está asociada con mayores disparidades espaciales. Al mismo tiempo, los países con una mejor calidad institucional se caracterizan por registrar menor desigualdad regional. Estos resultados no dependen de la medida concreta utilizada para capturar la magnitud de las disparidades espaciales en el interior de los diferentes países

This paper examines the link between ethnic segregation and spatial inequality in 71 countries with different levels of economic development. The results reveal that ethnic segregation is associated with significantly higher levels of spatial inequality. This finding is not affected by the inclusion of various covariates that may influence both spatial inequality and the geographical distribution of ethnic groups, and is confirmed by a number of robustness tests. The results also suggest that political decentralization and the quality of government could act as transmission channels linking ethnic segregation and spatial inequality.

This paper investigates the relationship between economic globalization and regional inequality in a panel of 47 countries over the period 1990-2007, using a measure of globalization that distinguishes the different dimensions of economic integration. The results show that there is a positive and statistically significant association between economic globalization and the magnitude of regional disparities. Countries with a greater degree of economic integration with the rest of the world tend to register higher levels of regional inequality. This finding is robust to the inclusion of additional explanatory variables and to the choice of the specific measure used to quantify the relevance of spatial inequality within the sample countries. Our analysis also reveals that the spatial impact of economic globalization is greater in low- and middle-income countries, whose levels of regional disparities are on average significantly higher than in high-income countries.

This paper examines whether, given the increasing salience of subnational governments, political decentralisation has an impact on overall economic performance. It uses panel data analyses in order to determine the association between a number of the different indices of political decentralisation developed over the last decade and a half with two basic measures of economic performance: changes in aggregate GDP per head and the evolution of within-country territorial inequalities. The results highlight that, in the case of economic growth, the perception we may have of how political decentralisation affects economic performance is highly contingent on the index we use, with results ranging from a mildly positive to a neutral influence of political decentralisation on economic growth. For regional inequalities, political decentralisation seems to lead to a rise in disparities, regardless of how political decentralisation is measured.

Texto dispoñible en galego e español Neste traballo estúdanse as disparidades rexionais en termos de PIB por habitante na Unión Europea ampliada ao longo do período 1995-2006. Para iso combínase a información proporcionada por unha análise non paramétrica da distribución obxecto de estudo co cálculo de diferentes medidas procedentes da literatura dedicada ao estudo da desigualdade persoal da renda. Os resultados obtidos mostran unha redución das disparidades rexionais ao longo do período analizado, debido fundamentalmente á evolución experimentada polas rexións de Europa Central e Oriental durante os doce anos considerados. Así mesmo, a evidencia empírica achegada pon de manifesto a existencia simultánea de converxencia entre países e de diverxencia a nivel rexional En este trabajo se estudian las disparidades regionales en términos de PIB por habitante en la Unión Europea ampliada a lo largo del período 1995-2006. Para ello se combina la información proporcionada por un análisis no paramétrico de la distribución objeto de estudio con el cálculo de diferentes medidas procedentes de la literatura dedicada al estudio de la desigualdad personal de la renta. Los resultados obtenidos muestran una reducción de las disparidades regionales a lo largo del período analizado, debido fundamentalmente a la evolución experimentada por las regiones de Europa Central y Oriental durante los doce años considerados. Asimismo, la evidencia empírica aportada pone de manifiesto la existencia simultánea de convergencia entre países y de divergencia a nivel regional This paper examines regional disparities in GDP per capita in the enlarged European Union during the period 1995-2006. To achieve this aim, a non-parametric approach is combined with the information provided by various measures used in the literature on personal income distribution. The results show that spatial disparities have decreased over the period considered, mainly as a result of the evolution registered by the regions in Central and Eastern Europe. Furthermore, the findings in the paper reveal that this process has been compatible with the simultaneous presence of between-country convergence and within-country divergence SI

This paper looks at the relationship between fiscal and political decentralization and the evolution of regional inequalities in a panel of 26 countries – 19 developed and 7 developing – for the period between 1990 and 2006. Using an instrumental variables method, it finds that whereas for the whole sample decentralization is completely dissociated for the evolution of regional disparities, the results are highly contingent on the level of development, the existing level of territorial inequalities, and the fiscal redistributive capacity of the countries in the sample. Decentralization in high income countries has, if anything, been associated with a reduction of regional inequality. In low and medium income countries, fiscal decentralization has been associated with a significant rise in regional disparities, which the positive effects of political decentralization have been unable to compensate. Policy preferences by subnational governments for expenditure in economic affairs, education, and social protection have contributed to this trend.

This paper examines productive specialization in the regions of the European Union over the period 1977 to 1999 using the information provided by various methodological instruments. The results obtained reveal a process of convergence in regional productive structures during the twenty-three years considered. This has been due to the behavior of regions with high levels of specialization at the start of the period, whose productive structures have tended to shift to wards the European average overtime. The analysis carried out also high lights the major role played by regional size, level of development and geographical location in explaining specialization in the European context. Finally, the empirical evidence provided suggests that changes in regional productive structures are closely linked to the evolution of the spatial distribution of per capita income in the European Union. Keywords: Specialization, economic activity, regions, European Union. JEL Code: F15, R11, R12.