The aim of the paper is to provide a consistent literature review on the importance of structural convergence for the countries within the same economic area focusing on two main topics: the structural similarity problem of countries within an integration area and the evolution and development of the union itself (in line with Chenery and Singer’s approach). We aim to synthesize the most referential findings of the literature and project them on the most recent events in the European Union pointing out the relevance of structural convergence and of the continuation of the process under a reassessed form. The relevance of studying the structural convergence process lies in the medium and long term implications related to the synchronization of business cycles, long-run development patterns and of the dynamics of specialization. Moreover, the topic is of high interest both in the context of the future evolution of the European Union and in the decision making process of adopting the Euro in Romania’s case. On the side of theoretical papers, there is a rich literature on structural change that generally recommends that economic structures and the differences between them should be the starting point for analysis and development of theories of economic development. We believe that the preoccupations for this topic should be recalled in the context of the European events and new facets should be explored. Along with the views expressed in the European Commission White Paper, that the form will follow the function, we emphasize the importance of designing the proper institutions at European Union and Eurozone level, but also at national level with taking into consideration the goal of advancing towards structural convergence.
This paper investigates the territorial capital endowments across European regions. Data are collected at NUTS 2 level for all European regions, for the most recent year available, for several indicators that measure different components of territorial capital. Our evidence reveals several patterns of regional economic development, with specifi c confi gurations of the territorial assets, which further shed light on the connection between location, competitiveness and development.
This article contributes to the discussion about the socioeconomic factors that reinforce pesticide dependence in the European Union and hinder the transition to more sustainable agricultural practices in light of the European Union’s Green Deal objective of reducing the use of pesticides by 50% by 2030. The analysis has a two-pronged purpose: (1) to identify the determinants of pesticide consumption in the European Union by conducting a set of four seemingly unrelated regressions and (2) to emphasize the existence of regional patterns across EU countries formed by the factors that significantly impact pesticide consumption based on a cluster analysis. Per capita GDP, selling prices, population, and real income positively influence pesticide use, whereas subsidies and organic agricultural area negatively influence them. Pesticide use is most affected by GDP per capita and least affected by subsidies. Cluster analysis highlights regional differences reflected in three clusters: (1) the most recent EU member states, (2) the European countries with large population levels, and (3) the countries with the highest GDP per capita. Our findings may contribute to the EU’s capacity to generate policy changes at the member state level and can be built into recommendations to address the persistent overuse of pesticides.
The article covers the role of entrepreneurs in developing climate-resilient solutions and business models for sustainable development with a special focus on technological innovation. Building on the concept of social entrepreneurship, the research attempts to investigate the role and the reasons that explain entrepreneurs' engagement in climate change mitigation and in developing new eco-inclusive technologies. The focus will lay on the case of the cleantech industry by attempting to provide a definition of the industry, an analysis of the typology of the financing involved the sectors with the largest impact, and the most innovative types of projects. The results are meant to anticipate key directions and serve as a possible guide to future entrepreneurs and investors interested in cleantech businesses.
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