CONVERGENCE REVISITED: CASE OF EU AND EASTERN EUROPE

Olcay ÇOLAK
Uşak University, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Department of Economics, 1 Eylul Kampusu, 64100/Uşak-TURKEY
olcaycolak10@yahoo.com

Abstract
This paper aims to analyze the convergence pattern of the Central and Eastern European (CEE) and South Eastern European (SEE) to the developed older member countries of European Union. In this context, by performing panel data analysis to 33 countries and each subgroup between 1993 and 2012, results reveal that there is a strong tendency on convergence for the new entrants of European Union after 2004 and for the candidate countries in terms of both convergence types which confirm the findings of neoclassical paradigm states that poorer countries will grow faster than richer ones. The speed of β convergence varies between 1.3 % to 4.2 for each group and the findings suggest that private domestic investment is the most leading determinant of growth and convergence process of Eastern European countries.

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