On Tuesday, October 9, CEPS, together with Intereconomics, of the Leibniz Information Centre for Economics (ZBW), will host our joint annual conference, this year entitled: Economic Convergence or Divergence in the EU? Four sessions will allow a panel of diverse experts to address the pressing issues facing the EU today.
European integration has always been associated with the aspiration of upwards economic convergence. While the EU accession of new member states in 2004 and 2007 gave a positive spin to convergence, signs of divergence coming from EU’s southern members have appeared over the past decade. Moreover, divergence pressures at a regional level are becoming more patent within countries. This conference will examine the process of EU economic convergence in its various forms and consider its driving factors.
How can we spot the crucial trends in convergence and how can they help us understand and stimulate the process? What roles do education, structural funds and regional factors play? What policy measures can the EU use to foster economic convergence and deter divergence in the coming decade? Can we expect convergence to continue forever? Representatives from the EU institutions, academic researchers, economists and other experts will debate these questions and offer their insights.
Follow this link for the full agenda.