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ABSTRACT  The spatial distribution of manufacturing in the regions of the European Union over the period 1977–1999 is examined in this article, using a series of nonparametric instruments proposed within the framework of the economic growth literature. These enable us to overcome some of the methodological limitations of the studies of this issue that have appeared to date. The results obtained reveal an increase in geographic concentration in most industrial activities during the whole of the period considered, the relevance of which has been especially important coinciding with the progress made in the economic integration process currently underway in Europe. Indeed, the empirical evidence presented in this respect suggests that this trend will continue in the future. Additionally, the observed degree of intrasectoral mobility is relatively low. Nevertheless, these findings reveal that the probability of further growth or decline in a given sector within a particular region is greater in those areas with an intermediate presence of the sector in question.

International audience ; This paper examines regional mobility in the spatial distribution of per capita in- come in the European Union over the period 1977-1999. The methodology used to investigate this issue combines a series of measures taken from the literature devoted to the dynamic study of personal income distribution with a non-parametric analysis. The results show limited mobility in the distribution considered, and a decline in mobility over time. The empirical evidence presented indicates, moreover, that mobility patterns vary as a function of regional development levels. Additionally, the analysis carried out investigates the role played in explaining intra-distribution mobility by variables such as per capita income, population density, per capita expenditure in investment, market potential, and the share in total employment of agriculture, advanced services and non-market services.

This paper examines regional mobility in the spatial distribution of per capita in-
come in the European Union over the period 1977-1999. The methodology used to
investigate this issue combines a series of measures taken from the literature devoted to the dynamic study of personal income distribution with a non-parametric analysis. The results show limited mobility in the distribution considered, and a decline in mobility over time. The empirical evidence presented indicates, moreover, that mobility patterns vary as a function of regional development levels. Additionally, the analysis carried out investigates the role played in explaining intra-distribution mobility by variables such as per capita income, population density, per capita expenditure in investment, market potential, and the share in total employment of agriculture, advanced services and
non-market services.

Economic disparities among the regions of the European Union are more pronounced than among countries. Structural Funds have played a crucial compensatory role, promoting the economic development and real convergence of lagging regions. The amount of resources destined to regional policy and the conflicts arising from its funding and distribution create the need for an adequate theoretical foundation or model to help politicians solve the distribution problem. In this paper we propose an empirical procedure to carry out and evaluate different distributions of funds for the periods 1989 – 93 and 1994 – 99. We begin with the estimation of an augmented production function to permit the calculation of the expected GDP per capita. We then propose a nonlinear programming method to simulate alternative distributions of Structural Funds among Objective 1 regions, based upon two different approaches: equal development, and equal opportunities. For these two approaches we calculate different possibilities, ranging from highly efficient to highly equitable, with the result that we are able to show the 'frontier' of optimal distributions. Finally, we evaluate these results and compare them with the real distribution.

This paper examines the territorial imbalances in European agriculture during
the period 1980-2001, by means of the information provided by various methodological
instruments which allow us to overcome the drawbacks of conventional convergence
analysis. The results obtained reveal that the regional distribution of productivity
in the agricultural sector is characterized by the presence of positive spatial
dependence. This fact implies that the European regions in close spatial proximity
register similar levels of the variable under study, which highlights the relevance of
geographical location in this context. The empirical evidence presented also shows
that regional disparities have remained almost constant during the time interval
considered. However, the increase in density around the European average explains
the observed reduction in the degree of bipolarization, while intra-distribution mobility
is relatively limited. Finally, the analysis carried out allows us to assess the
role of variables such as country of origin, investment per worker in the agricultural
sector, regional per capita income or the size of the agrifood industry, in explaining
the dynamics of the distribution under analysis.

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.

The aim of this paper, which forms part of a wider research project, is to analyse changes in regional disparity in the European Union between 1977 and 1999 by calculating the level of internal and external inequality in various groupings of regions. Our calculations are based on the Theil (0) and Theil (1) indices commonly used in the literature dealing with inequality. The regions are grouped by countries, economic development level and sectoral specialisation. After observing the evolution of internal and external disparity in the different geographical groupings, we assess the impact of politics and economic development on the various outcomes.