The regional impact of European Union association agreements: an event-analysis approach to the case of Central and Eastern Europe

Abstract

The regional impact of European Union association agreements: an event-analysis approach to the case of Central and Eastern Europe. Regional Studies. Although European Union association agreements are generally seen as welfare improving, relatively little is known about their spatial–distributional consequences. Drawing on the pre-accession experience of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), this paper estimates the regional growth effects of such agreements using an event-analysis approach. It finds a positive growth effect which is, however, not constant across association phases or types of regions (e.g., specialized regions gained most in the early association period and service-oriented economies gained most near accession); and it discusses the implications of this in relation to debates on regional growth in the CEE and for future waves of association.