The Impact of the World Economic Events of the 21st Century on the Integration Processes of the European Union and the Division of Agricultural Labour

Szabó, Barna

Keywords: regional integration, disintegration factors, difference between levels of development in the national economy, distribution of GD P and GD P in agriculture, Q19, R11, R19

According to the neoclassical liberal integration theories, economic integration results in the convergence of economic development levels and the gradual disappearance of differences. This conclusion can be drawn from my calculations in my previous study, in which I processed the pre-millennium data. In this publication, I extended the examined period up until today, and I attempted to answer the question of how unfavourable global economic events of the 21st century, such as the world economic crisis in 2008, the migration crisis and the increase in terrorist threats, have affected the different levels of economic development, especially in the European Union. I measured the economic development in GDP and examined the distribution of GDP in agriculture. My calculations suggest that, despite these effects, the countervailing effect of integration can still be measured between the European Union Member States – although its magnitude lags – and the results clearly illustrate the significance of international division of labour in agriculture as well.

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