Event Review: Economic Convergence or Divergence in the EU?
09 October 2018
CEPS
Conference Room
1, Place du Congrès
1000 Brussels
Belgium
Conference Programme (pdf)
8th annual Intereconomics / CEPS Conference: Economic Convergence or Divergence in the EU?
How do we spot the trends in convergence and how can they help us to understand and stimulate the process? What roles do education, structural funds and regional factors play in this process? What policy measures can the EU use to foster economic convergence and deter divergence in the coming decade? Representatives from the EU institutions, academic researchers, economists and other experts consider these questions and offer their insight. Join us and share your views on these important questions.
Studies and conclusions are available in the Intereconomics issue No.1 of 2019.
Session 1
Trends of Economic Convergence
Moderator: Jiffer Bourguignon, Intereconomics
Cinzia Alcidi, CEPS: Convergence in the EU
Barry Eichengreen, University of California, Berkeley: Convergence and Divergence in the Euro Area
Michael Burda, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin: Convergence of German Bundesländer – Lessons for the EU
Session 2
Drivers of Convergence/Divergence in the EU
Moderator: Cinzia Alcidi, CEPS
Mathias Dolls, CESifo: Incentivising Structural Reforms
Christian Bodewig, World Bank: Upgrading Europe’s Convergence Machine
László Andor, Corvinus University of Budapest: Cohesion, Convergence and the EU Financial Toolbox
Session 3
What can the EU do?
Moderator: Brigitte Preissl, Intereconomics
Ioana Rus, European Commission: Structural Funds
Dario Guarascio, INAPP: Can (Current) Europe Do Something? The Interweaving of External Constraints and Domestic Entropy
Jorge Núñez Ferrer, CEPS: The Impact of Structural Funds on Convergence
Roundtable Debate
How much Divergence can the EU take?
Moderator: Alan Beattie, Financial Times
Maria João Rodrigues, MEP
Daniel Gros, Director, CEPS
Barry Eichengreen, University of California, Berkeley
Charles Wyplosz, The Graduate Institute, Geneva
