In context with the Eastern enlargement of the European Union, this research deals with the effects of pre- and post-enlargement integration policies on industry concentration and regional development in Hungary. Economic processes are analysed empirically and by means of regression analyses with a spatial perspective and in the framework of the new economic geography over a time span of almost two decades. The results for the manufacturing industries and for regional specialization show which economic centres played a role for the economic development of the country over time. The roles which agglomerations and regional specialization can play are discussed with a view to the problems of cohesion in Hungary, the enlarged EU and future EU accession countries. The conclusions also take into account the current political and academic debate regarding European regional policy.

Autorentext

The Author: Cordula Wandel was born in Frankfurt am Main (Germany) in 1968. She studied economics at McGill University in Montreal (Canada), and European law and economics in Strasbourg (France) as well as in Saarbrücken. She worked for the European Commission in Brussels (Belgium), at the political level and for two directorates-general, for six years. She also gained six years of experience in banking and finance in Frankfurt and Hamburg. She works as a consultant in Hamburg.

Inhalt
Contents: Characteristics of Hungary's Regions and Industries Manufacturing Industry Concentration Regional Development 1992 to 2008 Econometric Analyses of Agglomeration and Regional Specialization New Economic Geography Models European Regional Policy Policy Implications for an enlarged EU.