Ekonominės ir socialinės sanglaudos ir sąsajų su ekonomikos augimu vertinimas Europos Sąjungoje

Abstract

The doctoral dissertation aim is to find answer to following scientific problem: which of theoretical interpretations of integration, convergence and cohesion, as well as methodological tools should be used as a basis to measure and evaluate economic and social cohesion and its links with economic growth in EU? In the work it was developed the interpretation of the concept of economic and social cohesion, which is based on three fundamental aspects: convergence (convergence of the development levels of the entities is necessarily a result of cohesion), continuous development (balanced development of all components of cohesion) and sustainability (a constant development of all the compared entities). Author developed and practically tested the model of assessment of economic and social cohesion in the EU, based on the aggregate economic and social cohesion index. In this model GDP and Maastricht convergence criteria are supplemented by important structural indicators (employment, income inequality and risk-of-poverty), which help better assess real cohesion situation in EU.