<abstract xml:lang="en" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>A remarkable upgrading of export performance and a major re-orientation of foreign trade in favour of the EU-15 have been among the most outstanding features of the transition and EU integration processes of former socialist countries from Central, Eastern and South East Europe. This paper looks at the importance of (EU) market access for the upgrading of the export performance of these countries. Based on the empirical approach of Redding and Venables (2003, 2004), and Fugazza (2004), it was found that market access growth represents the main determinant of export growth for transition countries. Additionally, the importance of foreign market access growth for the export growth of transition countries is constantly increasing. Market access growth, in the case of both the NMS-8 (Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia) and most of the CC-3 (Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia) occurred predominantly within the EU-15. Better EU-15 market access can largely explain the better export performance of the NMS-8 in comparison to other transition countries.</p></abstract>

A remarkable upgrading of export performance and a major re-orientation of foreign trade in favour of the EU-15 have been among the most outstanding features of the transition and EU integration processes of former socialist countries from Central, Eastern and South East Europe. This paper looks at the importance of (EU) market access for the upgrading of the export performance of these countries. Based on the empirical approach of Redding and Venables (2003, 2004), and Fugazza (2004), it was found that market access growth represents the main determinant of export growth for transition countries. Additionally, the importance of foreign market access growth for the export growth of transition countries is constantly increasing. Market access growth, in the case of both the NMS-8 (Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia) and most of the CC-3 (Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia) occurred predominantly within the EU-15. Better EU-15 market access can largely explain the better export performance of the NMS-8 in comparison to other transition countries.

EU Market Access and Export Performance of Transition Countries

Faculty of Economics, Institute of Economic Research, University of Ljubljana, Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration, Ljubljana

Institute of Macroeconomic Analysis and Development, University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Social Sciences, Ljubljana

South East European Journal of Economics and Business

{"article-title":"EU Market Access and Export Performance of Transition Countries"}

A remarkable upgrading of export performance and a major re-orientation of foreign trade in favour of the EU-15 have been among the most outstanding features...

EU Market Access and Export Performance of Transition Countries

Published Online: Mar 04, 2008

Page range: 31 - 42

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/v10033-007-0003-3

Keywords
Export performance, Transition countries, (EU) market access, Supply capacity

This content is open access.

EU Market Access and Export Performance of Transition Countries

Published Online: Mar 04, 2008

Page range: 31 - 42

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/v10033-007-0003-3

KeywordsExport performance, Transition countries, (EU) market access, Supply capacity

This content is open access.

Keywords
Export performance, Transition countries, (EU) market access, Supply capacity