Detecting geographical patterns in the EU’s interregional flows: A multilayer hierarchical approach

Abstract

This paper develops a multilayer statistical model to examine geographical patterns of different types of interregional flows within the European Union (EU). The results first reveal the success story of the EU regarding the goal of territorial cohesion in the flow of people. Next, they capture a differential level of each type of interregional flows contribution to the overall market, where flows of capital prevail and knowledge flows lag. The analysis also reveals a diversified degree of cohesion in the interregional flows market describing Germany, the United Kingdom, the “blue banana” regions, the Central and West Europe’s coastal regions, and the East Europe’s regions. Although the EU’s path to regional development looks in the right direction, there is evidence that “borders still matter”, equipping economic geographers and policymakers with an instrumented approach for modeling and evaluating the integration of spatial economies.