Istota i cel integracji gospodarczej

Abstract

After a short presentation of prevailing theoretical conceptions of international economic integration the author underlines the fact that most definitions neglect the social aspect of the phenomenon. In his opinion, a synthetical expression of this aspect is the process of narrowing the gap either in consumption or national income per capita between the integrating regions or countries. Considering this process a necessary component of economic integration, the author describes the latter as a process of developing such economic relations which do not enlarge the territorial disproportions between the countries but facilitate the opposite effect. Assuming that the above aspect is included in the concept of economic integration, the goal of integration policy can be formulated as a long-run maximization of the rate of growth in the integrated territory as a whole.