Growth, productivity and capital accumulation: The effects of financial liberalization in the case of European integration

Abstract

In the present contribution, I concentrate on the process of financial liberalization in a specific context of European economic and monetary integration. I implement de facto and de jure measures of financial liberalization and find that formal aspects of financial openness generate a strongly positive impact on economic growth and its sources, productivity growth and capital accumulation. Moreover, there is evidence of a positive contribution to the process stemming from the EU membership, while no substantial effect comes from the euro adoption. Finally, I investigate the effects from financial integration on country groups within the EU.