Financial and trade integration of selected EU regions: dynamic correlation and wavelet approach

Abstract

We evaluate the process of financial and trade integration in 26 European Union (EU) countries over the period 1993 - 2012. We distinguish between "new" and "old" EU countries to compare the processes of financial and trade integration in the developed countries and formerly central-planned economies. We use classical and moving correlation, dynamic correlation, and wavelet co-spectrum. Classical and moving correlation shows the strong relation until 2008. Dynamic correlation confirms strong relation for long and business cycle frequencies. Specification via wavelet co-spectrum reveals that long frequencies are correlated in the period 2000 - 2009, business cycle frequencies in the period 1993 - 1994 and 2003 - 2004 and middle frequencies generally in the period 2008 - 2010. The process of financial integration was stronger in the old EU member countries while the process of trade integration in the new member countries.