Evolution of economic boundaries in conditions of European integration and globalization

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Daugianacionalinės korporacijos; Ekonominiai apribojimai; Ekonominės ribos; Išnykimas; Tarptautinės korporacijos; Tarptautinės struktūros; Užsienio prekybos pokyčiai; Disappearance; Economic boundaries; Foreign trade changes; International structures; Multinational corporations.

ENParadox of economic boundaries and ways of its disappearance in the global world are analyzed in the article. On the one hand, the word "global" is defined as "world-wide", "including the whole world", "all-inclusive", "being comprehensive" etc. Globalization is recognized as the whole complex of interrelated processes occurring world-wide. It means that reference to some kind of boundaries (or borders) in the era of globalization is at the minimum not scientific. On the other hand, it is evident that it is really difficult to find events or processes which could be defined as including the whole world. The global nature of banking services or the Internet is much spoken about. Nevertheless, comparing the occurrence of these in developed countries and, for example, in some African countries, the difference would be so distinct that it would be impossible to refer to the occurrences mentioned as "all-inclusive". This means that there exist boundaries separating regions with differing intensity of various "global" occurrences. Question, how can the concept of economic boundaries be defined and in what features its’ evolution can be characterized is discussed in this paper. The aim of the paper is to reveal the content of the concept of economic boundaries in conditions of European integration and globalization. The methods of the analysis of scientific literature, legal acts, and statistical data as well as the methods of synthesis of the information thus accumulated are used in this paper. Paper consists of introduction, three parts, and conclusions. The nature of economic boundaries in the globalization era is discussed and the definition is offered in the first part: economic boundary is the one beyond which other conditions of activity prevail, or such activity is not possible at all. The economic boundary presently is more political rather than an economic concept.Formation of international administrative structures and activity of international corporations as two ways of disappearance analysis of economic boundaries are introduced in the second part. Changes of directions and volumes of Lithuanian foreign trade during last two decades as examples of disappearance of Lithuania’s economic boundaries are presented in the third part. Those changes are named as the proof of Lithuania’s economy as the whole and its subjects (enterprises) ability to react to the changes caused by integration processes in the conclusions. [From the publication]

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