Economic integration, development and growth.

Summary The purpose of this thesis is to study the impact of regional integration agreements on economic development and growth. The development of the subject is done from the analytical framework integrating the theories of endogenous growth and the new geographical economy. We show that geographical factors (natural endowments and those resulting from the spatial interaction between agents through agglomeration economies) influence development. We identify spatial disparities within and between regional integration areas. We analyze convergence in the WAEMU and ECOWAS zones and conclude that there is a convergence of per capita product in the WAEMU zone, as in the monetary zones, but not in ECOWAS. Using theoretical models that integrate different accumulation mechanisms that make comparative advantages endogenous, we show that South-South regional agreements are superior to North-South agreements. We also show that regional agreements between Southern countries allow them to strengthen their economic growth, to converge and to reduce their backwardness compared to Northern countries. We show that a better infrastructure endowment of a member of the agreement allows it to strengthen its industrial growth as integration deepens. Taxation helps finance this public infrastructure, which increases the rate of return on capital. Its negative effects on the location of firms only appear above a certain level of taxation. The intensity of industrial development depends on the quality of public spending. '.