THEORIES OF THE SPATIAL ECONOMICS IN TERMS OF ECONOMIC INTEGRATION

The purpose of the study is to clarify theories of “spatial economics” and to analyse the theory of “new economic geography”, in particular, to find out peculiarities of the spatial economics theories applying in the context of integration of Ukraine into the European Union and to simulate theoretically the consequences of Ukraine’s accession to this integration group. Methodology. The theoretical and methodological basis of the research is the principles of the spatial economics theories, scientific works and researches of domestic and foreign scientists. The methodological grounds for the study are both general scientific and special scientific methods, which in the complex are used to achieve the purpose of the study. The historical-evolutionary and critical-constructive analysis, theoretical generalization (in the study of approaches to the analysis of the spatial economics theories); induction, deduction, generalization and comparison (in the study of the main principles of the theories of spatial economics using in terms of economic integration); abstract-logical and graphic interpretation (in the study of the peculiarities of integration of Ukraine into the European Union) are used. Results. The basic idea of the spatial economics theory is that the size of the market interacts with economies of scale at the firm level and transport costs, and forms the division of economic activity of the country in a spatial aspect. Applying the basic principles of the spatial economics theories to Ukraine made it possible to distinguish several main features: the difference in the country regions development; the probability of becoming a new “periphery” of the European Union; the relations between Ukraine and European Union in the “centre-periphery” aspect depend on the economy’s openness and the cross-border interaction of Ukraine with the so-called “eastern periphery” of the European Union. Practical implications are to develop recommendations for the successful economic integration of Ukraine into the European Union. Value/originality is the theoretical generalization and development of the concepts of spatial economics in the international economic integration process. The highlighted theoretical positions can be used for further study of theories of spatial economics