This paper examines the growth process of 109 European regions using a new data base. Applying various statistical tools, it studies the evolution of two variables: per capita income and labour productivity. The convergence process is also analysed at the sectoral level. The main results are the following. There has been a clear process of aggregate productivity convergence across the European regions over the 1980s. At the sectoral level, the picture is far more intricate: there has not been convergence in agriculture, while the industrial and services sectors show ?-convergence accompanied by a constant degree of dispersion in the distribution. Most crucially the regional dispersion in per capita income has remained almost constant, so that the differences in wealth conditions of the European citizens are still extremely high. This last result suggests the need for more effective regional policies by the European Union and the national governments