The Community Budget for an Economic and Monetary Union


Book Description

Maastricht will induce changes to the EC budget the various dimensions of which are explored in this volume. Based on the theory of fiscal federalism the author discusses important aspects of multilayer government finance for existing federations - Australia, Germany, Switzerland and the USA. He sketches the effects of an Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) onto the Community budget, and concludes with a systematic treatment of revenue instruments for its future financing




National Budgeting for Economic and Monetary Union


Book Description

Although the need for fiscal coordination and for controlling national spending in particular have been widely justified, relatively little attention has been paid to identifying and analyzing concrete measures to make this feasible. Most studies on these aspects of the Economic and Monetary Union have been concerned with questions as to why the need exists for fiscal convergence and to what degree is it desirable. Attention has only recently been focused on examining what budgetary measures (rules, procedures, structures) can be taken by the Commission or finance ministries for European convergence. The objective of this book is to discuss and suggest alternative policy-option initiatives at EC and national levels encouraging convergent financial management behaviour. Analyses are focused on the following important questions: `What is the current capacity of EC and national governments to manage public spending? '; `What budgetary strategies are available to reduce deficits? '; `What should the role of the Commission be under these circumstances? '; `What is the Member States' responsibility for managing national budgets? '; `What budgetary norms and rules should be proposed and negotiated to guarantee convergence of integration? '; `What strategic and structural arrangements could facilitate integration? ', etc.




Monetary Integration


Book Description




The Path to European Economic and Monetary Union


Book Description

Sir Alan Walters ex-chief economic advisor to PM Margaret Thatcher Whether it succeeds or fails, Europe is everyone's concern. The idea of a united Europe has been entertained, even partially at least, achieved, inter alia, CharlemagI!e, Napoleon, Hitler, and in our da)' by Spaak, Monet and Chancellor Kohl: the first three by military conquest, the last three by "negotiation" and the creation of integrating institutional arrangements. The motives varied from the twisted paranoia of the Nazis to the idealism of SpaaklMonet/Kohl in avoiding conflicts and wars. Under the protection of NATO the European Coal and Steel Community soon was transformed into the EEC by the 1957 Treaty of Rome. The massive reduction of trade barriers, particularly between France and Germany, was rewarded by vigorous growth over the next 15 years. Even as late as 1972, when Britain acceeded to the Treaty of Rome, the EEC was thought to be lar~ely a customs union: in de Gaulle eyes the EEC was simply a collection of sovereISJ:l states who cooperated primarily on trade. Each state however enjoyed a veto; deCIsions had to be unanimous.




Economic and Monetary Union in Europe


Book Description

In its pursuit of economic integration, economic and monetary union (EMU) had become a primary commitment for the European Community. Originally published in 1974, this study sets out to examine the meaning of economic union and its relationship with monetary union. The contributors look at the problems and costs for attaining economic union for the member states of the EEC at the time. Steven Robson writes on economic management. Paul Woolley examines the integration of capital markets. Santosh Mukherjee looks at the implications of labour market policy. Geoffrey Denton and Adam Ridley consider the impact of economic and monetary union on regional problems. Alan Prest is concerned with tax harmonisation specifically Value Added Tax and Corporation Tax and Douglas Dosser discusses the development of a European Community budget. Though the long-term benefits of EMU were clear, in the short term it would impose strains and pressures on national economies and particular sectors within them. This study goes a long way to clarifying where these difficulties would arise and suggests some ways of coping with them.







Economic and Monetary Union


Book Description

The Heads of State and Government at the European Council meeting in Maastricht definitely decided to embark upon the creation of Economic and Monetary Union by, at the latest, the beginning of 1999, and in doing so opted for a relatively short but difficult journey that should bring the European Community all the benefits one could expect from such an undertaking. However, the question still remains of how Economic and Monetary Union will really affect the day-to-day policymaking of the national civil servants involved, particularly in the areas of monetary and fiscal policies. Can national policymakers adopt a `sit-and-wait' policy or does Economic and Monetary Union really entail a dangerous voyage between Scylla and Charybdis? Will Economic and Monetary Union undermine the sovereignty of national governments because the Maastricht Treaty will give the EC the competence to dictate its own will? Are the benefits of Economic and Monetary Union for the Member States really as great as expected? These and other issues are assessed in this book which, after an assessment of the achievements of the Maastricht European Council, will cover the main implications of a European monetary policy and closer economic cooperation for the relevant policies of the Member States, the division of the competences between Community and member countries and the forthcoming prospects for new EC policies (e.g. regional policy, the EC budget, fiscal union, etc.)




One Market, One Money


Book Description

The European Community is negotiating a new treaty to establish the constitutional foundations of an economic and monetary union in the course of the 1990s. This study provides the only comprehensive guide to the economic implications of economic and monetary union. The work of an economist inside the Commission of the European Community, it reflects the considerations influencing the design of the union. The study creates a unique bridge between the insights of modern economic analysis and the work of the policy makers preparing for economic and monetary union.




Rethinking Economic and Monetary Union in Europe


Book Description

In the wake of the Greek crisis, the future of the EU is the subject of a great deal of debate. This book critically evaluates the current new monetarist model of Economic and Monetary Union in Europe, presenting an alternative post-Keynesian (progressive) model, aimed at addressing the current problems of trade imbalance and asymmetric macroeconomic policy infrastructure that are augmenting tensions within the Eurozone. The book’s approach is based upon the development of a common, rather than a single, currency approach, and utilises post-Keynesian policy solutions in order to create a form of EMU which will promote full employment rather than austerity.




The Intergovernmental Conference on Political Union


Book Description

The radical changes taking place in the international scene during the late 1980s have presented the European Communities with important new challenges. The twelve Member States agreed that the only way to respond effectively to this new situation was to speed up the European integration process, and in December 1990 two Intergovernmental Conferences were inaugurated, focusing respectively on the development of an Economic and Monetary Union and a Political Union. It was the difficult task of the Luxembourg and Dutch Presidencies to channel the often very diverging positions of the different actors in the process into one coherent set of amendments to the Treaties forming the European Communities. This publication examines the positions which the different Member States, the Commission and the European Parliament have been defending in the Intergovernmental Conference on Political Union and more particularly with regard to one of the most sensitive topics under discussion, namely the development of a Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). The introduction places the debate on the development of a Political Union and a CFSP in an historical perspective and gives an overview of the progression of the negotiations. The concluding chapter presents a general framework for better understanding of the course and results of the negotiations, and a critical evaluation of the outcome. The annexes reproduce the main proposals on the development of a CFSP submitted to the Conference.