The Road to Monetary Union


Book Description

The Road to Monetary Union analyses in non-technical language the process leading to adoption of a common currency for the European Union. The monetary union process involved different issues at different times and the contemporary global background mattered. The Element explains why monetary union was attempted and failed in the 1970s, and why the process was restarted in 1979, accelerated after 1992 and completed for a core group of EU members in 1999. It analyzes connections between eurozone membership and Greece's sovereign debt crisis. It concludes with analysis of how the eurozone works today and with discussion of its prospects for the 2020s. The approach is primarily economic, while acknowledging the role of politics (timing) and history (path dependence). A theme is to challenge simplistic ideas (e.g. that the euro has failed) with fuller analysis of competing pressures to shape the nature of monetary union.




Making the European Monetary Union


Book Description

Europe’s financial crisis cannot be blamed on the Euro, Harold James contends in this probing exploration of the whys, whens, whos, and what-ifs of European monetary union. The current crisis goes deeper, to a series of problems that were debated but not resolved at the time of the Euro’s invention. Since the 1960s, Europeans had been looking for a way to address two conundrums simultaneously: the dollar’s privileged position in the international monetary system, and Germany’s persistent current account surpluses in Europe. The Euro was created under a politically independent central bank to meet the primary goal of price stability. But while the monetary side of union was clearly conceived, other prerequisites of stability were beyond the reach of technocratic central bankers. Issues such as fiscal rules and Europe-wide banking supervision and regulation were thoroughly discussed during planning in the late 1980s and 1990s, but remained in the hands of member states. That omission proved to be a cause of crisis decades later. Here is an account that helps readers understand the European monetary crisis in depth, by tracing behind-the-scenes negotiations using an array of sources unavailable until now, notably from the European Community’s Committee of Central Bank Governors and the Delors Committee of 1988–89, which set out the plan for how Europe could reach its goal of monetary union. As this foundational study makes clear, it was the constant friction between politicians and technocrats that shaped the Euro. And, Euro or no Euro, this clash will continue into the future.




Prospects for Monetary Cooperation and Integration in East Asia


Book Description

East Asian countries were notably uninterested in regional monetary integration until the late 1990's, when the Asian financial crisis revealed the fragility of the region's exchange rate arrangements and highlighted the need for a stronger regional financial architecture. Since then, the countries of East Asia have begun taking steps to explore monetary and financial cooperation, establishing such initiatives as regular consultations among finance ministers and central bank governors and the pooling of foreign exchange reserves. In this book Ulrich Volz investigates the prospects for monetary cooperation and integration in East Asia, using state-of-the-art theoretical and empirical tools to analyze the most promising policy options. --




Monetary Integration


Book Description




The Road to Monetary Union in Europe


Book Description

This insider's guide to a topical issue is designed to be of use to students, academics, policymakers and commentators alike. It contains extracts from documents and a chronology.




Monetary Unions


Book Description

This book is a new approach to understanding monetary unions. This collaboration of scientists from different countries with leading professor and supervisor Slawomir I. Bukowski have prepared essays, which concern current and previous problems of functioning of monetary unions, especially the euro area. The contents of this book and the problems the authors have undertaken are very important and current in the situation concerning the world after the last recession and financial/fiscal crisis.This book embraces the problems of theoretical and historical fundamentals of monetary union with special concentration on the euro area, and discusses concerns of nominal and real convergence within the Economic and Monetary Union in the Europe, as well as problems of fiscal and monetary policy in the euro area. Problems of sociual policy and the issue of the financial markets role in the financing process of European companies.The conclusions that were made concern different problems of functioning of monetary unions, especially in the euro area, which will be very useful not only in debates between scientists, but also for politicians in the European Unions. The content of the book and the problems which are tackled in it are not a contribution to the discussion which is going on and which, in my opinion, will last for a long time because there are many things which are still not understood, and economic life in the globalized world poses many challenges which economists are trying to respond to.This book will be very useful and interesting for scientists economists, journalists, students and politicians.




A History of Monetary Unions


Book Description

In this comprehensive historical overview, the author writes about monetary unions with an admirable completeness and covers such themes as:*The Gold Standard*Monetary Unions in Countries and Areas from Latin America to The British Empire to Japan and Korea with many in between*EMU and its Policy Ramifications*the CFA Franc Zone in the former Frenc




The French Road to the European Monetary Union


Book Description

The logic behind European monetary cooperation and integration can only be understood through an examination of French efforts to maximise their monetary power in relation to Germany and America. This book provides a detailed and historically-informed study of the motives and economic and political attitudes that shaped French policy on European developments over a thirty year period, from the collapse of the International Monetary System in the late 1960s and early 1970s through to the start of EMU on 1 January 1999.




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.




Steiner & Woods EU Law


Book Description

Now in its 12th edition, this leading textbook provides a thorough account of the institutions that govern the EU along with the most important areas of substantive law. The book focuses on giving a clear explanation of the law, as well as highlighting areas for further debate.