From the late 1960’s onwards, international currency markets became increasingly volatile. The early part of the next decade brought the oil crises and further fluctuations, leading to attempts by European leaders to achieve monetary stability. The objective of the European Economic Community was to achieve an economic and monetary union by 1980, for closer economic and political integration. In 1979, however, the Member States (excluding the United Kingdom) created instead the European Monetary System (EMS), in order to attain stability in exchange rates and thus growth and stability in their economies. Under this new system, member countries harmonized monetary policies; through the use of an Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM), the currencies of the eight states were only allowed to fluctuate by a certain amount, within a narrow band of 2.25% above or below the central rate. A new European Currency Unit (ECU) was introduced, consisting of a currency basket of a weighted average of members’ currencies. Each member country was to contribute reserves to a common fund, to support the system in case a currency became ‘divergent’. The system was very similar to the European “Snake”, which began in 1972. Ireland, whilst undecided whether it was a good idea to break the link with the Pound Sterling for a time, chose to join the EMS, and hence the ERM, from the beginning. The UK, on the other hand, were wary of joining at first and delayed entry of the Sterling until 1990, only to leave two years later, on 16 September, or “Black Wednesday”, following increasing unsustainable pressure on their currency. The two governments essentially chose to join the ESM under the impression that the currency stability it promised, through coordinated mo...
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...ve the disadvantage in that, no matter which option they go for, they will always experience more volatility than larger economies, and so must make wise fiscal policy decisions (Breedon, Pétursson and Rose, 2011).
Figure 1 - Source Central Bank (http://www.centralbank.ie/polstats/stats/exrates/Pages/default.aspx)
Figure 2 - Inflation Source CSO (http://www.cso.ie/px/pxeirestat/Statire/SelectVarVal/saveselections.asp)
Bibliography: http://www.nber.org/chapters/c11295.pdf http://www.margaretthatcher.org/archive/EMS_1978.asp http://www.centralbank.ie/publications/Documents/2003%20Spring%20-%20Signed%20Article%20-%20The%20Irish%20Pound%20-%20From%20Origins%20to%20EMU.pdf http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/2259648.stm http://www.jstor.org.jproxy.nuim.ie/stable/20081498?seq=1&__redirected http://webir.tcd.ie/bitstream/2262/64276/1/25%20apr%2094%20honohan.pdf
The European Union has been helped economically ever since World War II. Right after World War II’s end, Europe was struggling to hold on. The countries of the modern-day European Union thought it would be a good idea to come together and help each others struggling economy. To this day, this decision has had a very positive outcome on the EU’s economy. As shown in Diagram 1, the European Union combined together has the world’s highest GDP at 18.3 Trillion USD as compared to the United States’ 17.4 Trillion USD GDP and China’s 10.4 Trillion USD GDP. The idea
In conclusion, the European Union has “merged” the countries of Europe. It has developed a common currency called the Euro’s, and a Parliament located in Belgium, Luxembourg, and France. Also, ALL of the countries of the Union are affected when one country is affected. This is important because the continent of Europe had become very weak after the wars and they needed to strengthen, and the European Union keeps the countries of Europe strong and economically fit.
The brutality of the World War II and the anguish of the Cold War enforced nations in Europe to establish the European Union for peace and unity in the region. With ratification of the Maastricht Treaty by members of the European Community in 1993, an economic and political union; the European Union is formed. In December 2012, the European Union awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for its “historical accomplishments”. Nevertheless, the member states of the European Union are still facing the crisis that started in the Eurozone since 2009. One of the major causes of the crisis is the common currency – the euro which has weak structural formation. The creation of a currency, the euro, is one of the major parts of the European Union. The German Chancellor Gerhard SchrÖder said in a speech in 1999 that “The introduction of the euro is probably the most important integrating step since the beginning of the unification process.”(Yeager, 30) Therefore, in this essay I would like to study the history of creation of the euro, lessons that the European Union draws from the euro crisis and analyze the future predictions of specialists about the euro. I will use the publication “Economic and monetary union and the euro” by the European Commission as the main source and other credible sources about the euro in my paper.
However, there are many countries that have not yet adopted the Euro and have remained incredulous about it. Two countries that fit into this example are the UK and Denmark. The UK’s reluctances to adopt the Euro has begun with its opt-out of the Maastricht Treaty that was signed in 1992 by all members of the European Community and has led to the creation of euro. Within the Conservative Party John Major, who was at that time the Prime Minister of Great Britain, was considered “pro-Euro”, as he pledged to keep Britain “at the very heart of Europe”. However, as his government was endorsing the Treaty, he was faced with strong antagonism in the House of Commons that consisted mostly of the so-called Maastricht Rebels who were members of his own Conservative Party rather than the Labour opposition. The endorsement was voted down and Major’s authority in Parliamen...
..., monetary and fiscal policy will work in different ways. People aren’t stupid and they aren’t super intelligent; they are people. If the government uses an activist monetary and fiscal policy in a predictable way, people will eventually come to build that expectation into their behavior. If the government bases its prediction of the effect of policy on past experience, that prediction will likely be wrong. But government never knows when expectations will change.
The book we are discussing in this essay is called ‘The European Union: Economics, Policy and History’ by Susan Senior Nello. This book takes into account the different disciplines of economics, policy-making and therefore including a great deal of politics, and the history of the institution of the European Union as we know it today. The broad multi-disciplinary perspective makes this a comprehensive book that combines different aspects together making this particularly useful in the current debate about the future of the European Union. The main focus of the book are the policies of the European Union which is the authors’ speciality having worked on various projects for the European Institute in Florence and having advised the European Commission (McGraw – Hill). This book is a good introduction to the on-going debate concerning the progress and developments of the European Economic and Monetary Union. The author does not use a lot of technical terms and if she does they are explained which makes this book perfect as a study-book for students who want to enter this debate and want to be able to carefully structure their arguments. The authors’ main argument is question if the European Economic and Monetary Union is an optimal currency area. Robert A. Mundell is usually seen as the theorist behind the Optimum Currency Area theory. He defines an optimal currency area as “a domain within which exchange rates are fixed.” (177). Susan Senior Nello uses the Optimum Currency Area theory’s criteria whether the European Union is an optimal currency area and addresses what the advantages and disadvantages of being part of a Monetary Union are.
Many people would agree that Europe is a continent in which regions identify with each other even if they are not part of the same country. For that reason, as well as others, in 1957 the Treaty of Rome "declared a common European market as a European objective with the aim of increasing economic prosperity and contributing to 'an ever closer union among the peoples of Europe'" (www.euro.ecb.int). Later, in 1986 and then in 1992, the Single European Act and the Treaty of European Union tried to build on the previous treaty to create a system in Europe in which one currency could eventually be used all over the land under the heading of the Economic and Monetary Union. (www.euro.ecb.int) However, the question remains, why would the leaders of various European nations want to create one currency when the rights of national sovereignty have always been an issue for countries all over the world. Why, in 1998 did they create the European Central Bank, and why in "The third stage of EMU... on 1 January 1999, when the exchange rates of the participating currencies were irrevocably set" (www.euro.ecb.int) did eleven, and later twelve, countries link themselves economically in a way that has never been done before?
To most people in the United States hearing the word Euro brings about blank stares. Ask this same question in England or another European country and it means bringing Europe together under one common currency. The Euro can be defined as the common monetary system by which the participating members of the European Community will trade. Eleven countries Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Finland and Italy will comprise the European Economic Monetary Union that will set a side their national currency and adopt the Euro in 2002. A new National bank, based in Frankfurt Germany, will be constructed and the interest rates that control the economies of these nations will be in the hands of this new system. It is indeed a great experiment, being masterminded in Frankfurt, one that will be felt through out Europe as well as the rest of the world.1
Which EU institution is the most powerful? The European Union (EU) is currently made up of 25 countries, known as Member States, which together form the largest voluntary and peaceful block of countries in the world. Many people mistakenly view the European Union as a single body whilst in fact; the EU consists of a number of different institutions that together carry out activities on behalf of the Member States. There are many institutions but the main five being the Commission, the Council of Ministers (also called the Council of the European Union), the European Council and the European Parliament and the European Court of Justice. In this essay I am going to focus on these institutions and discuss which is to be considered more powerful.
The reduction of government role in the economy will affect fiscal policy by decreasing deficit spending a...
The theme of this essay outlines two things. One, the key elements of Bretton woods system and second, the characterisation of Bretton woods system by Ruggie as ‘embedded liberalism’, and how far he succeeds in it. The Bretton woods system is widely referred to the international monetary regime, which prevailed from the end of the World War 2 until the early 1970s. After the end of the World War 2, the need of international monetary framework to boost trade and economic; growth and stability, was important. Taking its name from the site of the 1944 conference, attended by all forty-four allied nations; the Bretton Woods system consisted of four key elements. First, to make a system in which each member nation has to fix or peg his currency exchange rate against the gold or U.S. dollar, as the key currency. Secondly, the free exchange of currencies between countries at the established and fixed exchange rate; plus or minus a one-percent margin. Thirdly, to create an institutional forum, so-called International Monetary Fund (IMF), for the international co-operation on money matters: to set up, stabilize, and watch over exchange rates. Fourth, to remove all the existing exchange controls limiting (protectionism) policies by the members, on the use of its currency for international trade. In practice the first scheme, as well as its later development and final demise, were directly dependent on the preferences and policies of its most powerful member, the United States. According to John Gerard Ruggie, 1982, this Bretton woods system of monetary co-operation represented the type of liberalism which characterise “domestic social economic stability along with a liberal trading order.” He referred this system as ‘embed...
Walker, Bruce. "Euro Likely to Keep Losing Value." The New American. The New American Magazine, 7 July 2010. Web. 23 May 2011. .
These are very exciting times for our country, we are now part of the largest economic community the world has ever seen, opening the doors of opportunity for us, the Irish citizens, everywhere we look. Ireland's membership of the EU is seen by most to be of great benefit to the country as it will solidify the foundations of our economy as well as increase the awareness of Ireland as an investment opportunity for multi national companies; however, some will argue that the change would be detrimental to our nation in the long run.
Everyone has their own political leaning and that leaning comes from one’s opinion about the Government. Peoples’ opinions are formed by what the parties say they will and will not do, the amounts they want spend and what they want to save. In macroeconomic terms, what the government spends is known as fiscal policy. Fiscal policy is the use of taxation and government spending for the purposes of stimulating or slowing down growth in an economy. Fiscal policy can be used for expansionary reasons, which is aimed at growing the economy and increasing employment, or contractionary which is intended to slow the growth of an economy. Expansionary fiscal policy features increased government spending and decreases in the tax rates as where contractionary policy focuses on lowering government spending and increasing tax rates. It must be understood that fiscal policy is meant to help the economy, although some negative results may arise.
With the introduction of the Euro Zone allowed the Anglo and INBS to compete in the Irish market. Unfortunately, this resulted in the willing...