Benefits of membership of Exchange Rate Mechanism - ERM II - alternatives to Poland's adoption of euro

Aim: The aim of this paper is to outline the essential features of the EU Exchange Rate Mechanism - ERM II - including the past experience of its participants and to analyze the benefits arising from Poland's accession to it.Research method: To this end, the method of inductive inference based on the comparative analysis of the experience of the present members of the ERM II system was employed.Findings: Participation in the ERM II system does not obligate its participants to join the eurozone; further, it allows for sustaining a floating exchange rate and guarantees help of the European Central Bank, thus reinforcing economic stability and credibility. This, in turn, should translate into the reduction of the investor's risk premium and of the relatively high cost of capital in Poland, compared to other Central and Eastern European countries, and to facilitate access to that capital, thus having a positive impact on economic growthContribution to science: Considering the unwillingness of subsequent governments and citizens to adopt euro, this paper attempts to disseminate knowledge and reinforce the substantive arguments within this area at a time when, in spite of the crisis, the group of the EU countries outside the eurozone has been shrinking.