One of the most striking macroeconomic phenomena in recent decades has been the achievement of rather low and more stable rates of inflation in many countries. Consequently, the main goal of this Paper is to offer an overview of the main policy issues arising in a low inflation environment and...

In this paper we analyse the likely effects of Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) on European unemployment. We start by describing the current unemployment situation in the European Union (EU). In so doing, we try to assess the relative importance of European, national and regional shocks in...

This paper provides empirical evidence on the effectiveness of movements in nominal exchange rates in smoothing cyclical imbalances between countries, as explained by the literature on optimal currency areas. We use restrictions from the Mundell-Flemming model (on which the theory of optimal...

This paper uses cointegration techniques to assess the extent to which the behaviour of private- and public-sector savings and investment and those of the nation as a whole have been consistent with long-term solvency over the last three decades. In addition, an attempt is made to analyse...

This paper focuses on Spanish participation in the EMS and tries to answer the following questions: What net gains can Spain be expected to make from EMS membership? Were all the required preconditions satisfied for a smooth entrance into the System? What has been the experience of the peseta so...

The purpose of this paper is twofold: it analyses how far the external opening-up process of the Spanish economy that started with its integration into the EEC in 1986 has led to a higher effective degree of capital mobility; and it examines what kind of capital flows, exchange-rate pressures...

This paper is an attempt to provide an updated assessment of what we know and what do not know about the impact of monetary policy on the economy and what implications follow for the conduct of monetary policy in today's world. Firstly, we discuss the conditions under which monetary policy can...

This paper argues that in the presence of distortions and market imperfections it may be rational for governments to monitor short-run fluctuations of the external account in order to anticipate and therefore avoid difficulties, even though the true external constraint is binding only in the...

This paper provides a conceptual framework to analyze the main economic issues raised by Spain's integration into the EEC and by the vast economic reforms associated with the 1992 European Internal Market. The "EEC cum 1992" event can be described as a major anticipated permanent shock with both...

This paper addresses a number of questions which are essential to a proper understanding of the causes and effects of the inflationary process and to an assessment of the contribution of monetary policy to the achievement of long-term price stability. These questions are: (1) what are the...