This study of approximately 170 publications shows (a) that US academic economists concentrated on the question "Is the EMU a good or bad thing?", usually adopting the paradigm of optimum currency areas as their main analytical vehicle, (b) that they displayed considerable scepticism towards the...

Though it is generally accepted that the introduction of the euro is a business issue, its impact on information technology (IT) is tremendous. Since the mutual dependency of business and IT is crucial and undeniable, company management must consider both the business and IT aspects of euro...

This edition presents, as a double number, two interrelated reports on preparatory aspects of the introduction of the euro.

Several studies have documented the weak response of regional wages differentials and labour mobility following region-specific ("idiosyncratic") shocks in the average of the EU countries. This has been often taken as evidence of the rigidity of labour markets in European countries, as opposed...

Article 106 (ex 105 a) of the Treaty establishing the European Community maintains the historical tradition separating the issue of banknotes, for which the Central Bank is competent, and the issue of coins, which is the responsibility of the finance ministries. It is therefore for the European...

The essay sets out what product market reforms are, as well as the main measurement issues, followed by an analysis of how such reforms lubricate adjustment processes in EMU, in particular via the “competitiveness channelâ€. Attention is paid to the short-run and longer-run aspects of...

The financial and economic crisis has generated renewed interest, especially among policy-makers, in early-warning systems that could help identifying fiscal and macro-financial vulnerabilities potentially triggering risks. Against this background, this paper presents an early-warning index of...

The introduction of the euro as a currency in physical existence in January 2002 was a major step in the European integration process. The purpose of this paper is to explore how a representative selection of 12 000 Europeans across all countries in the euro area view the effects of the euro...

This paper analyzes the size and the determinants of unexpected changes in EU countries' tax revenues and their impact on the ability of EU governments to use fiscal policy as a macroeconomic stabilisation device. We make use of information taken from the Stability and Convergence Programmes...

The European accountancy profession lead by the Fidiration des Experts Comptables Europiens, (FEE), is undertaking a major advice and communications project, with the support of the European Commission, to help organisations prepare for the introduction of the new single European currency, the...