We find that regional inflation dispersion has not markedly increased since the start of EMU, although it is somewhat higher than in other monetary unions (US and Germany), and that the distribution of member states' rates of inflation around the euro area HICP inflation rate is characterised by...

We analyse the possible impact of EMU enlargement on inflation rates in the ac-cession countries. We establish two main points: first, using a theoretical model we show that if large initial differences in price levels occur, even under very favourable circumstances the optimal path for price...

We analyse the optimal composition of a federal or supra-national committee. The representation of regional (national) entities in federal committees is typically motivated by their superior knowledge of local conditions. Using this argument, we formally model the optimal composition of a...

In this paper we investigate the implications of EMU enlargement from a political economy perspective. We argue that a high degree of convergence of the candidate countries prior to EMU accession is an important req-uisite. Otherwise, as a result of a sharp increase in economic dispersion,...

Central banks do not operate in a vacuum. In this paper we analyse the factors leading to external pressure or public support for European monetary policy. Moreover, based upon the findings for the Deutsche Bundesbank, some additional lessons are drawn for the ECB. External pressure on the ECB...

This paper presents an analysis of the financial behaviour of Dutch households on the basis of the DNB Household Survey. The results of this survey provide insight into the backgrounds and consequences of the persistent rise of household debt. The increase in mortgage debt is related to mortgage...

This paper analyses the effects of monetary policy decisions on inflation expectations of European consumers. Using a novel approach that does not assume unbiasedness of expectations, which makes use of survey data on expected future as well as perceived past price developments and allows for...

Politicians and car owners are regularly concerned about the level of gasoline prices. Especially, Dutch gasoline prices seem to be high in an European perspective. This paper therefore analyses the developments of gasoline prices in the Netherlands and some other European countries from 1996 up...

We investigate to what extent the expansion of FDI and the internationalization of production can be related to the recent phenomenon of more synchronized business cycles. We first focus on the relationship between bilateral FDI positions and cross-country output correlations in the period...

This paper studies the (short-run) relationship between stock market developments and consumer confidence in eleven European countries over the years 1986-2001. We find that stock returns and changes in sentiment are positively correlated for nine countries, with Germany as the main exception....