A number of authors have used the concept of an optimum currency area (or OCA) index to assess the relative proximity of various pairs of economies to the ideal of an optimum currency area. Alas, a significant deficiency of this approach as used so far is that it provides no room for long-term...

The main goal of this paper is to analyse the process of price convergence (beta and sigma convergence) in new EU Member States towards the Euro area (EU-12). The theoretical part of the paper consists of a brief overview of methods that are employed for analyses of the process of price...

Príspevok sa zaoberá integračným procesom západného Balkánu do Európskej únie. Prvá časť je venovaná integračnému procesu a výhodám, ktoré ďalšie rozširovanie prináša tak Európskej únii ako aj novým členským krajinám. Ďalej článok opisuje súčasné postavenie...

Czech Abstract: Článek s užitím teorie optimálních měnových oblastí (OCA) zkoumá, které z nových členských zemí EU jsou vhodným kandidátem přijetí jednotné měny euro. K posouzení vhodnosti přijetí jednotné měny je užit index optimální měnové oblasti. Index je pro...

This article attempts to answer a few open questions related to price convergence in the Czech Republic and in other Central and Eastern European Countries toward prices in the European Union. The authors address the following issues: First, what, from the theoretical viewpoint, should the...

The paper provides an introduction to essays published in this volume, which focus on nominal and real convergence in transition countries. The paper is based on the idea that the process of convergence can, to a large extent, be viewed via developments in real exchange rates. Key issues...

According to the results of the International Comparison Project, based on exchange rates and prices recorded in 1996, prices in the Czech Republic (CR) were markedly lower than prices charged for many comparable products and services in the European Union. This observation led some commentators...