The use of corn for ethanol has been the topic of heated discussions in the media and among policy makers. As part of this debate, some observers have argued that the use of corn in the production of ethanol has had adverse effects on corn prices. This paper contributes to this reviving debate...

This paper evaluates the functioning, suitability, and effectiveness of the Maastricht convergence criteria regarding fiscal policy and the Stability and Growth Pact for the Baltic States. We argue that the Maastricht fiscal targets from the Baltic perspective should be considered as long-term...

In our analysis, we re-examine the nominal and real convergence of all recent ten European Union (EU) members to EU standards. Testing for monetary convergence has significant implications for interim optimal exchange rate and monetary policies before a formal and permanent link to the euro,...

This paper examines the effects of transition and of political instability on foreign direct investment (FDI) flows to the transition economies of Central Europe, the Baltics and the Balkans. We find that FDI flows to transition economies unaffected by conflict and political instability exceed...

Using event study methodology, we investigate whether bilateral investment protection treaties afford protection to foreign investors. Examining arbitral decisions for firms from six countries shows that firms that received awards from arbitrators gained in market value by as much as 3%. Per...

Dollar-denominated deposits constitute a large proportion of deposits in many developing economies. This may result in currency mismatches on banks' balance sheets as is suggested by recent literature. In general, having dollar-denominated deposits and loans could increase financial fragility,...

In 2002, the the Central Bank of Turkey (CBT) shifted to an implicit inflation targeting framework (IIT) that encompassed the most of core attributes of an official IT regime. Successful disinflation and progress in the policy environment led to the introduction of full-fledged IT in 2006 that...