En este documento se retoma, tras los referendos danes y frances y la crisis de los mercados de cambios de septiembre de 1992, el debate sobre la union monetaria y el tratado de Maastricht. Analiza los beneficios de la union monetaria y la posibilidad de conseguirlos con medios menos radicales, como el mantenimiento firme de tipos de cambio fijos; los costes, mediante el examen de los mecanismos de ajuste alternativos al tipo de cambio (precios y salarios, migraciones, flujos de capital y transferencias fiscales interregionales); el papel del federalismo fiscal frente a las restricciones propuestas en Maastricht; el diseño del Banco Central Europeo (BCE), su independencia de las presiones politicas y responsabilidad en la supervision prudencial; la transicion a la moneda unica y al BCE, y la conveniencia de los criterios de convergencia adoptados. Finaliza con el estudio de las implicaciones de la UEM en el resto del mundo: demanda de dinero y coordinacion de la politica internacional. Contiene bibliografia. (pgp).

This book provides the first in-depth account of how European Union opt-outs and differentiated integration work in practice.

Exploring key issues raised by the Treaty on European Union, this volume draws upon the experience of EC law academics and EC institution officials to explain the complex and controversial issues that the Treaty has caused.

Maastricht and Beyond is a critical assessment of the European Union brought into being by the Treaty of Maastricht. A team of experts provide a clear and thorough appraisal of the main provisions of the Treaty - including the three pillared structure of Economic and Monetary Union, common foreign and security policy and home affairs and justice - showing how these elements will change the function and eventually the character of the European Union. The book draws conclusions from the Maastricht process for the next reform of the Union in 1996, and it examines the practicalities of achieving a fully-fledged federal democracy, making proposals for a constitutional settlement. Maastricht and Beyond will appeal to both informed generalists and to students and scholars who want a fresh approach to the stale arguments over Maastricht, who seek enlightenment over what the Treaty is for and who have the curiosity to look forward to 1996 and beyond.

The Maastricht Treaty, signed in 1992 and ratified in the following year, is widely seen as a landmark in the evolution of the European Union. It introduced into the treaty framework revolutionary new elements such as the co-decision procedure between the Council and the European Parliament, cooperation in the area of Justice and Home Affairs, the Common Foreign and Security Policy and the "euro" as a single currency for the majority of the then member states. It also introduced the concept of European citizenship into the treaty, reflecting the rising expectations of both citizens and decision-makers in the European project, and upgraded the role of the European Council at the summit of the EU’s institutional structure. Twenty years later, each of these innovations remain of central importance for the process of European integration, while current developments provide a valuable opportunity to reflect on the historical decisions taken in Maastricht in order to assess their significance and examine the subsequent evolution of the Union. This volume brings together an international group of leading scholars in the field in order to provide such an assessment, with each article both looking back over the developments within each of these domains as well as looking ahead to the way in which the EU is positioned to address current challenges. This book was published as a special issue of the Journal of European Integration.

Discusses how a distinctive 'European' identity has grown over the centuries, especially with the EU.

Investigates the struggle between governments, parliaments, the people and courts over who participates in EU treaty making.

Addresses the need for the United States to restructure the banking and financial system, anticipates the globalization of the crisis, and calls for international action.

Identifies the major weaknesses in the current United Nations system and proposes fundamental reforms to address each. This title is also available as Open Access.