Seminar paper from the year 2001 in the subject Economics - Monetary theory and policy, grade: 1.2 (A), Technical University of Berlin (European Center), course: The EU as a common economy, language: English, abstract: Within the last three years, the European financial landscape has undergone a rapid transformation that continues to astonish observers and market participants alike: Corporate and public euro bond markets have emerged whose issuing activities rival those of respective US dollar markets. Europe-wide indices have been firmly established. Institutional portfolios are being traded along pan-European sectoral rather than national lines. Cross-border mergers of banks and financial institutions on an unprecedented scale are drastically changing national banking landscapes as well as international financial structures and underlying all of this is the revolutionary emergence of a genuine European equity culture. Quite naturally, not all of these developments can be attributed to the eventual arrival of European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). Many trends have had their precursors in the continuing liberalisation and de-regulation processes of the 1990s, as manifested in the 1992 Maastricht Treaty. However, historical data makes it difficult not to account for EMU as one major factor behind many of the most recent changes. In this paper, I will therefore argue that at least some of the above changes can best be explained by the effects of EMU. In several ways, the advent of the single currency has triggered an equilibrium shift in more than one field that would otherwise not have occurred. In order to do so, I shall first put EMU into perspective by briefly sketching its position within the wider framework of the process of European capital market integration by means of liberalisation. Second, I shall illustrate whether and to what extent the intended direct effects of EMU did in fact materialise, but also how further indirect effects go beyond these and contribute to explaining some seemingly less related developments. Last, I shall evaluate how integrated European capital markets in fact are compared to national markets, using the U.S. as a benchmark, and close with a brief discussion of potential normative implications.

This paper analyzes the structural implications of EMU for international capital markets. It discusses the potential size of euro capital markets and the existing roles of European currencies in international capital markets. The paper also examines the euro’s impact on international securities markets, including the role of the ECB, the evolution of EMU securities markets, and aspects of systemic risk management. The implications for wholesale and retail banking markets are also discussed, as are the broader implications of the introduction of the euro for changes in international capital flows, international portfolios, and by implication exchange rates.

This book is based on the conference "EMU and the Outside World", held at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), December 11, 1998. The conference was organized by the Swiss Institute for Business Cycle Research (KOF), which is supported jointly by the ETH and the Swiss Society for Business Cycle Research (SGK), an organization comprising representatives from private industry, the Swiss National Bank and public authorities. On the eve of the final stage of European Economic and Mone tary Union (EMU), Zurich seemed to be a particularly appropriate place for such a conference. On the one hand, given its location and economic and financial links with the euro area, Switzerland is one of the "outside coun tries" most affected by EMU. On the other hand, it was nowhere else than in Zurich where the vision of "a United States of Europe" was expressed for the first time by Winston Churchill in his speech on September 19, 1946. For many EMU is a step in that direction, whether welcome or not. Most of the papers appearing in this volume were presented at the con ference and have been revised and updated. Three contributions, chapter 11- 13, were commissioned specially for this publication. Besides the authors of the chapters, special thanks are due to Guido Boller, Robert McCauley, Umberto Schwarz, and Charles Wyplosz.

This book, edited by Paul R. Masson, Thomas Krueger, and Bart G. Turtelboom, contains the proceedings of the seminar held in Washington, D.C. on March 17-18, 1997, cosponsored by the IMF and Fondation Camille Gutt. Conference participants discussed implications of European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) on exchange and financial markets, and consequently on the activities of market participants and private and official institutions. The five main themes of the seminar were the characteristics of the euro and its potential role as an international currency; EMU and international policy coordination; EMU and the relationship between the IMF and its EMU members; lessons of European monetary integration for the international monetary system; and the transitioin to EMU.

The Economic and Business Consequences of the EMU A Challenge for Governments, Financial Institutions and Firms Hubert Ooghe Conference Chairman, Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School alld Ghent University EMU finally got under way on 1 st January 1999. Since then 11 European countries share a common currency, the Euro, and pursue a common monetary policy managed by the European Central Bank (ECB). After forty years of economic integration, Euroland has the wherewithal with which to enter the 21 st century. However monetary union has implications for nearly all areas of economic activity and decision-making. Throughout the academic world researchers are fully occupied with the theoretical analysis of the impact of the Euro and the effects of incorporating the new operational framework into their economic models. Businesses and government departments are concerned primarily with the practical implementation of the single currency. For all those who playa part in the economy, it is a question of making the most of the macro and micro economic opportunities offered by the Euro and minimising any threats. On 17th and 18th March 2000, after the EMU and Euro were in operation for one year, an international conference was held in Ghent (Belgium) on the economic consequences of the introduction of the EMU and the Euro for governments, financial institutions and firms.

"The European Monetary Union (EMU) has been the single most important policy-induced innovation in the international financial system since the collapse of the Bretton-Woods system. By eliminating exchange rate risk, EMU has eliminated a key obstacle to financial integration. But while a single currency is a necessary condition for the emergence of pan-European capital markets, it is not a sufficient one. Other frictions may still stand in the way of full integration: persistent differences in regulations applying to financial intermediaries, tax treatment, standard contractual clauses and business conventions, issuance policy, security trading systems, settlement systems, availability of information, and judicial enforcement may still segment financial markets along national borders. In the process that preceded and accompanied the introduction of the euro, however, monetary unification triggered a sequence of policy actions and private sector responses that swept aside many other regulatory barriers to financial integration. To what extent has this process of regulatory reform led to actual financial integration? And if European financial markets have actually become more integrated, to what extent have these changes spurred growth and investment in Europe? Will financial integration affect also the ability of households to shoulder risks, or the ability of European economies to adjust to macroeconomic shocks? Which policy lessons can we draw for the future of European financial markets?"--Publication information page.

Explores issues surrounding the European Monetary Union, including the financial impact of the euro, the behavior of monetary and fiscal authorities, and the consequences of EU enlargement.

The authors predict that the impact will be far-reaching, leading to a more liquid, mature and efficient capital market. The structure of capital markets in Europe and the behaviour of actors in these markets will be fundamentally affected, leading to a more integrated market. For monetary union to achieve its real objective, policy makers will need to address a wide variety of outstanding issues, in particular the taxation of savings income, accounting standards, capital market regulation and financial supervision. The start of monetary union on 1 January 1999 launched a process of radical change in the structure of capital markets in Europe. Whereas previously, Europe had been fragmented into many diverse national markets, a single Euro capital market is now emerging. This book focuses on the long-term impact that the introduction of the euro will have on European capital markets and spells out implications for the financial sector and the wider economy. It discusses what further steps need to be taken to achieve a fully integrated market. In particular, the book examines: * The institutional and regulatory framework for European capital markets * The structure of European capital markets on the eve of EMU * The regional differences and the contrasts with the US capital market * The central role played by banks in European capital markets and the likelihood that a more market-based system may emerge * The implications of EMU for organised securities markets * The consequences for governance and policy, and more in particular for the taxation of savings income, securities market regulation and financial supervision

A guide to the impact of European Monetary Union, answering questions such as: will contracts with payment obligations in "old" currencies still be valid after the introduction of the Euro?; what are the implications for debt securities markets?; and how will shares be issued in the Euro?