Joanna Dyduch, EU-Russia relations in the context of the European energy policy. Polish perspective. [in]: M. Klusák [Ed.], Crucial Problems of International Relations Through the Eyes of Young Scholars 2011, Pague 2011., pp. 227-268.

The economic and financial landscape have changed in the past few years putting euro enlargement in completely new perspective. Some of the Old Member States affected by the crisis are now putting much effort trying to improve the economic situation and overcome the problems of excessive debt. At the same time, New Member States have been analyzing their economic situation in perspective of choosing the best strategy of the eurozone entry process. Whatever problems are Member States facing now, it seems to be crucial to make decisions about the future steps. From this point of view, not only New Member States but also the Old ones should engage in discussion about future enlargement. The first part of the paper discusses the optimality of the European Union on the basis of the Theory of Optimal Currency Area. The analysis is followed by a brief literature survey, particularly focused on the research results. In addition, this part of the paper takes a closer look at present economic situation of the European Monetary Union paying special attention to consequences of the last crisis. As a result, different causes of the problems which eurozone is facing now are presented. The second part of the paper describes a perception of Maastricht criteria. Author presents present level of the nominalconvergence criteria fulfillment by non-eurozone countries and possibilities to meet them in the near future. This part of the article also focuses on European response to the crisis, paying special attention to projects that involve Central and Eastern European countries. The article takes up on risks, challenges and perspectives of introducing euro in New Member States in the near future.

EIRP …, 2010

To join the Eurozone (EZ), a candidate country has to fulfi l fi ve nominal Maastricht convergence criteria and ensure compliance of national legislation with the acquis communautaire. With this regard special diffi culties pose the fi scal criterion relating to the maximum allowed budget defi cit of 3 per cent of GDP. If it is not met, the European Commission launches the Excessive Defi cit Procedure. Currently, such formula applies to France, Spain and the United Kingdom. Although the issue is not absolutely certain, one can assume that euro will weather the present diffi culties and will come out stronger, though the economically unjustifi ed Euro scepticism of some countries is not helping. It may be expected that in the 2020s the European Monetary Union will be joined by all countries that are still using their national currencies and that the EU will be extended to include new member states, enlarging the euro area further. In this article authors are discussing the issue whether Poland will join the EZ in the coming years, considering the challenges of meeting all Maastricht criteria, on the one hand, and the reluctance of the government to give up the national currency, on the other. A mixed method combining the results of qualitative and quantitative research has been used to empirically verify the research question presented.

Transfer European Review of Labour and Research, 2003

The Euro as a common currency in Europe has been both praised and criticized by the EU member states, and third party observers. Some critics say the challenges posed by a monetary union is devaluating other, more urgent problems, and that economic prosperity should not be the main objective of the European Union. Others argue that the way in which the OCA (Optimum Currency Area) is functioning, is not generating the results, which the EU set out to achieve in the Maastrich Treaty. On the other hand, the economic benefits that is seen in the Eurozone as a result of the Euro being the common currency, is important to acknowledge. The Euro brings several benefits to those member states who adopted it, and it can be argued that if the EU divorced the Euro, trade and economic cooperation will be more difficult, and protectionism will rise as a favored policy for the European states. Throughout this paper, the main strengths and weaknesses of the European economic and monetary integration project will be critically assessed, looking in particular at the Euro as a common currency, and then the future of the European Union, how the financial crisis was handled, and how it is still handled today.

The Economics of Transition, 1995

2016

This paper aims to introduce a forthcoming book titled The Eurozone Enlargement: Prospect of New EU Member States for the Euro Adoption, which is to be published in 2016. The book has been written by 5 economists from Eastern Europe and 3 economists from Japan. It considers the problems of the prospect of the Eurozone enlargement by reviewing the experiences of New EU Member States (NMS) which have adopted the Euro and considering prospects of NMS which have not yet adopted the Euro. The book discusses the following important issues: 1) Experiences of NMS which have already adopted Euro; 2) Attitude toward the entry in the EMU; 3) Problems concerning convergence; 4) Macroeconomic Stability; 5) Industrial Policy; 6) Loss of monetary autonomy; 7) Austerity measures. Many contributors emphasize the importance of necessity for accomplishment not only of the Maastricht criteria of nominal convergence but also of criteria of substantial and institutional convergence. Finally, the book arg...

Industrial Relations Journal, 2005