The Making of Monetary Union

by David Begg

1994 · Centre for Economic Policy Research

This Report examines the monetary unification of Europe and the creation of a European Central Bank. It deals first with the macroeconomics of monetary union and highlights four issues. What monetary constitution is required to deliver price stability, and do the draft statutes of the European Central Bank (ECB) meet these conditions? Are fiscal rules a necessary adjunct to such a constitution? Is convergence of inflation rates a precondition for embarking on monetary union? Finally, how should the transition be managed?