Achieving Monetary Union in Europe Author:Andrew Britton, Prof David Mayes The Treaty on European Union, signed in Maastricht on 7 February 1992, sets out the conditions for economic and monetary union in Europe. The achievement of this historic development will entail profound changes in the economies of all countries taking part. This authoritative study sets out what needs to be done by the countries of Europe withi... more »n the next five to ten years if European monetary union is to be achieved on time and to work well.Britton and Mayes begin by setting the historical scene leading up to the signing of the treaty. They go on to describe how EMU will work once it is fully operational: how price stability will be preserved by the new European central bank, and how member states will achieve and maintain economic convergence.The implications for the less-favoured regions of the Community are spelt out, and there is a chapter on the possible enlargement of the EC to include members of EFTA and the countries of eastern and central Europe.The oppportunities and problems for each of the twelve exisiting member states are reviewed and the measures which the private sector will have to take are discussed. Finally, the timetable for forming EMU is assessed, allowing for the possibility that some member states may join before others.The National Institute for Economic and Social Research, one of the leading centres for applied economics in Britain, prepared this book for the Association for the Monetary Union of Europe. The authors draw on research conducted by the Institute's staff and its associates in Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Ireland.Informative and accessible, this short guide to monetary union in Europe is essential reading for anyone affected by the profound changes it will bring about, in particular the business and industrial communities, policy-makers, economists and students.« less