The euro and the ESCB have started in January 1999 and there is naturally a wide-ranging interest in academia and among policymakers in OECD coun tries, how successful European Monetary Union will and can be. EMU has started with 11 countries and experienced a rapid depreciation of the cur rency. With so many EU countries joining for a historical monetary union in a period of economic globalization, international financial market changes and ongoing EU enlargement the problem of monetary policy efficiency becomes crucial; especially as so many countries in the EU still have high unemploy ment rates and the euro has just started at the beginning of a cyclical upswing in the euro zone. Monetary policy is also quite crucial, because the Maastricht convergence criteria severely restrict the scope of national fiscal policy. With a very limited stock of valuable European monetary experience which could be usefully exploited by the ECB and the ESCB respectively, one naturally will appreciate advanced economic modeling of the main issues. This book takes an analytical look at the problem of asymmetric monetary transmission in Euroland. Facing the ECB's monetary policy, individual mem ber countries are likely to experience different policy effects. Countries differ in their financial structure -a well-known argument in the literature -but also in the characteristics of goods and labor markets. The latter fields have been somewhat neglected in the literature but receive broad analytical attention here.

The flagship title of the Frommers series celebrates its 40th anniversary with this brand-new, completely up-to-date edition, with a special Foreword by Arthur Frommer himself. This guide covers all the major cities of Europe, with trip-planning tips, things to do for free, and a complete sightseeing guide. Maps.

Presents forecasts of energy supply, demand, and prices through 2020. The report begins with an "Overview". The next section, "Legislation and Regulations," describes the assumptions made with regard to laws that affect energy markets and discusses evolving legislative and regulatory issues. "Issues in Focus" discusses current energy issues -- appliance standards, gasoline and diesel fuel standards, natural gas industry expansion, competitive electricity pricing, renewable portfolio standards, and carbon emissions. It is followed by the analysis of energy market trends. Extensive charts, tables, and graphs.

This book reports on a fundamental economic policy shift in transition and developing countries after the mid-1980s. Since that time the liberalization of international trade and finance has been among the principal forces for increasing global integration. Looking at the experiences of nine countries--Argentina, Columbia, Cuba, India, Mexico, Russia, Korea, Turkey, and Zimbabwe--and the often negative effects that liberalization has had on them, the contributors include policy recommendations for often-overlooked problems and challenges posed by globalization.