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Welcome to the Ezoneplus Research Project
Sunday, December 8, 2024
The EzonePlus Project was generously supported by the European Commission.
By the End of 2004 the financial funding of the project ran out. All
partners want to thank for the support. Research on the issues of Ezoneplus
will go on inside and outside this framework.
By summer 2001, the Jean-Monnet-Centre of Excellence at Freie Universität
Berlin (Director: Prof. Dr. Michael Bolle) started a three-year research project on the
"Eastward enlargement of the Eurozone" (Ezoneplus) that is generously supported by the Commission of
the European Union.
The Berlin Centre leads a Consortium that includes research institutes
and universities from Estonia, Finland,
Italy, Poland, Portugal, and Slovenia.
The selection of countries involved reflects the political, economic and social challenge
of the first round of eastward enlargement.
All participating countries - three central European countries (Estonia, Poland, Slovenia)
and four countries of the euro-zone (Finland, Germany, Italy, Portugal) - represent the
process of eastern enlargement on the whole.
Notwithstanding, it is these countries that face particular challenges with respect
to market adjustments, policy responsibility and social stability.
In contrast to the upcoming enlargement of
the European Union, accession to the European Monetary Union
(EMU) will call for much higher adjustment efforts.
It can be expected that even the 'simple'
inclusion of formerly communist Central and Eastern European
Countries (CEEC) into the EU will cause deep changes within
the European institutions as well as in the new member countries.
Since the participation of CEEC in EMU and, hence, the introduction
of the Euro in these countries will lead to the renunciation of
monetary sovereignty, creating additional risks. Different levels of
development and continuing economic and political transformation
processes in these countries will enforce them.
Thus, Ezoneplus addresses a set
of academic questions that have not yet been sufficiently analysed.
The general objectives of the project are:
>> the analysis of implications and consequences of a possible
expansion of the eurozone by states of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), associated with the
EU, and on the current eurosystem,
>> the creation of a communication network between
academia, government institutions and the business sector as well as
>> the development and discussion of economic policy scenarios.
The economists and political scientists involved have developed an
interdisciplinary framework allowing for a comprehensive analysis
of the risks involved. Since the project deals with crucial economic,
monetary and fiscal elements of the accession, decision makers in
the corporate and political world may profit from this venture.
This is particularly true for the analysis of structural market
adjustments, social stability and political responsibility.
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