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EKONOMICKÝ ČASOPIS


Volume 52 / No. 4 / 2004

CONTENTS


About Economic Policy of the European Union also from the Slovak View

O hospodárskej politike Európskej únie aj zo slovenského pohľadu

Ivan OKÁLI *

* Ing. Ivan OKÁLI, DrSc., Ústav slovenskej a svetovej ekonomiky SAV, Šancova 56, 811 05 Bratislava 1; e-mail: ivan.okali@savba.sk

Abstract: The EU economic policy interconnects some Common Policies with a coordination of separately executed national policies. After the acceptance of Draft Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe, coordination - rather "soft" by now - will gain a tougher character. It will be connected with a strengthening of economic and political functions of the Union, necessary for its long-term exis-tence, which will relieve fulfilling of convergence objectives of socio-economic development of Slova-kia. Slovakia enters the Union in the period when its economic policy is oriented on restriction of role of state in economy and on strengthening of market coordination functions.
Key words: economic policy, European Union

JEL Classification: E60, F02, H77


The EU Accessing Countries: Regional Differentiation

Přistupující státy Evropské unie: regionální diferenciace1

1 Článok bol na publikovanie prijatý ešte pred vstupom desiatich štátov do Európskej únie (pozn. redakcie).

Milan VOŠTA *

* PaedDr. Milan VOŠTA, PhD., Vysoká škola ekonomická v Praze, Fakulta mezinárodních vztahů, Katedra světové ekonomiky, náměstí W. Churchilla 4, 130 67 Praha 3, Česká republika; e-mail: vosta@vse.cz

Abstract: The accession countries are characterized by a relative homogeneity, however the transformation process, which started at the beginning of the 90s, deepened regional disparities among the individual states.
The following passage deals with common features of regional structure such as the double dicho-tomy of regional differentiation. It includes the dichotomy center-periphery and the differences in re-gional development between western and eastern parts of the accession countries.
The analysis of the sectors NUTS II provides an overall picture of the economic situation in indi-vidual regions of the selected countries in relation to the EU. It also evaluates the position of every country and focuses on basic economic and social disparities in eight Central and East European countries (Czech Republic, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Hungary, Poland, Slovak Republic, Slovenia).
Key words: region, regional disparities, regional structure, economic disparities, social disparities, east-west dichotomy, center-periphery dichotomy

JEL Classification: O18, R11, R23, R58


Draft Constitution of the European Union and the Slovak republic

Návrh ústavy Európskej únie a Slovenská republika

Beáta ŠAKOVÁ - Drahoš ŠÍBL *

* prof. Ing. Drahoš ŠÍBL, DrSc. - doc. Ing. Beáta ŠAKOVÁ, PhD., Ekonomická univerzita v Bratislave, Obchodná fakulta, Katedra medzinárodného obchodu, Dolnozemská cesta 1, 852 35 Bratislava 5; e-mail: sakova@dec.euba.sk

Abstract: Article analyses Draft Constitutional Treaty that was submitted by Convention established by the decision of the European Council in Laeken summit in 2001. It is devided into two parts: the first one - Draft Constitutional Treaty - analyses main changes proposed by the Convention and the second one concentrates on the draft from the point of view of Slovakia. Authors analyse certain parts of Draft Constitution and position of current and new EU members and deal with "pros" and "cons" arguments. They concentrate on main changes in the European Parliament, European Council, Coun-cil of Ministers and European Commission. The final part describes the position of the Slovak republic within the Convention and points out at main critical issues.
Key words: convention, draft constitutional treaty, EU institutions, Slovak position

JEL Classification: F, F0, F02


Formation and Behaviour of Economic and Monetary Union as an Open Theoretical Issue

Formovanie a fungovanie európskej menovej únie ako otvorený teoretický problém

Ján LISÝ - Eva MUCHOVÁ *

* prof. Ing. Ján LISÝ, PhD. - doc. Ing. Eva MUCHOVÁ, PhD., Ekonomická univerzita v Bra-tislave, Národohospodárska fakulta, Katedra ekonomickej teórie, Dolnozemská cesta 1, 852 19 Bratislava 5; e-mail: lisy@dec.euba.sk, muchova@dec.euba.sk

Abstract: Economic and Monetary Union is consider as a great turning point which brings new challenges, tasks and problems. The theory of optimum currency area as a theoretical basis of EMU focuses on the definition of criteria which identify the optimal currency area. There are many contradictory opin-ions relating to formation of EMU, which on the one side refuse or dispute a meaning of creation EMU (Hayek, Feldstein) and on the other side there are views aimed at comparison of costs and bene-fits of single European currency (Krugman, Dorn-busch) up to thoughts who unanimously refuse euro (Rothbard, Friedman). Robert Mundell, Nobel laureate in Economics, belongs to the most important supporters of EMU.
Key words: Economic and Monetary Union, the theory of optimum currency area, euro

JEL Classification: F 33


The Globalisation Processes and the Market Landscape of the Group V4 Countries

Vplyv globalizácie na vnútroobchodnú politiku krajín Vyšehradskej skupiny1

1 Téma článku vychádza zo zamerania nášho vedeckého výskumu predchádzajúcich troch rokov - projektu Ministerstva školstva SR s názvom Teória vnútroobchodnej politiky a možnosti jej aplikácie/tvorby v podmienkach transformatívnych ekonomík (VEGA 5047, 1/7179/20).

Kristína VIESTOVÁ - Jana ŠTOFILOVÁ - Milan ORESKÝ *

* prof. Ing. Kristína VIESTOVÁ, CSc. - doc. Ing. Jana ŠTOFILOVÁ, CSc. - Ing. Milan ORESKÝ, Ekonomická univerzita v Bratislave, Obchodná fakulta, Katedra marketingu, Dol-nozemská cesta 1, 852 35 Bratislava 5; e-mail: viestova@dec.euba.sk, jstofil@post.sk, oresky@dec.euba.sk

Abstract: The home trade development in transitive countries as Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary and Slo-vakia is in spite of different initial positions very analogical. The home market in these countries is covered by the national companies and also by the big strong foreign companies with global marketing. These companies are obtaining strong position they mould the structure of national internal market.
Law and order form principal frame of business. Legislation, acts and regulations form space for business decisions about product, price, contracting, distribution and communication policy. Home trade development is needed be influenced in line of the targets of the economy policy and according the goals of the home trade policy.
Key words: globalisation processes, domestic trade policy, domestic/home trade, transitive economy, home trade internationalisation

JEL Classification: P11


Currency Options for Emerging Economies: Concepts and Arguments

Vivek H. DEHEJIA *

* Vivek H. DEHEJIA, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Economics, Supervisor of M.A. Studies, and Director, Carleton Applied Economics Research Unit, in the Department of Economics, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada, and is Research Fellow of CESifo, Munich, Germany. His research interests centre on globalization and currency regimes; E-mail: vivek_dehejia@carleton.ca

Abstract: This paper frames policy debates around the appropriate choice of currency regimes for develop-ing and transition economies, by clarifying and articulating arguments drawn from the scientific and applied economics literatures. In parti-cular, arguments for, and against, "fixed" vs. "flexible" ex-change rate regimes are elaborated and evaluated, including the celebrated "insulation" hypothesis of Friedman and "optimum currency area" concept of Mundell. Political econo-my arguments are also considered, including in the context of (actual) European and (putative) North American cur-rency unions. The paper concludes with some policy-relevant reflections on currency options for emerging economies, and alternative visions for the future of the international monetary architecture.
Key words: currency regime; dollarization; Euroization; fixed vs. flexible exchange rates; impossible trinity; monetary/exchange rate policy

JEL Classification: F3, F4

Acknowledgements: This paper is based upon a talk given at the Department of Economic and Financial Models, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia, October 31, 2003. I am very grateful to Pavel Brunovsky and Jarko Fidrmuc for their kindness and hospitality during my visit and for many valuable comments and suggestions. In addition, earlier versions of this talk were given at: the World Bank GDLN videoconference on exchange rate regimes in Latin America, Carleton Uni-versity, Ottawa, ON, March 2003; the symposium Current Issues in International Economics, Western Washington Univer-sity, Bellingham, WA, September 2003; and the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (WIIW), Vienna, Aus-tria, October 2003. Participants at all of these events made valuable comments that have improved this paper. But, in particu-lar, I wish to thank, for many stimulating conversations on this and related subjects, Robert A. Mundell, James W. Dean, Hans-Werner Sinn, J. Stephen Ferris, Charles Freedman, Archibald R.M. Ritter, Nicholas Rowe, and Katerina Tarasova. I would also like to thank Steve Hanke for our enlightening correspondence on the Argentine currency board. Finally, I thank a perceptive referee for very useful comments. But none of these individuals are responsible for any errors or omissions in this paper, which are solely my responsibility.


Maastricht Targeting - Model Approach

Maastrichtské cielenie - modelový prístup

František GACHULINEC *

* RNDr. František GACHULINEC, PhD., Rozkvet 2032/64-6, 01701 Považská Bystrica; e-mail: fga@psgnetpx.sk

Abstract: The target of this article is to present and subject to criticism a model which could after further stages of development advise the Slovak monetary and fiscal authorities how to adjust their instru-ments in the near future so that the nominal Maastricht criteria for the chosen time horizon can be fulfilled. This model which works on the basis of quarterly data is a dynamic stochastic forward-looking non-linear model with endogenous monetary and fiscal reaction function. By suitable adjust-ment of parameters of these reaction functions it would be possible to achieve both internal and exter-nal equilibrium of the Slovak economic system. To achieve nominal Maastricht criteria with respect to the Slovak monetary authority a strategy of explicit inflation targeting is proposed aimed at the over-all consumer price index.
Key words: Maastricht criteria, monetary policy, inflation targeting, fiscal policy, forward-looking model

JEL Classification: E61, E58, E52, E17


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