IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/liu/liucej/v8y2011i1p77-96.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Should the UK Join the Euro Zone? Evidence from a Synthetic OCA Assessment

Author

Listed:
  • Kang-Soek Lee
  • Philippe Saucier

Abstract

Based on optimal currency area theories, this paper applies the empirical methodology of structural VAR to revisit the question of whether UK should join or not the Euro zone. Correlations of effective exchange rates between UK and US on one side and between UK and its major European partners (Germany and France) on the other side are first estimated. Correlations between macro-structural shocks are then estimated and results of both approaches are combined to provide conclusions on the appropriateness of a floating regime of the British Pound or of the integration to the Euro zone. A dynamic analysis shows that UK structural evolution over the period 1970-2008 tends to favor the option of integration to the Euro zone. These results have to be qualified by taking into account the specific position of UK with London as a global financial center and political issues which dominate the debate.

Suggested Citation

  • Kang-Soek Lee & Philippe Saucier, 2011. "Should the UK Join the Euro Zone? Evidence from a Synthetic OCA Assessment," European Journal of Comparative Economics, Cattaneo University (LIUC), vol. 8(1), pages 77-96, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:liu:liucej:v:8:y:2011:i:1:p:77-96
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://ejce.liuc.it/18242979201101/182429792011080104.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Blanchard, Olivier Jean & Quah, Danny, 1989. "The Dynamic Effects of Aggregate Demand and Supply Disturbances," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 79(4), pages 655-673, September.
    2. Richard H. Clarida & Jordi Gali, 1994. "Sources of real exchange rate fluctuations: how important are nominal shocks?," Proceedings, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, issue Apr.
    3. Giancarlo Corsetti & Luca Dedola & Sylvain Leduc, 2008. "International Risk Sharing and the Transmission of Productivity Shocks," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 75(2), pages 443-473.
    4. Canova, Fabio & Ciccarelli, Matteo & Ortega, Eva, 2007. "Similarities and convergence in G-7 cycles," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 54(3), pages 850-878, April.
    5. Paul DE GRAUWE & Hilde Heens, 1993. "Real Exchange Rate Variability in Monetary Unions," Discussion Papers (REL - Recherches Economiques de Louvain) 1993015, Université catholique de Louvain, Institut de Recherches Economiques et Sociales (IRES).
    6. Lastrapes, William D, 1992. "Sources of Fluctuations in Real and Nominal Exchange Rates," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 74(3), pages 530-539, August.
    7. Guillermo A. Calvo & Carmen M. Reinhart, 2002. "Fear of Floating," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 117(2), pages 379-408.
    8. Benassy-Quere, Agnes & Coeure, Benoit & Mignon, Valerie, 2006. "On the identification of de facto currency pegs," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 20(1), pages 112-127, March.
    9. von Hagen, Jurgen & Neumann, Manfred J M, 1994. "Real Exchange Rates within and between Currency Areas: How Far Away Is EMU?," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 76(2), pages 236-244, May.
    10. Zhang, Yin & Wan, Guanghua, 2008. "Correcting China's trade imbalance: Monetary means will not suffice," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 30(3), pages 505-521.
    11. Agnès Bénassy-Quéré & Sophie Béreau & Valérie Mignon, 2008. "How Robust are Estimated Equilibrium Exchange Rates? A Panel BEER Approach," Working Papers 2008-01, CEPII research center.
    12. Roland Vaubel, 1976. "Real exchange-rate changes in the European community: The empirical evidence and its implications for European currency unification," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 112(3), pages 429-470, September.
    13. M. Hashem Pesaran & L. Vanessa Smith & Ron P. Smith, 2007. "What if the UK or Sweden had joined the euro in 1999? An empirical evaluation using a Global VAR," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 12(1), pages 55-87.
    14. Hoffmaister, Alexander W. & Roldos, Jorge E., 2001. "The Sources of Macroeconomic Fluctuations in Developing Countries: Brazil and Korea," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 23(2), pages 213-239, April.
    15. Maurice Obstfeld & Kenneth Rogoff, 1995. "The Mirage of Fixed Exchange Rates," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 9(4), pages 73-96, Fall.
    16. Eichengreen, Barry & Bayoumi, Tamim, 1996. "Is Asia an Optimum Currency Area? Can It Become One? Regional, Global and Historical Perspectives on Asian Monetary Relations," Center for International and Development Economics Research, Working Paper Series qt1td5x343, Center for International and Development Economics Research, Institute for Business and Economic Research, UC Berkeley.
    17. Kano, Takashi, 2008. "A structural VAR approach to the intertemporal model of the current account," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 27(5), pages 757-779, September.
    18. Buckle, Robert A. & Kim, Kunhong & Kirkham, Heather & McLellan, Nathan & Sharma, Jarad, 2007. "A structural VAR business cycle model for a volatile small open economy," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 24(6), pages 990-1017, November.
    19. Jaewoo Lee & Menzie D. Chinn, 1998. "The Current Account and the Real Exchange Rate: A Structural VAR Analysis of Major Currencies," NBER Working Papers 6495, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    20. Forni, Mario & Gambetti, Luca, 2010. "The dynamic effects of monetary policy: A structural factor model approach," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 57(2), pages 203-216, March.
    21. Bernanke, Ben S., 1986. "Alternative explanations of the money-income correlation," Carnegie-Rochester Conference Series on Public Policy, Elsevier, vol. 25(1), pages 49-99, January.
    22. Ashoka Mody & Mark P. Taylor, 2003. "The High-Yield Spread as a Predictor of Real Economic Activity: Evidence of a Financial Accelerator for the United States," IMF Staff Papers, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 50(3), pages 1-3.
    23. Levy-Yeyati, Eduardo & Sturzenegger, Federico, 2005. "Classifying exchange rate regimes: Deeds vs. words," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 49(6), pages 1603-1635, August.
    24. Voss, G.M. & Willard, L.B., 2009. "Monetary policy and the exchange rate: Evidence from a two-country model," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 31(4), pages 708-720, December.
    25. Flood, Robert P, 1979. "Capital Mobility and the Choice of Exchange Rate System," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 20(2), pages 405-416, June.
    26. Robert E. Lucas Jr., 2003. "Macroeconomic Priorities," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 93(1), pages 1-14, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Stoupos, Nikolaos & Kiohos, Apostolos, 2017. "EU unification and linkages among the European currencies: new evidence from the EU and the EEA," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 28-36.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kang-Soek LEE, 2010. "A Euro Peg System as an Alternative for the Chinese Exchange Rate Regime," LEO Working Papers / DR LEO 165, Orleans Economics Laboratory / Laboratoire d'Economie d'Orleans (LEO), University of Orleans.
    2. Kang-Soek Lee, 2011. "A Euro Peg System as an Alternative for the Chinese Exchange Rate Regime?," Chapters, in: Wim Meeusen (ed.), The Economic Crisis and European Integration, chapter 8, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    3. Kang-Soek LEE, 2007. "A Common Currency for China, Japan and Korea? Evidence from Post-Crisis Macrostructural Shock Symmetry," LEO Working Papers / DR LEO 158, Orleans Economics Laboratory / Laboratoire d'Economie d'Orleans (LEO), University of Orleans.
    4. Muhammad Nasir & Wasim Malik, 2011. "Structural Decomposition of Exchange Rate Shocks in Pakistan: An Empirical Investigation using SVAR Methodology," Transition Studies Review, Springer;Central Eastern European University Network (CEEUN), vol. 18(1), pages 124-138, September.
    5. Soyoung Kim, 2007. "What is Learned from a Currency Crisis, Fear of Floating or Hollow Middle? Identifying Exchange Rate Policy in Recent Crisis Countries," Discussion Paper Series 0712, Institute of Economic Research, Korea University.
    6. Shambaugh, Jay, 2008. "A new look at pass-through," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 27(4), pages 560-591, June.
    7. Korhonen, Iikka & Mehrotra, Aaron, 2009. "Real exchange rate, output and oil: case of four large energy producers," BOFIT Discussion Papers 6/2009, Bank of Finland Institute for Emerging Economies (BOFIT).
    8. Sfia, Mohamed Daly, 2006. "Tunisia: Sources Of Real Exchange Rate Fluctuations," MPRA Paper 3129, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Prof. Neil D. Karunaratne, 2002. "Microeconomic Shocks, Depreciation and Inflation: an Australian Perspective," Discussion Papers Series 298, School of Economics, University of Queensland, Australia.
    10. Lucio Sarno & Mark P. Taylor, 2002. "Purchasing Power Parity and the Real Exchange Rate," IMF Staff Papers, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 49(1), pages 1-5.
    11. Nassirou, Aïchat, 2017. "Chocs macroéconomiques et intégration d’une union économique et monétaire: cas du Nigéria [Macroeconomic shocks and integration of an economic and monetary union: case of Nigeria]," MPRA Paper 79167, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    12. Marc Pourroy, 2013. "Inflation-Targeting and Foreign Exchange Interventions in Emerging Economies," Post-Print halshs-00881359, HAL.
    13. Berg, Andrew & Borensztein, Eduardo & Mauro, Paolo, 2002. "An evaluation of monetary regime options for Latin America," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 13(3), pages 213-235, December.
    14. Kang-Soek LEE & Philippe SAUCIER, 2009. "The Sterling Pound and the Euro. What does Empirical Assessment based on OCA Theory Say Justification for UK to Join the Euro Zone?," LEO Working Papers / DR LEO 1655, Orleans Economics Laboratory / Laboratoire d'Economie d'Orleans (LEO), University of Orleans.
    15. Kevin X.D. Huang & Thaneepanichskul Suchada, 2003. "Sources of Exchange Rate Fluctuations: The Cases of Mexico and Thailand in the Aftermaths of their Recent Currency Crises," Annals of Economics and Finance, Society for AEF, vol. 4(2), pages 375-400, November.
    16. Korhonen, Iikka & Mehrotra, Aaron, 2009. "Real exchange rate, output and oil : case of four large energy producers," BOFIT Discussion Papers 6/2009, Bank of Finland, Institute for Economies in Transition.
    17. Giancarlo Marini & Giovanni Piersanti, 2012. "Models of Speculative Attacks and Crashes in International Capital Markets," CEIS Research Paper 245, Tor Vergata University, CEIS, revised 24 Jul 2012.
    18. Wang, Tao, 2005. "Sources of real exchange rate fluctuations in China," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 753-771, December.
    19. Mark S. Astley & Anthony Garratt, 2000. "Exchange Rates and Prices: Sources of Sterling Real Exchange Rate Fluctuations 1973–94," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 62(4), pages 491-509, September.
    20. Meng, Xiangcai & Huang, Chia-Hsing, 2016. "Nonlinear models for the sources of real effective exchange rate fluctuations: Evidence from the Republic of Korea," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 21-30.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Sterling Pound; Euro; Optimal Currency Area;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F15 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Economic Integration
    • F31 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Foreign Exchange
    • F36 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Financial Aspects of Economic Integration

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:liu:liucej:v:8:y:2011:i:1:p:77-96. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Piero Cavaleri (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/liuccit.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.