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Monetary Cohabitation in Europe

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  • Persson, Torsten
  • Tabellini, Guido

Abstract

How can monetary policy in stage III of European Monetary Union be coordinated between the ‘ins’ and the ‘outs’? This paper compares alternative institutional mechanisms, and concludes that a generalized system of inflation targets at the European level has several merits: it strengthens domestic credibility of monetary policy; it rules out deliberate attempts to gain competitiveness through devaluations; it forces monetary policy to respond automatically to various macroeconomic shocks, which is stabilizing for the real exchange rate; and it distributes these shocks symmetrically across countries. On the basis of a simple theoretical model of policy coordination, the paper shows that a system of inflation targets approximates an optimal policy of international cooperation. Preliminary empirical evidence supports these theoretical results.

Suggested Citation

  • Persson, Torsten & Tabellini, Guido, 1996. "Monetary Cohabitation in Europe," CEPR Discussion Papers 1380, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
  • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:1380
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Persson, Torsten & Tabellini, Guido, 1995. "Double-edged incentives: Institutions and policy coordination," Handbook of International Economics, in: G. M. Grossman & K. Rogoff (ed.), Handbook of International Economics, edition 1, volume 3, chapter 38, pages 1973-2030, Elsevier.
    2. Canzoneri, Matthew B. & Henderson, Dale W., 1988. "Is sovereign policymaking bad?," Carnegie-Rochester Conference Series on Public Policy, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 93-140, January.
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    4. Alex Cukierman, 1992. "Central Bank Strategy, Credibility, and Independence: Theory and Evidence," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262031981, February.
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    7. Philippe Martin, 1995. "Free-riding, convergence and two-speed monetary unification in Europe," Post-Print hal-03609273, HAL.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    EMU; Inflation Targets; Policy Coordination;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E42 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Monetary Sytsems; Standards; Regimes; Government and the Monetary System
    • E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy
    • F33 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - International Monetary Arrangements and Institutions
    • F42 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - International Policy Coordination and Transmission

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