5 Economic Tests for Joining the Euro


by Richard Pettinger - Date: 2007-03-13 - Word Count: 399 Share This!

Before deciding whether the UK should join the Euro the Chancellor, Gordon Brown drew up 5 economic tests which the UK must pass for the UK to join. The main principle behind these 5 economic tests was whether the UK would cope with a common monetary policy. The 5 tests are in some ways superfluous. The main test being is really whether the UK has a degree of economic harmonisation with the rest of Europe.

5 Economic Tests for Joining the Euro

1. Economic Harmonisation.

The UK economy must be harmonised with the Euro zone. If the UK economy was growing much faster than EU then UK interest rates would need to be higher. For example, at the moment if the UK joined interest rates would fall and this may cause inflation. Therefore it is essential that the UK has a similar economic cycle to Europe. Even if there is temporary harmonisation there is no guarantee it will continue on a permanent basis.

2. Is there sufficient Flexibility?

If the UK went into recession could it be able to cope? It would have no influence over Monetary policy but also Fiscal policy is limited by the growth and stability pact. This limits the amount of government borrowing and therefore limits the scope for expansionary fiscal policy.

3. Effect on Investment.

Would joining the euro create better conditions for firms making long-term decisions to invest in Britain? UK inward Investment has not suffered since the UK decided not to join

4. Effect on Financial services.

What impact would entry into the euro have on the UK's financial services industry? London as a financial centre has boomed in recent years.

5. Effect on Growth and Jobs

Would joining the euro promote higher growth, stability and a lasting increase in jobs? There is no clear evidence that it would. UK economy has done better outside the Euro than in the Euro.

At the moment the weight of economic opinion is that the UK is better off not joining the Euro. One important factor is that the UK housing market is very sensitive to interest rates. Many UK householders are homeowners and also many mortgages are variable. Therefore the cost of mortgages fluctuates with changes in the base rate. Thus a small change in European interest rates could potentially have a damaging effect on UK economy. For example, if the UK was to join now, interest rates would fall causing a potentially harmful inflationary boom.


Related Tags: euro, economics

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Richard Pettinger studied Politics and Economics at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University. He now works as an economics teacher in Oxford. He enjoys writing essays on Economic and he edits an Economics Blog focused on UK and US economies: http://www.economicshelp.org/econ.html

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