Lithuania, Slovenia and Estonia Move Towards Euro

Published: 29 June 2004 y., Tuesday
Estonia, Lithuania and Slovenia on Sunday became the first EU newcomers to join the "exchange-rate mechanism" (ERM-2), paving the way for them to join the euro as early as 2007. The decision was taken at a highly secretive meeting in Brussels involving officials from the 12 euro zone countries, the European Central Bank, Denmark, and the three countries that had applied for ERM-2 entry, according to the Baltic News Service. ERM-2 is often referred to as the "holding bay" for the euro. Countries wishing to join the euro must participate in ERM-2 for a minimum of two years. During these two years, the mechanism aims to ensure a stable exchange rate between the euro and the currency of the prospective euro member since currencies in ERM-2 are not allowed to fluctuate by more than 15 percent against the euro. But before joining the euro, the applicant country must fulfil other criteria, such as maintaining low inflation and a low budget deficit.
Šaltinis: EUobserver.com
Copying, publishing, announcing any information from the News.lt portal without written permission of News.lt editorial office is prohibited.

Facebook Comments

New comment


Captcha

Associated articles

The most popular articles

Taking stock of the single market

Most EU countries continue to meet deadlines for incorporating single market rules into national law, contributing to economic growth and job creation. more »

Japan debuts new bullet train

Japanese officials unveil their new bullet train, capable of travelling at speeds of 320 km per hour (198 miles per hour). more »

The Security Technology Exhibition KIPS 2011 to be Held in Kiev

The first International Security Technology Exhibition, KIPS 2011, will be held on 23-26 February 2011 in Kiev (Ukraine). The motto of the exhibition is ‘There can never be too much security!’ more »

Dubai dining reaches new heights

The world's highest restaurant opens in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, located 400 metres above ground in Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest tower. more »

Clarifying rules to strengthen consumer rights

The rights of consumers will be clarified and updated, whether they shop at a local store or buy goods on line, under new EU rules as amended by the Internal Market Committee on Tuesday. more »

Fiji and Papua New Guinea: green light for economic agreement

MEPs on Wednesday gave their green light for the Council to conclude an Interim Economic Partnership Agreement with Papua New Guinea and Fiji, two countries of the Pacific Region with significant exports to the EU. more »

Setting the stage for economic recovery

Report sets 10 priorities for tackling the bloc's main economic challenges, launching the first ever ‘European semester'. more »

Capsule rooms appear in Shanghai

China's first capsule hotel ready to open its doors in Shanghai, aims to capture slice of booming leisure budget travel market. more »

A turning point for the European financial sector

Declaration by Michel Barnier on the start of three new authorities for supervision. more »

A successful start for the euro changeover in Estonia

On 1 January, Estonia adopted the euro as its official currency and the changeover is running smoothly and according to plan. more »