Perspectives on International Economics

Economic Integration in Europe has been a fruitful research area during the last fifteen years. This volume of Perspectives in International Economics focusses on the integration of the new Central and Eastern European member countries and of the functioning of the EMU. The first three chapters discuss exchange rates and international trade, assessing pass-through relationships in the new EU member countries. The determinants of horizontal and vertical intra-industry trade are also investigated for the case of Portugal. The following two chapters present an appraisal of two cornerstones of EU policy: the Lisbon Strategy, with regards to the links between ICT adoption and productivity growth, and capital tax harmonization among EU countries. The last two chapters deal with financial issues in the EMU, highlighting the interactions between EMU financial convergence and country-specific factors within the EMU as well as global financial integration between the EMU and outsiders. The analysis should be especially useful for researchers and lecturers in international economics, finance practitioners and policy makers.