The Review is pleased to give hospitality to CLARE Group articles, but is not necessarily in agreement with the views expressed. Members of the CLARE Group are M.J. Artis, T. Besley, A.J.C. Britton, W.J. Carlin, J.S. Flemming, C.A.E. Goodhart, J.A. Kay, R.C.O. Matthews, D.K. Miles, M.H. Miller, P.M. Oppenheimer, M.V. Posner, W.B. Reddaway, J.R. Sargent, M.Fg. Scott, P. Seabright, Z.A. Silberston, S. Wadhwani and M. Weale. Drafts of this article have been discussed among members of the Group, but responsibility for the views expressed rests with the author alone.
This article considers the economic case for UK membership of EMU. Traditional optimum currency area (OCA) analysis provides only a weak case for membership: the UK is located among the periphery and not in the core. Considerations of the possible costs of isolation (the risks of trade discrimination and the dangers of a volatile currency) together with some pertinent qualifications of OCA analysis (the possible endogeneity of the OCA criteria) serve to strengthen the case for joining. Whilst it is not overwhelming, the final verdict is positive.
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