This thesis is principal focused on the question of the future existence and sustainability of the European integration project and its monetary element -- euro-area related to the competitiveness due to consequences of the global financial crisis, present situation and debt difficulties affecting states of Southern Europe, business and financially connected with other European countries. In my considerations and conclusions I also deal with prospective estate in case of various changes of the integration including disintegration, end of the single currency, as well as the factors, that might cause these changes and inflict serious consequences. It is necessary to reveal if the formed situation is acceptable for the member states. The aim of the thesis is to characterize and provide a piece of information about existing progress of the European integration in relation to treaties including competitiveness rating, outline serious issues especially endangering the euro-area and future stability of the whole European Union and analyze its impact, propose solutions and possible scenarios, eventually assess development perspectives and sustainability of the European Union as a complex.

The main principle of the thesis is to address issues concerning structural problems of Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) and assess economical impact of its potential break up. This in turn implies the need to discuss certain issues. Firstly, since the EMU is based on the concept of Optimal Currency Area (OCA); I start my research with the test whether EMU in its current structure fits the definition of OCA. Secondly, I provide the extensive study on the reasons of current crisis in order to understand the root causes. Thirdly, I assess the potential implications of different ways out of the current sovereign debt crisis.

Cette thèse a pour objectif d'étudier le lien entre les régimes de change, les mésalignements de change et les déséquilibres globaux. Elle est conduite dans le cadre d'un panel évolutif d'économies allant des pays en développement aux pays développés. Elle couvre trois principaux thèmes. Nous examinons d'abord les mésalignements de change dans la zone CFA et le projet d'union monétaire en Afrique de l'Ouest. Nous étudions ensuite les implications du choix par un pays d'un régime de change sur sa capacité de résilience aux déséquilibres externes. Enfin, nous analysons l'influence des mésalignements de change sur la persistance des déséquilibres globaux, ainsi que les interactions entre les déséquilibres macroéconomiques.Nous montrons que la monnaie ancre (l'euro) joue un rôle prédominant dans l'explication des mésalignements du franc CFA, toute chose égale par ailleurs, y compris les fondamentaux du franc CFA. Sur la base d'une nouvelle méthodologie basée sur la synchronisation des mésalignements que nous proposons, nous mettons en évidence qu'il existe des similarités entre les pays de l'UEMOA, le Ghana, la Gambie et la Sierra Leone dans le cadre d'une union monétaire. En revanche, les cycles ne sont pas suffisamment synchronisés entre ce bloc et le Nigeria qui reste structurellement plus proche des pays de la CEMAC.Concernant les pays d'Afrique subsaharienne, nous montrons que les régimes de change flexibles sont plus efficaces pour limiter déséquilibres externes et pour assurer la soutenabilité externe.Nous montrons que la persistance des déséquilibres de comptes courants est fortement et asymétriquement liés aux mésalignements de change dans les pays développés et que les déséquilibres macroéconomiques interagissent fortement à travers une relation causale. / This thesis aims to study the link between exchange rate regimes, exchange rate misalignments and external imbalances. Our research is conducted in the context of an evolving panel of economies ranging from developing countries to developed countries. Our investigation covers three main themes. We first we examine exchange rate misalignments in the CFA zone and the monetary union project in West Africa. We then we study the implications of the choices made by a country concerning exchange rate regimes with regard to their ability to be resilient to external imbalances in sub-Saharan African countries. Finally, we analyze the influence of exchange rate misalignments on the persistence of global imbalances, as well as the interactions between macroeconomic imbalances.We show that the anchor currency (the euro) plays a predominant role in explaining the CFA franc misalignments, all else being equal, including economics fundamentals of the CFA franc. Relying on a new methodology based on synchronization misalignments that we propose, we highlight that there are some similarities between the WAEMU countries, Ghana, Gambia and Sierra Leone. In contrast, the cycles of misalignments are not sufficiently synchronized between this block and Nigeria, which remains structurally closer to the CAEMC countries.With regard to sub-Saharan Africa, we show that the flexible exchange rate regimes are more effective in limiting external imbalances and to ensure external sustainability.We show that the persistence of current account imbalances is strongly and asymmetrically related to exchange rate misalignments in industrialized countries and that the macroeconomic imbalances strongly interact through a causal relationship.

Previous studies have discounted important factors and indirect channels that might contribute to business cycle synchronization (BSC) in the EU. We estimate the effects of market integration and economic policy coordination on bilateral business cycle correlations over the period 1995-2012 using a simultaneous equations model that takes into accounts both the endogenous relationships and unveils direct and indirect effects. The results suggest that (i) trade and FDI have a pronounced positive effect on BCS, particularly between incumbent and new EU members. (ii) Rising specialization does not decouple business cycles. (iii) The decline of income disparities in EU27 contributes to BCS, as converging countries develop stronger trade and FDI linkages. (iv) There is strong evidence that poor fiscal discipline of EU members is a major impediment of business cycle synchronization. (v) The same argument holds true for exchange rate fluctuations that hinder BCS, particularly in EU15. Since BCS is a fundamental prerequisite and objective in an effective monetary union, the EU has to promote market integration and strengthen the common setting of economic policies.

A adoção de uma moeda única por diferentes países muda significativamente a política econômica desses países. O objetivo desta dissertação, elaborada em forma de artigo, é estudar os efeitos da adoção do euro sobre a competitividade internacional dos países-membros da União Monetária Europeia (UME) com base no arcabouço teórico da teoria das áreas monetárias ótimas. A análise econométrica irá compreender um painel dinâmico com 12 países da UME nos períodos de 2002 a 2013 para inferir se a entrada de capitais teve impacto negativo na competitividade externa dos países periféricos da UME e como que os diferentes tipos de capitais interferiram sobre a taxa de câmbio real efetiva dos países da Zona do Euro. Conclui-se assim que não só a crise é capaz de permitir ganhos de competitividade entre os países da UME, como outros fatores mais desejáveis também, tal como a entrada de outros investimentos da conta financeira do balanço de pagamentos, a abertura comercial e os gastos do governo. Além disso, constata-se que o impacto da mobilidade de capital na competitividade é influenciado não só pelo tipo de capital como também pelo país que recebe esse fluxo. / Adopting a single currency in different countries changes significantly the economic policy of these countries. The objective of this dissertation, prepared in the form of an article is to study the effects of the adoption of the euro on the external competitiveness of member countries of the European Monetary Union (EMU) based on the theoretical framework of the theory of optimum currency areas. The econometric analysis will comprise a dynamic panel with 12 countries of the EMU in the period 2002-2013 to infer if the capital inflow had a negative impact on the external competitiveness of the peripheral countries of the EMU and how different types of capital flows interfered on the real effective exchange rate of the countries of the euro zone. It is therefore concluded that not only the crisis can allow gains in competitiveness between countries in the EMU, as more desirable factors as well, like the inflow of other investments of the financial account of the balance of payments, trade liberalization and government expenditures. In addition, it appears that the capital flows impact on competitiveness is influenced not only by the type of capital but also by the country that receives the flow.

A adoção de uma moeda única por diferentes países muda significativamente a política econômica desses países. O objetivo desta dissertação, elaborada em forma de artigo, é estudar os efeitos da adoção do euro sobre a competitividade internacional dos países-membros da União Monetária Europeia (UME) com base no arcabouço teórico da teoria das áreas monetárias ótimas. A análise econométrica irá compreender um painel dinâmico com 12 países da UME nos períodos de 2002 a 2013 para inferir se a entrada de capitais teve impacto negativo na competitividade externa dos países periféricos da UME e como que os diferentes tipos de capitais interferiram sobre a taxa de câmbio real efetiva dos países da Zona do Euro. Conclui-se assim que não só a crise é capaz de permitir ganhos de competitividade entre os países da UME, como outros fatores mais desejáveis também, tal como a entrada de outros investimentos da conta financeira do balanço de pagamentos, a abertura comercial e os gastos do governo. Além disso, constata-se que o impacto da mobilidade de capital na competitividade é influenciado não só pelo tipo de capital como também pelo país que recebe esse fluxo. / Adopting a single currency in different countries changes significantly the economic policy of these countries. The objective of this dissertation, prepared in the form of an article is to study the effects of the adoption of the euro on the external competitiveness of member countries of the European Monetary Union (EMU) based on the theoretical framework of the theory of optimum currency areas. The econometric analysis will comprise a dynamic panel with 12 countries of the EMU in the period 2002-2013 to infer if the capital inflow had a negative impact on the external competitiveness of the peripheral countries of the EMU and how different types of capital flows interfered on the real effective exchange rate of the countries of the euro zone. It is therefore concluded that not only the crisis can allow gains in competitiveness between countries in the EMU, as more desirable factors as well, like the inflow of other investments of the financial account of the balance of payments, trade liberalization and government expenditures. In addition, it appears that the capital flows impact on competitiveness is influenced not only by the type of capital but also by the country that receives the flow.

A adoção de uma moeda única por diferentes países muda significativamente a política econômica desses países. O objetivo desta dissertação, elaborada em forma de artigo, é estudar os efeitos da adoção do euro sobre a competitividade internacional dos países-membros da União Monetária Europeia (UME) com base no arcabouço teórico da teoria das áreas monetárias ótimas. A análise econométrica irá compreender um painel dinâmico com 12 países da UME nos períodos de 2002 a 2013 para inferir se a entrada de capitais teve impacto negativo na competitividade externa dos países periféricos da UME e como que os diferentes tipos de capitais interferiram sobre a taxa de câmbio real efetiva dos países da Zona do Euro. Conclui-se assim que não só a crise é capaz de permitir ganhos de competitividade entre os países da UME, como outros fatores mais desejáveis também, tal como a entrada de outros investimentos da conta financeira do balanço de pagamentos, a abertura comercial e os gastos do governo. Além disso, constata-se que o impacto da mobilidade de capital na competitividade é influenciado não só pelo tipo de capital como também pelo país que recebe esse fluxo. / Adopting a single currency in different countries changes significantly the economic policy of these countries. The objective of this dissertation, prepared in the form of an article is to study the effects of the adoption of the euro on the external competitiveness of member countries of the European Monetary Union (EMU) based on the theoretical framework of the theory of optimum currency areas. The econometric analysis will comprise a dynamic panel with 12 countries of the EMU in the period 2002-2013 to infer if the capital inflow had a negative impact on the external competitiveness of the peripheral countries of the EMU and how different types of capital flows interfered on the real effective exchange rate of the countries of the euro zone. It is therefore concluded that not only the crisis can allow gains in competitiveness between countries in the EMU, as more desirable factors as well, like the inflow of other investments of the financial account of the balance of payments, trade liberalization and government expenditures. In addition, it appears that the capital flows impact on competitiveness is influenced not only by the type of capital but also by the country that receives the flow.

The diploma thesis evaluates nominal and real convergence of the Czech Republic in relation to its future entry to euro area. First chapter focuses on process of creating the Economic and Monetary Union and description of convergence and its function during the implementation of euro. In the second chapter the Czech monetary integration process is defined. The third and forth chapters contain evaluation of convergence of the Czech Republic. In the last chapter there is a comparison of the Czech Republic and Slovakia, especially the common and different trends in approaching the process of monetary integration.

The aim of this thesis is to analyze and assess the benefits and cosi resulting from the implementation of common currency in a small open economy in specific cases in chosen countries. The theoretical part is devoted to the monetary integration itself, its historical development in Europe anf the theory of optimum currency area. Attention will be focused also on the entry criteria of monetary union and the specifics of small open economies within the frame of monetary union. The analytical part evaluates and compares the readiness of chosen economies. Subsequently, the thesis deals with benefits and costs of monetary integration and their significance in a particular situation on the example of chosen countries. Individual benefits and costs will also be put into context with the crisis of monetary union. The results are discussed in conclusion.

The master thesis focuses on the influence of common European currency in Slovakia. Slovakia represents small transitive economy with high degree of openness and long-term experience from participation in common monetary union. The aim of the thesis is to analyse observed and potential benefits and costs that are emerging from adoption of common European currency in Slovakia. The analysis is based not only on quantified determinants, but also on the basis of observed alternative evaluation criteria, which are providing complex picture of macroeconomic development and performance of Slovak economy in comparison with other countries of Eurozone and European Union. Analyses that are used in the thesis are based on theoretical findings that are described in the first chapter. This chapter deals with criteria defined by the theory of optimal monetary unions, real convergence, but also with the most significant benefits and costs defined by the European Commission and economic theory. The thesis deals with the monetary politics in Slovakia before and after 2009 with focus on loss of autonomous monetary policy as the most significant cost of entry to European Monetary Union and also with analysis of the nominal convergence criteria that are needed to accept in case of adopting common European currency.