Given the growing effect that globalisation and integration has had upon economies and regions, the process of monetary union has become an increasingly topical issue in economic policy debates. This has been driven in part by the experience and successes of the European Monetary Union (EMU), which is widely perceived as beneficial to member countries. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is an example of a group of countries that has realised that there are benefits that may arise from economic integration. This paper makes use of an interest-rate pass through model to investigate whether the pass-through of monetary policy transmission in ten SADC countries has become more similar between January 1990 and December 2007 using monthly interest rate data. This is done to determine the extent of macroeconomic convergence that prevails within SADC, and consequently establish whether the formation of a regional monetary union is feasible. The results of the empirical pass-through model were robust and show that there are certain countries that have a more efficient and similar monetary transmission process than others. In particular, the countries that form the Common Monetary Area (CMA) and the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) tend to show evidence of convergence in monetary policy transmission, especially since 2000. In addition, from analysis of the long-run pass-through, the results reveal that there is evidence that Malawi and Zambia have shown signs of convergence toward the countries that form the CMA and SACU, in terms of monetary policy transmission. The study concludes that a SADC wide monetary union is currently not feasible based on the evidence provided from the results of the pass-through analysis. Despite this, it can be tentatively suggested that the CMA may be expanded to include Botswana, Malawi and Zambia.

In conformity with the goal of the African Union to build a monetary union for the entire African continent, one of the goals of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) is the formation of a monetary union with a single central bank. Towards this end certain macroeconomic convergence criteria, which are closely aligned with those used by the European Union (EU), have been set. While empirical research on whether or not SADC would benefit from the formation of a currency union has focused on the optimum currency area criteria, no reference to these criteria is made in the SADC programme. Instead, the SADC approach has been governed by a set of macroeconomic convergence criteria synonymous with those pursued by the European Monetary Union (EMU) prior to its formation. Doubts regarding the future of the EU have recently been raised as a result of debt crises in certain member states, implicitly raising questions about the adequacy of the convergence criteria that were adopted. Accordingly, this study considers the feasibility of establishing a currency union in the SADC region. The proposed convergence criteria are assessed against the theory of optimum currency areas as well as in terms of their adequacy in the light of recent EU experience. In addition, the paper provides a preliminary assessment of the fiscal sustainability of the SADC region by conducting Engle-Granger cointegration tests on the public debt and revenue series for the SADC countries under analysis. It was observed that SADC has made considerable progress towards meeting its macroeconomic convergence criteria in recent years. However, in light of the regions' heavy dependence on commodity exports coupled with recent price fluctuations in this regard, the sustainability of this progress is questioned. Furthermore, a review of the EMU experience to date highlights numerous flaws in its approach and the potential challenges the SADC region should consider in moving forward with its agenda. In essence, the study suggests that almost all the SADC member states are fiscally unprepared for monetary union formation and the recent EMU debt crisis has highlighted the importance of acquiring a state of fiscal sustainability prior to union formation. In addition, it is imperative that the SADC members continue to address issues of product diversification, intraregional trade and political unification, all of which should be governed by a centralised fiscal authoriry.

The thesis evaluates a need of the Fiscal compact measures, its adequacy and impacts on the Eurozone namely based on evaluation of indebtedness of selected member states. The evaluation is carried out by the empirical-analytic research, where the euro zone is analyzed from the perspective of the theory of optimal monetary area, the issue of member countries indebtedness and impacts of indebtedness on the entire euro zone. The thesis also evaluates the existing instruments of fiscal discipline and their deficiencies and new Fiscal compact as an instrument for stabilization and correction. The thesis examines the accuracy of the initial hypothesis that the Fiscal compact as an instrument of fiscal discipline is entirely essential measure of the future euro area functioning. It had been proven that a monetary union can not effectively operate without the long-term fiscal union.

Cette thèse tire les enseignements de la zone Euro qui représente la phase la plus avancée de l’intégration économique au sein de l’Union Européenne. Cependant, force est de constater que la zone euro affiche des lacunes en termes de mécanismes d’ajustement alternatifs. Ainsi malgré les avancées considérables, cette intégration économique et institutionnelle semble insuffisante pour absorber les chocs asymétriques sur les États. Nous avons utilisé diverses approches (baromètres de convergence, classification par arbre de décision et modèle de Merton) pour évaluer l’efficacité des politiques économiques au sein de l’UEMOA. Nous avons étudié, à partir de données empiriques allant de 1994 à 2015, l’hétérogénéité des principaux agrégats macroéconomiques entre les pays de la zone et leurs évolutions dans le temps. Contrairement aux attentes, des différences existent encore entre les pays. Selon l’objectif de politique macroéconomique mesuré (croissance économique, inflation, chômage), nos résultats révèlent que les changements dans les performances des groupes constitués sont expliqués soit par des migrations entre les groupes, soit par les changements à l’intérieur des groupes. Finalement, nos investigations montrent que l’élargissement à la CEDEAO amplifie ces divergences. Nos résultats montrent enfin une bonne performance de la règle de Taylor comparativement à l’inflation cible depuis 2003. Cette règle serait une "conduite de base" adaptable à la politique de la future banque centrale après avoir levé la difficulté à déterminer les valeurs de référence de l’équation dans ces espaces économiques hétérogènes. / This paper draws lessons from the Eurozone which represents the most advanced stage of economic integration in the European Union. However the alternative adjustment mechanisms in place there prove to be insufficient to absorb asymmetric shocks endured by member states. We used various methods such as convergence barometers, decision tree classification, and Merton model in order to assess the effectiveness of the economic policies in place within the WAEMU . We studied, through empirical data from 1994 to 2015, the heterogeneity of the main macroeconomic aggregates between the countries of the area and it’s evolution over time. Contrary to expectations, discrepancies still exist between countries. In accordance with the goal of macroeconomic policy measured, our results reveal that either the effects of migration between groups, or the changes in performance within groups give an account of the changes in performance inside groups. Our investigations eventually brings to light that the expansion to the ECOWAS amplifies the divergences.Lastly, our results show that the Taylor rule has been well put to use in comparison to targeted inflation since 2003. This rule can be regarded as a "basic rule" adaptable to the policy of the future central bank after having lifted the difficulty in determining the reference values in these heterogeneous economic areas.

Les origines de la zone Franc remontent à l’époque coloniale. Imposée à sa création par la France, cette zone monétaire, au contraire des autres zones historiquement comparables comme la zone sterling, survivra à la période de décolonisation. Dans son évolution, la zone Franc va même, par la suite, se muer en une zone monétaire acceptée par les pays africains membres devenus entretemps indépendants. Sa configuration géographique connaîtra aussi des changements dus aux retraits et aux adhésions qu’elle a suscités au fil du temps. Aujourd’hui, deux caractéristiques majeures au moins semblent marquer la zone Franc : tout d’abord sa longévité ensuite une fixité absolue du taux de change (depuis plus d’un demi siècle, les francs CFA ont été dévalués une seule fois !).L’objectif de la présente thèse est d’examiner si cette pérennité relative que connaît la zone Franc actuelle s’explique par l’une au moins des théories connues des zones monétaires optimales. Dans l’ensemble, il ressort au terme de ce travail qu’au-delà des effets controversés liés aux mécanismes de fonctionnement de la zone Franc, que celle-ci n’est pas une zone monétaire optimale au vu des critères appliqués. Cependant, elle peut sinon le devenir, du moins s’en rapprocher si les économies africaines membres s’engagent dans la voie des réformes structurelles et monétaires qui s’imposent dans une perspective de développement endogène. / The origin of the Franc zone goes back to the colonial period. Imposed by FRANCE at its creation, this monetary area has survived into its post colonial period unlike say, the sterling zone. In its evolution, the Franc zone has even become an accepted monetary zone to its African members who in the meantime had become independent. Its geographical configuration has also undergone changes resulting from withdrawals and applications for membership into it as time went on. Today, two major characteristics have apparently marked the Franc zone : at first, its durability followed by the absolute fixidity of its exchange rates (CFA franc was devalued only once for over half a century !). The objective of the present theses is to examine whether this relative perennity can be explained by at least one of the theories known in optimal monetary areas. Taken as a whole, it would appear at the end of this work that beyond the controversial effects related to the working mechanisms of the Franc area in view of the criteria applied. That is not to say it can not become one because the probability exists that it can approach it if the economies of African member countries undergo structural and monetary reforms which are a must within the perspective of an endogenous development.