E42 - Monetary Systems; Standards; Regimes; Government and the Monetary System; Payment SystemsReturn

Initiatives dealing with the creation of the European Monetary System and the zone of monetary stability in Europe emerged in the 18th century, despite the fact that greater manifestations of these considerations and efforts only started in the 1960s and early 1970s. The proof is the Marjolin Memorandum of 24 October 1962 and the Barre Plan, presented in The Hague in February 1969. In October 1970, the Commission's initiative was followed by preparation of a plan for the progressive establishment of the Economic and Monetary Union, known as the Werner Report. Fundamentally different political views and approaches in the field of economics and integration, crisis phenomena in the Member States of the European Economic Community prevented the coordination of economic and monetary policy and the expected introduction of a common system of exchange rates. Other factors that contributed to that state were the currency crisis (1971-1973) and the oil crisis (1973-1974), as well as conflicts of interest between the French and German sides.

Investment in various assets is associated with returns and risks. Especially precious metals are considered profitable and safe. Our analysis for the United States in 2005 - Q2 2015 demonstrates that it is very questionable. In this period, which included the US financial crisis, precious metals were coupled with a greater price volatility and lower real income than was the case with stocks in the DJIA index. Even over a sufficiently long period, gold and silver were not a good store of value with positive real returns. Moreover, demand deposits were also more profitable than gold in the longer term after 1980. In the long run, contrary to the beliefs, precious metals may not to keep good value in the physical form or in the form of securities linked to the price development of these assets. Commemorative and historical coins with a numismatic value are the most appropriate investment in precious metals. However, this investment is also associated with some risk.

The aim of this paper is to provide information on the current standing of the Czech Republic in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) with respect to its role as one of the main institutions that tries to solve contemporary problems of world economy on the one hand, and the problems of the IMF itself on the other hand. The paper focuses on individual phases of the country's membership since 1990, when the Czech Republic joined the IMF. It provides information on both reasons for and forms of financial and technical help that the Czech Republic has utilised until now, and the help that the Czech Republic has provided to weaker members of the International Monetary Fund. Also, the paper analyses the quota reform and the IMF governance and their impact on the Czech Republic's standing within the institution. It draws attention to a rising foreign exchange exposure of the Czech Republic to the IMF that originates from both an increase in membership quotas and extending of loans to other members. Naturally, the paper also analyses the increased risk of the loans that have been provided.

The European integration process has had severe impacts on the development of exchange rates of member states' currencies. For small and open economies which trade large part of both their production input and output in foreign currencies the real exchange rates are of a special importance. This paper looks at the drivers behind the evolution of the real exchange rate of CZK within the European integration process. Beside the decomposition of the general long term trend, several factors of exchange rate fluctuations are depicted. Furthermore the recent halt in long term trend in real CZK appreciation towards EUR is discussed. Finally the study shows statistical simulation of future nominal EUR/CZK development with help of AR(I)MA models employed on different data series. Models' findings picture the gaps between observed and predicted values in the period following the exchange intervention of the Czech National Bank (CNB) from November 2013.

This paper assesses the performance of the monetary policy in Egypt during the periods following the introduction of the economic reform and structural adjustment program (ERSAP). It sets out to answer the question why the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) has not been able to achieve the goal of price stability under the ERSAP? The study compares the economic performance from the 1990s with both its counterpart in Germany, during the same periods, and with the economic performance of the Egyptian economy during the periods before the 1990s, i.e., 1975-1990. The study concludes that the CBE could have brought the rate of inflation down; nevertheless, the unemployment and real GDP growth rates have worsened and a price stability is still far away. The failure to achieve price stability is explained by two reasons, namely, a conflict between monetary policy objectives and a chronic budget deficit financed by issuing new money.