Promoting prosperity and stability : the EMU anchor in candidate and potential candidate countries

The current issue focuses on the EU and primarily the EMU anchors for promoting stability and growth in the candidate and potential candidate countries. It is widely acknowledged that the EU accession prospect and the gradual insertion in the Economic and Monetary Union policy framework represent valuable instruments for the sustainable development of the aspiring members. For that purpose, the two papers published in this report - "The Euro as external anchor in the Western Balkans" and "Fiscal consolidation in candidate and potential candidate countries" - represent an attempt of assessing the economic and policy benefits, as well as some of the main potential challenges posed by the euro external anchor and the EMU framework for the candidate and potential candidate countries.