Towards economic and monetary union: changing trends in payment systems for new European members

This paper makes a study of payment systems in the countries of the enlargement of the European Union for the period 1996-2003 and its comparison with the members of the European and Monetary Union. The general tendency is of a movement from cash to alternative instruments of payment. However, electronic means are not used very much and the importance of cash payments continues to be very high. The comparison with the EU15 presents significant differences that will mean an important effort for the new members in reforming and adapting their systems to the actual uses and future payment developments of the EU15. This process will be crucial both for their euro integration and the design and implementation of the single monetary policy.