The collapse of communism brought about previously inexistent product market competition in transition economies. This paper analyzes such rivalry with a focus on some specific features of these markets. While inviting foreign multinationals is always beneficial for local consumers, cost...

The aim of this paper is to estimate the costs of banking sector restructuring in Poland, borne by the government and the central bank in the years 1993-2006. The authors focused mainly on the assistance measures that directly contributed to generating costs. Aggregated costs of the banking...

Despite their relatively short history, deposit insurance schemes (DISs) are currently a common element of the banking system. In 2004, 83 explicite DISs operated around the world. The Bank Guarantee Fund (Bankowy Fundusz Gwarancyjny – BFG) – the Polish institution guaranteeing household...

There is much discussion about derivatives at central banks. The main focus is on questions about the impact of the growing use of derivative instruments on the stability of the financial markets and the effectiveness ofmonetary policy measures. Irrespective ofthe answers, the information...

In the run-up to the euro launch, a number of key steps were taken to ensure the uninterrupted supply of notes and coins to the economy and the general public. After all, nearly 15 billion notes and 52 billion coins had to be delivered in due time in order to ensure their availability from...

In the run-up to the euro launch, a number of key steps were taken to ensure the uninterrupted supply of notes and coins to the economy and the general public. After all, nearly 15 billion notes and 52 billion coins had to be delivered in due time in order to ensure their availability from...

In the public and academic discussion on the payment system TARGET2, the high claims and liabilities of some euro area countries have mostly been associated with the financial crisis. The implicit assumption that TARGET2 balances would be close to zero without the financial crisis is both...

The introduction of the euro in 2002 offered a unique opportunity to learn more about the patterns and structures of cross-border cash movements. The Oesterreichische Nationalbank (OeNB) has carried out various surveys to analyze the migration of cash in greater depth. This article presents the...

This Letter compiles information on central bank minutes from a number of sources. First, we look at the academic literature which suggests that central bank minutes can provide additional information above other forms of communication. Second, we make use of a comprehensive set of information...