Do you support it?
Olivier
Enlargement: Lithuania (vote on May 11th)
Enlargement: Lithuania (vote on May 11th)
Do you think Lithuania will vote yes, to join the Union?
Do you support it?
Olivier
Do you support it?
Olivier
Re: Enlargement: Lithuania (vote on May 11th)
The polls are optimistics...
Re: Enlargement: Lithuania (vote on May 11th)
(EUObserver)
Lithuania, a front-runner among the Central and Eastern European countries to join the EU in May 2004, could also enter the eurozone soon after. According to the central bank Governor, Reinoldijus Sarkinas, Lithuania already meets the conditions to adopt the euro as from 1 January 2007.
Link to article http://www.euobserver.com/index.phtml?aid=11045
Lithuania, a front-runner among the Central and Eastern European countries to join the EU in May 2004, could also enter the eurozone soon after. According to the central bank Governor, Reinoldijus Sarkinas, Lithuania already meets the conditions to adopt the euro as from 1 January 2007.
Link to article http://www.euobserver.com/index.phtml?aid=11045
Re: Enlargement: Lithuania (vote on May 11th)
Here is the article:
Lithuania pegs hopes on joining euro in 2007
There is no opt-out clause for the 10 acceding states on joining the eurozone. (Photo: European Commission)
Lithuania’s politicians already appear to be preparing to join the eurozone, even though its government has not yet conducted a referendum to establish whether its citizens are fully behind EU membership.
According to Mr Sarkinas, the country will start negotiations on the date of joining the single currency after the referendum scheduled for 10-11 May, reported the PAP on Monday.
Lithuania meets all the criteria for eurozone membership with a budget deficit forecast at around 2 per cent, public debt at 26 per cent of GDP and inflation below 2 per cent at the end of 2003.
The Lithuanian litas is already pegged at 3.4528 litas to the euro with no trading band.
Newcomers have to adopt the euro when they meet the terms set for joining the single currency with no possibility for opt-out, though there is no deadline for entering the eurozone. Before this, they need to join the exchange-rate membership (ERM2), pegging their currencies to the euro, for two years.
The current eurozone members have to adhere to certain criteria where budget deficits must not exceed 3 per cent of GDP, debts must remain at a maximum of 60 per cent of GDP and inflation rates below the average of the three best-performing eurozone countries plus 1.5 percentage points.
Presently, only the UK, Sweden and Denmark are outside the eurozone.
Lithuania pegs hopes on joining euro in 2007
There is no opt-out clause for the 10 acceding states on joining the eurozone. (Photo: European Commission)
Lithuania’s politicians already appear to be preparing to join the eurozone, even though its government has not yet conducted a referendum to establish whether its citizens are fully behind EU membership.
According to Mr Sarkinas, the country will start negotiations on the date of joining the single currency after the referendum scheduled for 10-11 May, reported the PAP on Monday.
Lithuania meets all the criteria for eurozone membership with a budget deficit forecast at around 2 per cent, public debt at 26 per cent of GDP and inflation below 2 per cent at the end of 2003.
The Lithuanian litas is already pegged at 3.4528 litas to the euro with no trading band.
Newcomers have to adopt the euro when they meet the terms set for joining the single currency with no possibility for opt-out, though there is no deadline for entering the eurozone. Before this, they need to join the exchange-rate membership (ERM2), pegging their currencies to the euro, for two years.
The current eurozone members have to adhere to certain criteria where budget deficits must not exceed 3 per cent of GDP, debts must remain at a maximum of 60 per cent of GDP and inflation rates below the average of the three best-performing eurozone countries plus 1.5 percentage points.
Presently, only the UK, Sweden and Denmark are outside the eurozone.
