Title: Central Bank Independence in Southeastern Europe with a view to EU integration

Authors: Sandra Dvorsky

Addresses: Oesterreichische Nationalbank, European Affairs and International Financial Organizations Division, Otto-Wagner-Platz 3, A 1090 Vienna, Austria

Abstract: The paper provides an analysis of central bank legislation in eight Southeastern European (SEE) countries. For this purpose, the paper uses the ECB classification and examines functional, institutional, personal and financial independence. Moreover, the paper sheds some light on the practical implementation of CBI in these countries. The study finds that the degree of CBI corresponds largely to the respective country|s level of integration with the European Union. The paper concludes that legal arrangements to protect the status of the central bank are a necessary, though not sufficient, prerequisite for CBI. In fact, the importance of practical implementation cannot be overestimated.

Keywords: central banks; central bank independence; transition economies; EU integration; European Union; Bulgaria; Romania; Croatia; former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia; Albania; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Montenegro; Serbia.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMEF.2008.020637

International Journal of Monetary Economics and Finance, 2008 Vol.1 No.3, pp.302 - 328

Published online: 06 Oct 2008 *

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