November 14, 1997 European economic and monetary union: Background and implications Bank of Canada Review - Autumn 1997 Chantal Dupasquier, Jocelyn Jacob The European Union, which currently consists of 15 states, occupies an important place among the advanced economies. The final stage of the European economic and monetary union (EMU) is scheduled to begin in January 1999 with the adoption of a common currency called the "euro." A decision on which countries will participate in the euro area in 1999 will be made next spring based in part on the achievement of the economic criteria laid out in the Maastricht Treaty. In this article, the authors, after a brief discussion of the historical background, cast some light on the institutional aspects of the EMU, on the formulation and implementation of economic policy, as well as on the internal and external effects of EMU completion. For Canada, the direct implications of the shift to the euro appear to be relatively modest, at least in the short run. Content Type(s): Publications, Bank of Canada Review articles Topic(s): Exchange rates, International topics, Recent economic and financial developments
November 14, 1997 Bank of Canada Review - Autumn 1997 Cover page The Puffins of Lundy The coin is part of the National Currency Collection at the Bank of Canada. Photography by James Zagon. Content Type(s): Publications, Bank of Canada Review
November 13, 1997 Statistical measures of the trend rate of inflation Bank of Canada Review - Autumn 1997 Thérèse Laflèche As a guide for the conduct of monetary policy, most central banks make use of a trend inflation index similar to that employed by the Bank of Canada: the CPI excluding food, energy, and the effect of indirect taxes. In addition to their basic reference index, some central banks regularly publish statistical measures of the trend rate of inflation. The method used for producing these measures is, for the most part, based on the hypothesis that extreme price fluctuations generally reflect temporary shocks to the inflation rate, rather than its underlying trend. In this paper, the author offers a broad survey of studies on the measurement of trend inflation that have been published by the Bank of Canada and presents the results of the most recent work on the subject. Particular attention is paid to two statistical measures that the Bank follows more closely than other measures; namely, the CPIX, a price index that excludes eight of the most volatile CPI components, and CPIW, a measure that retains all the components of the overall index but gives a lower weighting to the most volatile. Content Type(s): Publications, Bank of Canada Review articles Topic(s): Inflation and prices
November 12, 1997 Clearing and settlement systems and the Bank of Canada Bank of Canada Review - Autumn 1997 Clyde Goodlet Clearing and settlement systems are essential to the smooth functioning of a modern market-based economy such as Canada's. During the past decade, there have been significant efforts in Canada and abroad to improve electronic clearing and settlement systems that handle payments obligations, either uniquely or in conjunction with transactions related to the purchase and sale of a broad range of financial instruments such as debt, equity, foreign exchange, or derivatives. This article examines some of the risks faced by participants and end-users of these systems and reviews the Bank of Canada's role in relation to these systems. For a number of years, the Bank has been involved informally with major clearing and settlement systems with a view to ensuring that systemic risk is adequately controlled. In July 1996, the Payment Clearing and Settlement Act was proclaimed. This Act formalized the role of the Bank in the oversight of clearing and settlement systems for the purpose of controlling systemic risk. The article provides an overview of the Bank's responsibilities. It also describes certain new powers that the Act made available to the Bank that could be exercised in its dealings with clearing and settlement systems. Content Type(s): Publications, Bank of Canada Review articles Topic(s): Payment clearing and settlement systems
Modelling the Behaviour of U.S. Inventories: A Cointegration-Euler Approach Staff Working Paper 1997-19 Iris Claus Cyclical contractions are often referred to as inventory cycles, in part because movements in inventories can amplify cyclical fluctuations in output. An unanticipated slowing in demand generally leads to an unintended buildup of inventories: only with a lag do firms adjust production and their actual holding of inventories relative to the desired level. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): International topics JEL Code(s): E, E2, E22
October 7, 1997 Challenges ahead for monetary policy Remarks Gordon Thiessen Vancouver Board of Trade Vancouver, British Columbia Today, I would like to talk about some of the important issues and challenges facing monetary policy in the period ahead and how the Bank of Canada proposes to deal with them. This is not an unusual topic for me since the business of central banking is seldom without challenges. But what a difference the past two years have made to the challenges we face! Content Type(s): Press, Speeches and appearances, Remarks
October 1, 1997 Bank Rate Raised by ¼ Percentage Point Media Relations Ottawa, Ontario The Bank of Canada today raised the Bank Rate and its operating band for the overnight rate by 1/4 of one percentage point. Content Type(s): Press, Press releases
September 16, 1997 The recent economic record in Canada and the challenges ahead for monetary policy Remarks Gordon Thiessen New England-Canadian Business Council Boston, Massachusetts It has been a little over two years since my last public speech to an audience in the United States. During this time, a lot has happened in terms of economic developments in our two countries. One thing that continues to impress me is the remarkable performance of the U.S. economy, which has achieved six years of steady economic expansion, with high rates of job creation and low inflation. Content Type(s): Press, Speeches and appearances, Remarks
September 8, 1997 Change in Issuance Pattern of Treasury Bills Beginning with the 16 September Auction Media Relations On 5 August 1997, Secretary of State (International Financial Institutions) Jim Peterson announced on behalf of Finance Minister Paul Martin that beginning with the 16 September 1997 auction. Content Type(s): Press, Press releases
A Measure of Underlying Inflation in the United States Staff Working Paper 1997-20 Iris Claus A monetary authority with the primary objective of price stability has to distinguish between temporary price shocks and persistent shocks to the rate of inflation. A measure of underlying inflation, therefore, has an important role to play as a guideline for monetary policy. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers Topic(s): Inflation and prices, International topics JEL Code(s): E, E3, E31