It has been five months since Greece nearly brought an end to the euro. The debate on how to ensure that such a consequence is never realised went beyond the physical and metaphorical boundaries of the euro area. Among the first interested with the crisis' outcome were the EU Member States (MS) who have not adopted the common European currency.

As for the new EU members, so far only Slovakia, Slovenia, Malta and Cyprus have adopted the euro. Estonia will be next from the 1st January 2011. The euro area currently covers 16 of the 27 MS.

Will the politicians decide they have enough problems inside, rather than welcome new members into the euro area? This and other pressing questions will be addressed on 16-18 November in Brussels during a seminar co-organised by the European Journalism Centre (EJC) and the European Commission's Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs.

The EJC is pleased to invite you to attend this seminar, specially tailored to journalists from non-euro member and "opt-out" countries. The organisers will cover the flights (home country - Brussels, Brussels - home country), accommodation (including breakfast) and some lunches and dinners.

The selected reporters will meet European officials and independent experts. They will have the opportunity to attend press conferences following the meetings of finance ministers from the Euro Area (Eurogroup) and the EU-27 (ECFIN Council).

Members of the euro area were in a better position to cope with the economic and financial crisis as they enjoyed better credibility with better access to the resources of the European Central Bank.

All EU Member States form part of an Economic and Monetary Union, which can be described as an advanced stage of economic integration based on a single market. It involves close co-ordination of economic and fiscal policies and, for those countries fulfilling certain conditions, a single monetary policy and a single currency.

Under the Treaty of the European Union, all EU Member States have to join the euro area once the necessary conditions are fulfilled, except Denmark and the United Kingdom which have negotiated an 'opt-out' clause that allows them to remain outside the euro area. Sweden is also expected to join the euro area in the future.

Print page