The Effects of the Bursting of the US Housing Bubble on the European Union

Addressing some issues, the European Union decided to issue 750 million Euros in order to start the process of financial stability for the whole union (Mckee 524). Over time, the union learned that that the amount of money was not enough in order to help each countries’ individual financial crisis. As of now, the union has to increase the amount of money they are feeding to countries in hopes of fixing the economic issues. The continuing issue with the European Union’s economic plans is finding the money to keep funding countries with low economic growth. Furthermore, the union also has to figure out how to deal with the issues that are outside of the European Union’s borders. In

The financial crisis in America had spread to Europe. Banks in the UK bear the greatest impact from the credit crisis sub-prime housing loans in the U.S. For example, Northern Rock Bank had a bad debt account of up to 191.6 billion U.S. dollars in July 2008 and the Bank of England had to pump 27 billion pounds to rescue Northern Rock Bank. At the end of September 2008, there were some other big banks in Europe such as Dexia and Hypo Real Estate falling in the crisis and these banks were rescured by the governements throught financial bailout. (Alexander, 2008)

European Central Bank (ECB): Sustainable fiscal policies by all the EU members and the punishment for those members that do not comply with the

6.3 TRILLION DOLLARS! This is how much the value of homes have fallen in the United States since its real estate peak back in July of 2006. After the price of houses peaked in 2006, they gradually started to decline until December 30th, 2008. This is when the Case-Shiller home price index which measured the value of homes, reported its largest price decrease in its entire history. From there we saw prices continue to decline until we hit all-time lows in 2012. The United States housing bubble burst will be talked about for years to come including many what caused it and how to prevent such occurrences in the future. Low interest rates, Housing bubble, subprime mortgages, as well as securitization all contributed to the housing market crash of 2008 and will all be explained in this paper. According to the general consensus, most people believe that the housing bubble was the main cause of the 2007-2009 economic recession in the United States of America.

Between 2004 and 2006, the Federal Reserve decided to increase the interest rate at which it would lend money to banks. The effects of this led to higher interest rates passed on to consumers by the banks. Though this is only part of the issue, it contributed to the housing bubble collapse. The economic effects of what occurred were not fully realized until August of 2008.When the housing market crashed; it had tremendously adverse effects on the US as well as the World economy (Bajaj).Why did raising interest so slightly affect so many people? The simple answer is that a lot of people were living beyond their means. Banks and subprime lenders were lending money to people who realistically could not pay the loans back. President Calvin Coolidge said, “There is no dignity quite so impressive, and no one independence quite so important, as living within your means”.

On September 15th 2008, Lehman Brothers, one of the United States’ largest investment banks, declared bankruptcy. This event occurred during the Great Recession, a time period where economic activities in the United States had significantly declined in the early 21st century. The Great Recession occurred for numerous reasons; however the primary reasons are due to the housing bubble as well as the subprime mortgage backed securities. What made matters worse during the recession was the day September 29, 2008 when congress could not come in agreement to pass a bailout plan that would have otherwise saved Lehman Brothers. The period of its collapse is an interesting part of United States’ finance industry’s history; this is primarily due to the frequency that which this sort of event can occur actually occur in real world economics. The United States’ housing bubble is an example that is applicable to the black swan theory. This theory is summarized as, “An event or occurrence that deviates beyond what is normally expected of a situation and that would be extremely difficult to predict.” (“Black Swan Theory”). The severity of the housing bubble effect had rendered the Fed’s primary tool of open market operations to be ineffective. The Fed had to rely on other measures that are infrequently used; in this case was quantitative easing. Quantitative easing is the injection of reserves into circulation to promote economic activity as well as decrease the unemployment rate. This

The Euro was approved for equity and debt trading, bank transactions, business-to-business and payments by cheque. The euro transformed Europe (Warner, 1998) from “a jigsaw of costly protected markets into a vigorously competitive economic bloc, thereby enhancing international trade in the area”.

Most citizens of the euro area did not understand what they were losing when the Maastricht Treaty was signed in 1992, and the euro introduced in 1999. You couldn’t see it until there was a serious recession—when the government really needed to use expansionary

On November 1, 1993 the fate of our economy was decided. After one half of a century of waiting, the Eurozone came to a solemn existence. The once great powers of the world, the European nations, had completed a risky, and perhaps foolish, task. The world’s first regional economic system was successfully created. Now, almost two decades later, the world’s economies are on the verge of collapse, and it seems that no economy, other than the Eurozone, is at fault, due to its recent and quite careless economic endeavors. As the rest of the world continues to force the blame upon the Eurozone and its twenty-five member states-including the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Germany, we

The European Union’s role in the international sphere, as well as the aim to improve its external actions, have been considered to be the two most important features of the Lisbon Treaty. Within the Lisbon Treaty, the combination of the provisions on mutual assistance and solidarity created new pressures on member states to assist one another in cases of armed attacks, disasters being it natural or man-made and crisis on EU territory.

erm paper: 'To what extent have the reforms introduced by the Lisbon Treaty solved the institution problems of the EU? '

After the long awaited single currency implementation known as the euro, there have been many ups and downs to this monetary system. Many have been quick to criticize while others still praise its value claiming it will soon be valued strongly against the dollar. Our paper looks into the various aspects of the euro and the progress it has made since its initiation. We begin with a brief history of the euro then move on by raising some questions concerning the effects of the euro on various economic aspects such as competition and global financial institutions. We then provide insight to the various strengths and weaknesses of the euro and the implications this currency has on various institutions such as banks.

After the Lisbon treaty was signed, it became noticeable that the Eurozone (which started in Greece) was in a deep financial crisis. The EU has taken a number of different steps to deal with the financial debt crisis throughout the Eurozone. These are the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF), the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) and the European Financial Stabilisation Mechanism (EFSM). Throughout this essay I will concentrate on the EFSF and the EFSM and if and how the provisions of the Unions treaty were violated by these. I will evaluate different case law throughout recent years to show us the illegality of these, which often violated the treaties of the European Union while also talking a little bit about the ESM, ECB and the IMF. I will also talk about the Greek Bailout and the bail out clause with a small reference to the Pringle case.

“There is a dramatic need for a comprehensive strategy of Eurozone stability, institutional consolidation, and economic recovery and development that goes to the roots of the trouble, and places the necessary short-term stabilization measures within the long-term perspective of institutional development and economic growth” (Dallago, 213).

The European Union (EU) was established in order to prevent the horrors of modern warfare, experienced by most of Europe during the World Wars of the 20th century, from ever ensuing again, by aiming to create an environment of trust with the countries of Europe cooperating in areas such as commerce, research and trade (Adams, 2001). The EU has evolved into an economic, trade, political and monetary alliance between twenty-eight European Member States. While not all Member States are in monetary union (i.e. share the currency of the euro), those that are form the ‘Euro-zone’ (Dinan, 2006). The EU can pass a number of types of legislation, with a regulation, act, or law, being the most powerful. Its ‘tricameral’ (European Union, 2007)