the upgrading of our road infrastructure, allowing them to cope with the increased flow of traffic created by our now booming “Celtic Tiger” economy. This upgrading has enticed international companies to set up factories on Irish sites, knowing that there is a good road network between air and seaports etc. to facilitate export, although at the current rate of growth, this network will have to be upgraded further to cope with the demand.The introduction of a single market will be of benefit to both consumer and business alike. For the producer, the single market will open up more export opportunities than ever before, allowing more and more Irish companies to sell their goods and provide services in more and more countries around the continent. Ireland’s geographical position in Europe must also be noted when discussing export markets, as Ireland, being on the western periphery of the Union, will make an excellent point for goods being exported to the USA. The consumer will benefit from this market by way of increased product availability and the added bonus of a single currency will make exchange rates a thing of the past.The single currency or European Monetary Union (EMU) is an aspect of EU membership that will greatly affect all people in each of the member states.At the European Council meeting held in Madrid in December 1995, the European Heads of State, decided to call this single currency the Euro, and come January 1st 2002, Euro notes and coins will come into circulation. Until February 28th, there will be a system of dual currency in all member states, and after this date, the National currencies that were will no longer be legal tender and the changeover to the European single currency will be complete.There are 8 euro coins denominated in 1 and 2 euros, then 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cents. Every euro coin will carry a common European face and on the obverse, each Member State will decorate the coins with the...
