Sovereign Risk: Are the EU's New Member States Different?

This article examines whether rating agencies and investors perceive the sovereign risk of the new member states (NMS) of the European Union (EU) as different from that of other emerging markets. The results suggest the NMS have enjoyed favourable treatment since somewhere between 2002 and 2004, amounting to an advantage of 1.8 notches in ratings and 100 basis points in foreign currency spreads. We argue that, although several explanations of this effect are possible, it is most likely because of higher policy credibility bestowed by EU membership.