The ECHR's Protection of Property Rights Against Inflation vs. The EC Price Stability Principle

Recently, the ECHR has been called to render judgments in cases concerning the loss of purchasing power of currencies, due to high inflation rates. The Court had to decide if the right to property as set forth by the European Convention on Human Rights in Art. 1 of the First Protocol was applicable at least in the case of hyperinflation. The many applications to the ECHR demonstrate how citizens perceive the stability of a currency as a fundamental principle. This research aims at investigating how the need for stability is considered within the European Community, and what are the benefits of the “price stability principle” which is at the core of the European Monetary Union.