Today, the Euro set another record, breaching the $1.40 mark.  While theoretically a meaningless achievement, $1.40 was an important psychological and technical barrier, since many traders place stop orders and limit orders at round numbers, such as $1.40.  Accordingly, upon surpassing $1.40, the Euro quickly accelerated upward, creating a short squeeze, where those who bet the Euro would not pass $1.40 were forced to buy to cover their positions. EU politicians have been surprisingly quiet as the Euro rose rapidly against the Dollar, commenting only that they would monitor the situation.  However, it seems inevitable that the value of the Euro will begin to play a more serious role in EU economic policy, since it is already beginning to hamper growth.  AFP News reports:

“Excessive volatility and disorderly movements in exchange rates is undesirable for economic growth,” European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet said.

Read More: EU finance chiefs on guard over euro strength, market turmoil