How to Fix the Euro

How to Fix the Euro
Author: Stephen Pickford
Publisher: Chatham House
Total Pages: 56
Release: 2015-01-31
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9781784130138

The global economic and financial crisis that started in 2007 exposed serious flaws in the euro's original design. This report examines why Europe's economic and monetary union was so badly affected by the crisis, and assesses whether further changes need to be made to the structure of economic governance that underpins it. A Chatham House, Elcano and AREL Report

Economic Convergence in the Euro Area: Coming Together or Drifting Apart?

Economic Convergence in the Euro Area: Coming Together or Drifting Apart?
Author: Mr.Jeffrey R. Franks
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages: 47
Release: 2018-01-23
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1484338499

We examine economic convergence among euro area countries on multiple dimensions. While there was nominal convergence of inflation and interest rates, real convergence of per capita income levels has not occurred among the original euro area members since the advent of the common currency. Income convergence stagnated in the early years of the common currency and has reversed in the wake of the global economic crisis. New euro area members, in contrast, have seen real income convergence. Business cycles became more synchronized, but the amplitude of those cycles diverged. Financial cycles showed a similar pattern: sychronizing more over time, but with divergent amplitudes. Income convergence requires reforms boosting productivity growth in lagging countries, while cyclical and financial convergence can be enhanced by measures to improve national and euro area fiscal policies, together with steps to deepen the single market.

Revisiting the Economic Case for Fiscal Union in the Euro Area

Revisiting the Economic Case for Fiscal Union in the Euro Area
Author: Mr.Helge Berger
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages: 63
Release: 2018-02-20
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1484340426

The paper makes an analytical contribution to the revived discussion about the euro area’s institutional setup. After significant progress during the euro crisis, the drive to complete Europe’s Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) had stalled, and the way forward will benefit from an in-depth look at the conceptual issues raised by the evolution and architecture of Europe, and the tradeoffs involved. A thorough look at the underlying economic issues suggests that in the long run, EMU will benefit from progressing along three mutually supporting tracks: introduce more fiscal risk sharing, helping to make the sovereign “no bailout” rule credible; complementary financial sector reforms to delink sovereigns and banks; and more effective rules to discourage moral hazard. This evolution would ensure that financial markets provide incentives for fiscal discipline. Introducing more fiscal union comes with myriad legal, technical, operational, and political problems, raising questions well beyond the remit of economics. But without decisive progress to foster fiscal risk sharing, EMU will continue to face existential risks.

The LIME Assessment Framework (LAF)

The LIME Assessment Framework (LAF)
Author:
Publisher:
Total Pages: 244
Release: 2008
Genre: Economic indicators
ISBN:

A methodological tool to compare, in the context of the Lisbon Strategy, the performance of EU Member States in terms of GDP and in terms of twenty policy areas affecting growth Publisher's note.

International Financial Statistics

International Financial Statistics
Author: International Monetary Fund. Statistics Dept.
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages: 817
Release: 2013-06-28
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1484388712

International Financial Statistics

Structural Reforms and Economic Performance in Advanced and Developing Countries

Structural Reforms and Economic Performance in Advanced and Developing Countries
Author: Mr.Jonathan David Ostry
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages: 62
Release: 2009-10-15
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1589068181

This volume examines the impact on economic performance of structural policies-policies that increase the role of market forces and competition in the economy, while maintaining appropriate regulatory frameworks. The results reflect a new dataset covering reforms of domestic product markets, international trade, the domestic financial sector, and the external capital account, in 91 developed and developing countries. Among the key results of this study, the authors find that real and financial reforms (and, in particular, domestic financial liberalization, trade liberalization, and agricultural liberalization) boost income growth. However, growth effects differ significantly across alternative reform sequencing strategies: a trade-before-capital-account strategy achieves better outcomes than the reverse, or even than a "big bang"; also, liberalizing the domestic financial sector together with the external capital account is growth-enhancing, provided the economy is relatively open to international trade. Finally, relatively liberalized domestic financial sectors enhance the economy's resilience, reducing output costs from adverse terms-of-trade and interest-rate shocks; increased credit availability is one of the key mechanisms.

Economic Crisis in Europe

Economic Crisis in Europe
Author: Paul van den Noord
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2011
Genre: European Union countries
ISBN: 9789279153631

The European economy is emerging from its deepest recession since the 1930s. This volume, which brings together economic analysis from the European Commission services, explains how swift policy response avoided a financial meltdown. Europe also needs an improved co-ordinated crisis-management framework to help it respond to any similar situations that may arise in the future. Economic Crisis in Europe is a much-anticipated volume which shows that the beginnings of such a crisis-management framework are emerging, building on existing institutions and legislation and complemented by new initiatives.

Euro Area Policies

Euro Area Policies
Author: International Monetary Fund. European Dept.
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages: 66
Release: 2017-07-25
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1484312341

This 2017 Article IV Consultation highlights that the cyclical recovery in the euro area is firming and becoming broad based. Lower energy prices, supportive policies, stronger labor markets and a recovery in credit growth have boosted domestic demand, especially private consumption. The near-term outlook is favorable, with growth of 1.9 percent expected in 2017 and 1.7 percent in 2018. Although headline inflation picked up in the first half of 2017 owing to higher energy prices, core inflation has remained persistently low. The improving near-term outlook is clouded by significant downside risks, especially in the medium and long term, amid thin policy buffers.