IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/rif/report/25.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Implications of EU Governance Reforms: Rationale and Practical Application

Author

Listed:
  • Alcidi, Cinzia
  • Gros, Daniel

Abstract

We consider the real life implementation of some key elements of the new economic governance framework for the euro area. The main findings are the following. The Country Specific Recommendations issued in the context of the European Semester seem to be too little ‘specific’ to constrain governments in general and even less creditor governments, who so far have been able to ignore them. We argue that the Excessive Imbalances Procedure should be based much more on forward looking variables and on deviations from the euro area average instead of absolute thresholds. The emphasis on cyclically adjusted balances in the reformed Stability and Growth Pact, as well as the Fiscal Compact (formally the TSCG) will face serious problems of implementation given the uncertainties surrounding the estimates of the cyclical component and the frequent revisions this component is subject to. Finally we show that the rationale for fiscal policy coordination, namely spill-over effects from national actions to the rest of the euro area, change nature in different economic circumstances. During a financial crisis much more coordination is desirable than during normal times. This implies that the set of ambitious rules for economic policy coordination created under the impression of the euro crisis might not be appropriate for different circumstances.

Suggested Citation

  • Alcidi, Cinzia & Gros, Daniel, 2014. "Implications of EU Governance Reforms: Rationale and Practical Application," ETLA Reports 25, The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy.
  • Handle: RePEc:rif:report:25
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.etla.fi/wp-content/uploads/ETLA-Raportit-Reports-25.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Claudio BorioBy & Piti Disyatat & Mikael Juselius, 2017. "Rethinking potential output: embedding information about the financial cycle," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 69(3), pages 655-677.
    2. Alberto Alesina & Silvia Ardagna, 2010. "Large Changes in Fiscal Policy: Taxes versus Spending," NBER Chapters, in: Tax Policy and the Economy, Volume 24, pages 35-68, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Jorgen Mortensen, 2013. "Economic Policy Coordination in the EMU: From Maastricht via SGP to the Fiscal Pact," CASE Network Studies and Analyses 0459, CASE-Center for Social and Economic Research.
    4. Gros, Daniel & Busse, Matthias, 2013. "The Macroeconomic Imbalance Procedure and Germany: When is a surplus an “imbalance”?," CEPS Papers 8593, Centre for European Policy Studies.
    5. De Grauwe, Paul, 2014. "Yes, it’s the economy, stupid, but is it demand or supply?," CEPS Papers 8830, Centre for European Policy Studies.
    6. Zsolt Darvas & Erkki Vihriälä, 2013. "Does the European Semester deliver the right policy advice?," Policy Contributions 793, Bruegel.
    7. Mortensen, Jørgen, 2013. "Economic Policy Coordination in the Economic and Monetary Union: From Maastricht via the SGP to the Fiscal Pact," CEPS Papers 8310, Centre for European Policy Studies.
    8. Ansgar Belke & Daniel Gros, 2009. "On the benefits of fiscal policy coordination in a currency union: a note," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 36(1), pages 45-49, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Maria Siranova & Marek Radvanský, 2018. "Performance of the Macroeconomic Imbalance Procedure in light of historical experience in the CEE region," Journal of Economic Policy Reform, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(4), pages 335-352, October.
    2. Domonkos Tomáš & Ostrihoň Filip & Šikulová Ivana & Širaňová Mária, 2017. "Analysing the Relevance of the MIP Scoreboard's Indicators," National Institute Economic Review, National Institute of Economic and Social Research, vol. 239(1), pages 32-52, February.
    3. Alcidi, Cinzia & Gros, Daniel, 2017. "How to strengthen the European Semester?," CEPS Papers 13292, Centre for European Policy Studies.
    4. Tomáš Domonkos & Filip Ostrihoň & Ivana Šikulová & Maria Širaňová, 2016. "Analyzing macroeconomic imbalances in the EU," EcoMod2016 9660, EcoMod.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ludek Kouba & Michal Mádr & Danuše Nerudová & Petr Rozmahel, 2015. "Policy Autonomy, Coordination or Harmonisation in the Persistently Heterogeneous European Union? WWWforEurope Working Paper No. 95," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 58136, March.
    2. Robert Joliet & Rabia Nessah, 2016. "Euro White and Euro Yolk: Sovereign Debt Structure Stability in the Eurozone," International Game Theory Review (IGTR), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 18(03), pages 1-15, September.
    3. Iancu, Aurel & Olteanu, Dan, 2015. "Fiscal Consolidation by Austerity and EU Surveillance Policies," Working Papers of National Institute for Economic Research 151209, Institutul National de Cercetari Economice (INCE).
    4. Steininger, Lea & Hesse, Casimir, 2024. "Buying into new ideas: The ECB’s evolving justification of unlimited liquidity," Department of Economics Working Paper Series 357, WU Vienna University of Economics and Business.
    5. Claudio Borio, 2013. "On Time, Stocks and Flows: Understanding the Global Macroeconomic Challenges," National Institute Economic Review, National Institute of Economic and Social Research, vol. 225(1), pages 3-13, August.
    6. Milan Deskar-Skrbic & Darjan Milutinovic, 2021. "Design of fiscal consolidation packages and model-based fiscal multipliers in Croatia," Public Sector Economics, Institute of Public Finance, vol. 45(1), pages 1-61.
    7. Hebous, Shafik & Zimmermann, Tom, 2014. "Revisiting the Narrative Approach of Estimating Fiscal Multipliers," VfS Annual Conference 2014 (Hamburg): Evidence-based Economic Policy 100408, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    8. Mariarosaria Comunale, 2017. "Synchronicity of real and financial cycles and structural characteristics in EU countries," CEIS Research Paper 414, Tor Vergata University, CEIS, revised 25 Sep 2017.
    9. Daniele Tavani & Luca Zamparelli, 2017. "Government spending composition, aggregate demand, growth, and distribution," Review of Keynesian Economics, Edward Elgar Publishing, vol. 5(2), pages 239-258, April.
    10. Tobias Cwik, 2012. "Fiscal consolidation using the example of Germany," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2012-80, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    11. R. Barrell & D. Karim & C. Macchiarelli, 2020. "Towards an understanding of credit cycles: do all credit booms cause crises?," The European Journal of Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(10), pages 978-993, July.
    12. İbrahim Özmen & Mihai Mutascu, 2024. "Public Debt and Growth: New Insights," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 15(2), pages 8706-8736, June.
    13. Bofinger, Peter & Franz, Wolfgang & Schmidt, Christoph M. & Weder di Mauro, Beatrice & Wiegard, Wolfgang, 2010. "Chancen für einen stabilen Aufschwung. Jahresgutachten 2010/11 [Chances for a stable upturn. Annual Report 2010/11]," Annual Economic Reports / Jahresgutachten, German Council of Economic Experts / Sachverständigenrat zur Begutachtung der gesamtwirtschaftlichen Entwicklung, volume 127, number 201011, February.
    14. João T. Jalles, 2022. "Do credit rating agencies reward fiscal prudence?," International Finance, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(1), pages 2-22, April.
    15. Javier Andrés & José Emilio Boscá & Javier Ferri, 2011. "Household Leverage and Fiscal Multipliers," Working Papers 1103, International Economics Institute, University of Valencia.
    16. Bernd Hayo & Florian Neumeier, 2017. "Public Attitudes toward Fiscal Consolidation: Evidence from a Representative German Population Survey," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 70(1), pages 42-69, February.
    17. Grintzalis, Ioannis & Lodge, David & Manu, Ana-Simona, 2017. "The implications of global and domestic credit cycles for emerging market economies: measures of finance-adjusted output gaps," Working Paper Series 2034, European Central Bank.
    18. Boss, Alfred & Dovern, Jonas & Groll, Dominik & Meier, Carsten-Patrick & van Roye, Björn & Scheide, Joachim, 2010. "Deutschland: Konjunkturelle Erholung setzt sich in verlangsamtem Tempo fort - Gefahr eines Rückschlags durch die Schuldenkrise," Open Access Publications from Kiel Institute for the World Economy 45571, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    19. Kuralbayeva, Karlygash, 2013. "Optimal fiscal policy and different degrees of access to international capital markets," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 336-352.
    20. João Tovar Jalles, 2024. "Financial Crises and Climate Change," Comparative Economic Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Association for Comparative Economic Studies, vol. 66(1), pages 166-190, March.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    EU governance; Policy coordination; Macroeconomic imbalances; Spillovers; Structural balance;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E02 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General - - - Institutions and the Macroeconomy
    • E60 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - General

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:rif:report:25. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Kaija Hyvönen-Rajecki (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/etlaafi.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.