Les politiques budgétaires dans l'Union européenne. Compte rendu du colloque organisé par EUROFRAME le 4 juin 2004

This paper provides an outline of the first EUROFRAME conference on fiscal policies in the European Union held in Paris, 4 June 2004. Seven topics were addressed: 1) Assessment of European fiscal policies since 1990. 2) Fiscal policy effectiveness: any evidence of anti-Keynesian effects? 3) Fiscal policy interdependences in Europe: any gains to be expected from policy coordination? 4) Does EU need fiscal coordination or competition? 5) Impact of the European enlargement on the policy framework 6) What fiscal framework should be preferred: explicit rules, independent experts committees or discretionary policies? 7) Reforming the Stability and Growth Pact: better rules, debt surveillance, more powers to the Commission, more coordination by the Eurogroup, more national autonomy? Finally, a roundtable discussed the strategy needed in Europe: more active macroeconomic policies or structural reforms?