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The "New" Stability and Growth Pact: More Flexible, Less Stupid?

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  • Rui Alves
  • Oscar Afonso

Abstract

Since the beginning of the European single currency project, the adoption of fiscal binding rules, restraining the use of the single policy instrument left for national authorities, has been challenged by many authors and politicians. The discussion has been rekindled in recent years, following a period of economic recession or stagnation in several Member-Countries and some criticisms linking the Stability and Growth Pact (SGP) to the general economic situation. Some of the questions raised by those who criticised the initial framework for fiscal discipline may have been taken into account in the recent revision of the SGP (March 2005), which followed the suspension of the Pact for Germany and France and eventually made the SGP more flexible and “less stupid”. In this paper, we evaluate the changes contained in the “new” SGP, by taking account of the properties for ideal fiscal rules put forward by Kopits and Symansky (1998) and comparing with some recently published studies on the same topic. The main result of our analysis points towards a clear increase in flexibility together with the probable emergence of new enforcement problems. In this context, an insufficient output in terms of fiscal discipline could arise, leading to the need for new improvements within the European framework for the definition and implementation of national fiscal policies.
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  • Rui Alves & Oscar Afonso, 2007. "The "New" Stability and Growth Pact: More Flexible, Less Stupid?," Intereconomics: Review of European Economic Policy, Springer;ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics;Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), vol. 42(4), pages 218-225, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:intere:v:42:y:2007:i:4:p:218-225
    DOI: 10.1007/s10272-007-0222-y
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    Cited by:

    1. Iulia Andreea Bucur & Simona Elena Dragomirescu, 2013. "An Analysis Of The Fiscal Convergence Criteria In The European Union In Terms Of The Sustainability," Studies and Scientific Researches. Economics Edition, "Vasile Alecsandri" University of Bacau, Faculty of Economic Sciences, issue 18.
    2. Rui Henrique Alves & Oscar Afonso, 2008. "Fiscal Federalism in the European Union: How Far Are We?," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Jesús Ferreiro & Giuseppe Fontana & Felipe Serrano (ed.), Fiscal Policy in the European Union, chapter 1, pages 6-24, Palgrave Macmillan.
    3. Marek Lubiński, 2011. "Przyszłość paktu stabilności i wzrostu," Gospodarka Narodowa. The Polish Journal of Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, issue 1-2, pages 19-42.
    4. Ralph M. Wrobel, 2008. "Balanced Budget Rules in Europe: A Comparative Institutional Analysis," International Area Studies Review, Center for International Area Studies, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, vol. 11(1), pages 153-168, March.
    5. Amy K. Filipek & Till Schreiber, 2010. "The Stability and Growth Pact: Past Performance and Future Reforms," Working Papers 97, Department of Economics, College of William and Mary.
    6. Andrzej Wojtyna, 2008. "Polityka pieniężna w strefie euro: dawne obawy, nowe wyzwania," Gospodarka Narodowa. The Polish Journal of Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, issue 11-12, pages 1-20.
    7. Stoian, Andreea & Alves, Rui Henrique, 2014. "High public debt in the euro area: still a fact," MPRA Paper 63679, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    JEL classification:

    • H62 - Public Economics - - National Budget, Deficit, and Debt - - - Deficit; Surplus
    • H63 - Public Economics - - National Budget, Deficit, and Debt - - - Debt; Debt Management; Sovereign Debt
    • H77 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - Intergovernmental Relations; Federalism

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