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Potential Output, Output Gap and Fiscal Stance: is the EC estimation of the NAWRU too sensitive to be reliable?

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  • Fioramanti, Marco

Abstract

EU fiscal governance builds on the concept of Potential Output, the highest level of production an economy can sustain without incurring in inflationary pressure. Unfortunately, Potential Output is not observable and must be estimated. There are many techniques to obtain a guess value of the potential of an economy, each of which with pros and cons. The methodology adopted by the European Commission and EU Member States, while consistent with most of the recent economic and econometric theory, is still not robust enough to give a unique and irrefutable measure on which to base EU’s fiscal framework. Should the fiscal governance continue to be based on this concept, further extension of the methodology must be implemented in order to obtain more robust estimates.

Suggested Citation

  • Fioramanti, Marco, 2016. "Potential Output, Output Gap and Fiscal Stance: is the EC estimation of the NAWRU too sensitive to be reliable?," MPRA Paper 73762, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised Sep 2016.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:73762
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Schuster, Florian & Krahé, Max & Sigl-Glöckner, Philippa & Leusder, Dominik, 2021. "The cyclical component of the debt brake: Analysis and a reform proposal," Papers 277890, Dezernat Zukunft - Institute for Macrofinance, Berlin.
    3. Max Krahé & Florian Schuster & Philippa Sigl-Glöckner, 2021. "Wird die Konjunkturkomponente der Schuldenbremse ihrer Aufgabe noch gerecht? [Is the Cyclical Component of the Debt Brake Still Up to Its Task?]," Wirtschaftsdienst, Springer;ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 101(8), pages 621-628, August.
    4. Fioramanti, Marco & Waldmann, Robert J., 2017. "The Econometrics of the EU Fiscal Governance: is the European Commission methodology still adequate?," MPRA Paper 81858, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Tommaso Proietti & Marco Fioramanti & Cecilia Frale & Libero Monteforte, 2020. "A Systemic Approach to Estimating the Output Gap for the Italian Economy," Comparative Economic Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Association for Comparative Economic Studies, vol. 62(3), pages 465-493, September.
    6. Ademmer, Martin & Boysen-Hogrefe, Jens & Carstensen, Kai & Hauber, Philipp & Jannsen, Nils & Kooths, Stefan & Rossian, Thies & Stolzenburg, Ulrich, 2019. "Schätzung von Produktionspotenzial und -lücke: Eine Analyse des EU-Verfahrens und mögliche Verbesserungen," Open Access Publications from Kiel Institute for the World Economy 193965, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW).
    7. Ademmer, Martin & Boysen-Hogrefe, Jens & Carstensen, Kai & Hauber, Philipp & Jannsen, Nils & Kooths, Stefan & Rossian, Thies & Stolzenburg, Ulrich, 2019. "Schätzung von Produktionspotenzial und -lücke: Eine Analyse des EU-Verfahrens und mögliche Verbesserungen," Kieler Beiträge zur Wirtschaftspolitik 19, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    8. Eddie Casey, 2019. "Inside the "Upside Down": Estimating Ireland's Output Gap," The Economic and Social Review, Economic and Social Studies, vol. 50(1), pages 5-34.

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    JEL classification:

    • C1 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General
    • E37 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Forecasting and Simulation: Models and Applications
    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory

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