Reforming the Stability and Growth Pact: Breaking the Ice

This paper presents a critical assessment of the Stability and Growth Pact (SGP). Section 2 recalls the fiscal policy framework in the euro area. Section 3 provides an assessment of the first five years of the SGP. Section 4 addresses the weaknesses of the procedures: arbitrary criteria, insufficient economic policy co-ordination. Section 5 discusses European Commission's recent proposals: strengthening its influence on national fiscal policies; considering 'close-to-balance or in surplus' underlying budgetary positions. Section 6 discusses recent academic proposals: budgetary federalism, golden rule, permanent balance rule, public expenditure rule, fiscal policy committees, public debt surveillance... In section 7 we suggest that national budgetary policies should be responsible for managing the inflationproduction trade-off, under a medium term inflation objective, while monetary policy would target interest rates. This policy mix would give better outcomes in terms of economic stabilisation than the existing framework.(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)