Stability and Growth Pact

ANNE BRUNILA is Economic Advisor the European Commission, Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs. She is on leave of absence from the Bank of Finland, where she is head of the Economic Policy Division. - MARCO BUTI is responsible for public finances in the EMU at the European Commission, and is visiting Professor at the European University Institute. He has written a number of books and articles on EMU, fiscal policy, welfare state, taxation and European unemployment. - DANIELE FRANCO is Director of the Public Finance Division in the research department at the Bank of Italy, and previously served as Economic Adviser at the European Commission. He has written a number of books and articles on fiscal policy, public pensions, public expenditure, generational accounting and taxation issues.

• List of Tables List of Figures Acknowledgements Notes on the Contributors Introduction; A.Brunila, M.Buti & D.Franco PART 1: DOES THE EMU NEED FISCAL RULES Does EMU Need a Stability Pact?; R.Beetsma The Stability and Growth Pact: a delicate balance or an albatross?; M.B.Canzoneri & B.T.Diba PART 2: WHERE DOES THE PACT COME FROM? Genesis of a Pact; J.Stark The Stability and Growth Pact: how did we get there?; D.Costello PART 3: HOW DOES THE PACT WORK? Main aspects of the working of the Stability and Growth Pact; A.J.Cabral Fiscal surveillance under the pact: the stability and Convergence Programmes; J.Fischer & G.Giudice PART 4: "CLOSE TO BALANCE OR IN SURPLUS": THE MEDIUM TERM BUDGETARY TARGETS Setting medium-term fiscal targets in EMU; M.J.Artis & M.Buti Estimating prudent budgetary margins for EU countries: a simulated SVAR model approach; T.Dalsgaard & A.de Serres The Stability and Growth Pact, will it ever be reached?; R.Barrell & K.Dury PART 5: FISCAL POLICY CO-ORDINATION UNDER THE PACT Fiscal policy, automatic stabilisers and policy co-ordination in EMU; M.Virén Should fiscal policy co-ordination go beyond the SGP?; S.Korkman PART 6: PUBLIC DEBT UNDER THE STABILITY AND GROWTH PACT Optimal debt under a deficit constraint; M.Rostagno, P.Hiebert & J.Pérez-Garcìa How should the debt be managed? Supporting the Stability Pact; A.Missale PART 7: WERE THERE POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVES? Public investment, the stability Pact and the 'Golden Rule'; F.Balassone & D.Franco Achieving fiscal discipline through tradable deficit permits; A.Casella Glossary References Index