Brookings Institution, (2013), “The G-20 and Central Banks in the New World of Unconventional Monetary Policy”. Five years after the first meeting of G-20 leaders, and decisive action by the central banks and treasuries of the world’s major economies that prevented the financial crisis of 2008-2009 from turning into a 1930’s style world-wide depression, the world economy still remains fragile. The original fiscal stimulus agreed upon in the April 3rd …Read More

IMF, (2013), “2013 Spillover Report”, IMF Policy Paper. Five years after the global financial crisis, the severe tensions and risks rooted last year in some of the “Systemic five” (S5)—China, euro area, Japan, United Kingdom, United States––have abated but all five are still operating below potential, i.e., they are not contributing to global activity as much as they might: if they could somehow close their output gaps, global output would …Read More

European Commission, (2013), “European business cycle indicators”, 2nd Quarter 2013. Apart from useful tools for the assessment of the overall economic picture, the EU-wide harmonised survey programme for the business sector also provides more granular information about the factors underlying managers’ assessment of the business situation. Questions on ‘factors limiting production’ allow to investigate the sources of potential limitations to business activity, e.g. whether they are rooted in the demand …Read More