European Policy Centre (2014) “Missing a generation in EU politics”, FutureLab Europe, 07 April. The European Union has always struggled to build a strong relation with its electorate and the results of the 2009 European elections showed that turnout is still declining but also significantly lower than in national elections. The percentage of young people that voted in these elections was even lower, with an average of 29% for …Read More
What are the effects of the EU budget: Driving force or drop in the ocean?
Núñez-Ferrer, J. & Katarivas, M. (2014) “What are the effects of the EU budget: Driving force or drop in the ocean?”, CEPS Special Reports, Economic Policy, 28 April. The study presents an overview of the impact of the main investment tools of the EU budget. The focus is on the increasing role of the financial instruments, which are fundamentally changing the budget’s nature and reach. Through these instruments, the …Read More
The IMF’s preferred creditor status: Questions after the Eurozone crisis
Schadler, S. (2014) “The IMF’s preferred creditor status: Questions after the Eurozone crisis”, VoxEU Organisation, 28 April. The IMF has had a preferred creditor status throughout the history of its lending. This implies that borrowing countries are expected to give priority to meeting their obligations to the IMF over other creditors. This column reviews the onset of this preferred status, its purpose, and the way it changed after the …Read More
Library » EU » Economy » Opinion Articles
Shrinking times – ECB excess liquidity falls below €100 billion
Merler, S. (2014) “Shrinking times – ECB excess liquidity falls below €100 billion”, Bruegel Think Tank, 24 April Over the last 5 years, the Eurozone financial system has been flooded with liquidity, due to the ECB’s very special response to the very special bank-sovereign euro crisis. In 2008, faced with an almost frozen interbank market, the ECB changed the way it allocates the Central Bank’s funds, introducing a policy …Read More
Library » EU » Economy » Scientific Articles
Bureaucracy may be the solution, rather than the problem, for issues of European governance
Lodge, M. & Wegrich, K. (2014) “Bureaucracy may be the solution, rather than the problem, for issues of European governance“, LSE EUROPP, 24 April. The European Union is often criticised from the perspective that it has created a layer of bureaucracy or ‘red tape’ which has a damaging effect on European governance. Martin Lodge and Kai Wegrich write that while it is particularly common for political parties to make …Read More
Library » EU » Politics » Opinion Articles
European Banking Union: Status of Implementation and the Need for Improvement
Bauer, M. & Demary, M. (2014) “European Banking Union: Status of Implementation and the Need for Improvement“, Konrand Adenauer Stiftung, 23 April. The crisis in the euro area revealed points of weakness in the architecture of the Monetary Union. It appeared that the common monetary policy also required a common system of banking supervision. This report summarises the current proposals and decisions regarding the Banking Union and evaluates the …Read More
Human capital and income inequality: Some facts and some puzzles
Castelló-Climent, A. & Doménech, R. (2014) “Human capital and income inequality: Some facts and some puzzles“, VoxEU Organisation, 23 April. Most developing countries have made a great effort to eradicate illiteracy. As a result, the inequality in the distribution of education has been reduced by more than half from 1950 to 2010. However, inequality in the distribution of income has hardly changed. This column presents evidence from a new …Read More
Library » EU » Society » Scientific Articles
Is German Policy The Greatest Eurozone Threat? A Response To Jürgen Stark
Fazi, T. (2014) “Is German Policy The Greatest Eurozone Threat? A Response To Jürgen Stark“, Social Europe Journal, 16 April. In a recent article published in the Financial Times, Jürgen Stark, a former member of the ECB’s executive board, brings the anti-inflation paranoia that the German establishment has accustomed us to since the start of the crisis to a whole new level. In his commentary, he rebuts the need …Read More
Library » EU » Politics » Opinion Articles
Global value chains in the current trade slowdown
Ferrantino, J. M. & Taglioni, D. (2014) “Global value chains in the current trade slowdown”, VoxEU Organisation, 06 April. Recent growth in trade has decelerated significantly since its sharp recovery in 2010. This column discusses the role of global value chains in international trade and their contribution to the trade slowdown. Trade in complex products organised by global value chains, in particular motor vehicles, has been more sensitive to …Read More
Library » EU » Economy » Scientific Articles
European Banking Union: Current Outlook and Short-Term Choices
Véron, N. (2014) “European Banking Union: Current Outlook and Short-Term Choices”, Statement presented at the conference “Banking Union and the Financing of the Portuguese Economy,” Assembleia da Republica/ Portuguese Parliament, Lisbon, 26 February. The launch of Europe’s banking union on June 29, 2012, was arguably the European Union’s most consequential policy initiative since the start of its financial crisis in mid-2007. Banking union, defined as the transfer of banking …Read More
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