Otsing

The EP’s budget is drawn up during the year n-1, with the preparations in its Directorates General already starting in the last quarter of the year n-2. The budgetary procedure - first inside the EP for the institution’s own budget, then for the budget of the EU as a whole in the interinstitutional part of the procedure - lasts throughout the year n-1, with an agreement usually reached during the last quarter of year n-1. For example, the preparations for the 2020 budget in the Directorates General ...

Although energy price volatility has recently been the largest contributor to movements in the headline inflation rate, there are other factors indicating that inflation in the euro area will remain elevated in the months ahead. However, most of them have only a temporary effect. A major risk to the further development of inflation is a rise in inflation expectations, which should be monitored critically. This paper was provided by the Policy Department for Economic, Scientific and Quality of Life ...

We find that monetary variables, spillovers from US financial markets, expectations and sovereign risks are the main determinants of long-term interest rates in the EA. The empirical model does not identify recent overshooting. The observed rise since August 2016 is attributed to two factors: a) the increase in US long-term interest rates after the reversal in the Fed’s monetary stance; b) political tensions in France, Italy or Spain which generated higher perceived political risk.

We find a wide range of effects from rising interest rates, mostly small and mostly negative, focused on investment spending, debt service costs and shrinking fiscal space. The recommendation for the ECB is not to react till the emerging European recovery is on a firmer basis. There is also the worry that rising/overshooting interest often reflect the fact that inflation risks are unequally distributed: larger in some places, but offset by their absence elsewhere. That is a matter for domestic policy ...

The notes in this compilation provide an in-depth analysis of the pros and cons associated with the extension of ECB quantitative easing programme of asset purchases. The notes have been requested by the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs as an input for the February 2017 session of the Monetary Dialogue.

In the short- to medium-run, non-standard monetary policy helps to stimulate the economy and stabilize financial markets. However, it is also widely acknowledged that side effects tend to materialize in the medium- to long-run. Thus, the time dimension is a crucial factor in assessing the riskiness of this policy approach. For the February 2017 session of the Monetary Dialogue, the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) of the EP has requested a set of briefings to key monetary experts ...

In the short- to medium-run, non-standard monetary policy helps to stimulate the economy and stabilize financial markets. However, it is also widely acknowledged that side effects tend to materialize in the medium- to long-run. Thus, the time dimension is a crucial factor in assessing the riskiness of this policy approach.

The 2008 financial crisis highlighted consumers’ low level of understanding of financial products, which they often deemed too complex. It therefore exposed the lack of financial literacy among consumers, financial literacy being a combination of awareness, knowledge, skill, attitude and behaviour necessary to make sound financial decisions and achieve financial wellbeing. Earlier this year, the Swiss National Bank decision to discontinue its currency ceiling, leading to the sudden leap in value ...

Large variations exist in the approach to pensions in EU member states. This Policy Department A study aims at providing the EMPL Committee with information about the risks and replacement rates of the different pension schemes. Vulnerable groups are less likely to contribute to individual plans or 'third-pillar' schemes, which complicates a shift in replacement rates from Pillars 1 (aimed at avoiding old age poverty) and 2 (occupational schemes) to Pillar 3. Pillars 1 and 2 should ensure pension ...

The workshop concentrated on the review of the current and proposed regime of savings taxation in the European Union. Experts from the academia, European Commission, OECD, Member States and NGOs were heard.