This brief provides a detailed description of the Stability and Growth Pact, an agreement entered into by the member states of the European Union that has far-reaching implications for the long-run value of the euro, and therefore, on the real economy in terms of output growth and employment....

We proceed as follows. Section 7.2 deals with the conflicts arising from the persisting asymmetry of demand shocks, possible unfavourable effects on trade and welfare, lack of national and supranational fiscal stabilizers, low mobility and flexibility of labour and shortage of money stocks for...