The transition phase to EMU has been accompanied by considerable monetary and fiscal consolidation efforts in the EU. This paper analyses this consolidation process and its effects on economic activity in the EU. It is tested to what extent fiscal retrenchment efforts have depressed or...

This paper analyses monetary policy in a stylized new-Keynesian model. A number of issues are focused upon: (i) optimal monetary policy under commitment or discretion vs. ad-hoc monetary policy based on simple rules, (ii) the effects of fiscal policies and foreign variables on monetary policy,...

This paper analyses monetary policy in the Euro-Area using a stylized new-Keynesian model. A number of issues are focused upon: (i) optimal monetary policy under commitment and discretion, (ii) a comparison of optimal monetary policies and ad-hoc monetary policies, (iii) the effects of fiscal...

This paper analyses the accession to the Euro-Area by new members using a stylized new-Keynesian model. We analyze macro-economic adjustment in the pre- and post accession case and calculate welfare in both situations to obtain net benefit/loss from accession. It is shown how the effects of...

This paper analyzes the effects of macroeconomic shocks in the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) using a stylized two-country model. First, it is shown how asymmetries between countries might matter in terms of the resulting business cycle fluctuations. More specifically, country-specific shocks...

There is a broad consensus among economists that the increased interdependence that comes from sharing a common currency and a single monetary policy justifies some degree of economic policy coordination between euro area Member States. However, empirical studies have, thus far, offered...