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Section 4. Adjustment within the euro area. References: The 2006 EU Economy Review: adjustment dynamics in the euro area Bruegel Policy No. 3 P. Lane, “ The Real Effects of EMU”, IIIS Discussion Paper No. 115 Ahearne, Schmitz and von Hagen (2007). Preliminaries. Real effective exchange rate
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Section 4. Adjustment within the euro area References: • The 2006 EU Economy Review: adjustment dynamics in the euro area • Bruegel Policy No. 3 • P. Lane, “The Real Effects of EMU”, IIIS Discussion Paper No. 115 • Ahearne, Schmitz and von Hagen (2007)
Preliminaries • Real effective exchange rate • Real GDP growth and contributions • The “competitiveness” channel of adjustment • The “real interest rate” channel of adjustment
Bruegel policy brief 3 • What are the policy implications for current members? • What are the policy implications for new EMU applicants?
Policy implications for current members • Make sure divergence does not get any worse • Boost the “competitiveness channel” • Don’t do procyclical fiscal policy • Enhance prudential and regulatory policies
Maastricht criteria • Price stability criterion: inflation does not exceed by more than 1½ percentage points that of the three best-performing EU members • The exchange rate criterion: requires the observance of the normal fluctuation margins of the exchange rate mechanism (ERM II) for at least two years without severe tensions
Maastricht criteria • Long-run interest rate criterion: nominal interest rate do not exceed by more than 2 percentage points that of the three best-performing EU members • General government budget deficit must not exceed 3 percent of GDP; Gross government debt must not exceed 60 percent of GDP.
Implications for new EMU applicants • Maastricht criteria might be too strict (Balassa-Samuelson)