The German Council of Economic Experts (GCEE): Statutory mandate and process

Since 1963, the year of its foundation, the German Council of Economic Experts (GCEE) has been working as an independent group of advisors on a wide range of questions of economic policy to Germany's policymakers and the general public. Its annual report has been serving as an anchor for budgetary planning and forecasting of administrations and enterprises, as a principal source of information regarding the state of the economy and the effects of policy interventions, and more generally as an inspiration for the public discourse on economic policy in Germany and at the European level. As a reflection of its independence, the GCEE's analyses and views are often exposed to considerable criticism from the political sphere. Yet, this sense of unease must not be confused with criticism of the council’s analytical quality. As this brief article explains, being a critical, yet constructive voice in the economic policy arena is enshrined in the GCEE's legal mandate and process.