This paper uses the European Commission’s QUEST macroeconomic model to analyse the impact of structural reforms on economic activity in an environment in which the zero bound on monetary policy rates is temporarily binding. The simulations suggest that although such reforms can have a negative...

We investigate the behaviour of gross capital flows and net capital flows for euro area member countries. We highlight the extraordinary boom-bust cycles in both gross flows and net flows since 2003. We also show that the reversal in net capital flows during the crisis has been very costly in...

This paper contributes to the ongoing debate on macroeconomic imbalances and external competitiveness by developing a set of indicators of export capability at a country-product level which can be used to complement the existing toolkit of instruments based mostly on unit labour costs and...

This paper studies the effectiveness of Euro Area (EA) fiscal policy, during the recent financial crisis, using an estimated New Keynesian model with a bank. A key dimension of policy in the crisis was massive government support for banks—that dimension has so far received little attention in...

Economic research paper on EMU and open economy macroeconomics The paper uses a 3-region version (small open economy in EMU, other euro area, rest of the world) of QUEST to assess the impact of structural reforms on external positions along two dimensions, namely the impact of flexibility and...

The paper analyses the stabilising potential of simple fiscal policy rules for a small open economy in monetary union in a 2-region DSGE model with nominal and real rigidities. We consider simple fiscal instrument rules for government purchases, transfers, and consumption, labour and capital...

The paper uses the European Commission's QUEST III model to compare the impact of product market reform, labour market re-form and fiscal devaluation on economic activity and external accounts in infinite-horizon and finite-horizon versions of the model for a small open economy in monetary union...

This paper uses a two region DSGE model for the Euro area (periphery vs. core), to analyse the costs of higher sovereign risk premia, the so called 'sovereign risk channel'. We highlight the importance of valuation effects of sovereign bonds in bank balance sheets for the transmission of...

In a demand system with conventional CES preferences, the price elasticitites of aggregate trade flows are weighted averages of sector-specific elasticities of substitution. We describe a methodology that can be used to estimate country-specific values for the price elasticities of aggregate...

This paper studies business cycle synchronization in the three Scandinavian countries Denmark, Norway and Sweden prior to, during and after the Scandinavian Currency Union 1873-1913. We find that the degree of synchronization tended to increase during the currency union, thus supporting earlier...