The ability of the National Bank of Belgium (NBB) to provide emergency liquidity assistance to solvent but temporarily illiquid firms is well tested and satisfactory. Belgian authorities are testing draft guidelines for recovery plans through pilot projects with selected firms that are of...

From the 2002 Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP), a number of structural reforms have been carried out in the financial system. A number of measures have been taken in the regulatory, fiscal, and legal areas to improve credit quality and financial transparency. The stress test confirms...

This 2007 Article IV Consultation highlights that following an extended boom led by strong domestic demand, the slowdown in the United States has largely reflected a drag from residential investment as the housing market has weakened substantially. Unexpected weakness in business investment and...

The European Union’s (EU) financial stability framework is being markedly strengthened. This is taking place on the heels of a severe financial crisis owing to weaknesses in the banking system interrelated with sovereign difficulties in the euro area periphery. Important progress has been...

This paper presents a technical note on Crisis Management Arrangements for the United States. The crisis has seen widespread systemic instability, large-scale fiscal support, and an increase in moral hazard. The lack of a formal systematic process for the assessment of risks may have contributed...

This 2008 Article IV Consultation highlights that problems in the housing and financial markets over the past year have combined to slow the United States’ economy substantially. As the residential investment downturn accelerated and national indices of housing prices started falling,...

This staff report discusses Israel’s 2009 Article IV Consultation on economic developments and policies. The economy has been shielded from the global downturn by the absence of prior housing or bank credit booms, high household savings rates, and the fact that investment goods and...