This paper estimates the factors underlying the volatility of the euro overnight interest rate and its transmission along the euro area money market yield curve. A new multivariate unobserved components model is proposed allowing for both long-memory and stationary cyclical dynamics. Using...

Four years after the introduction of the euro, this paper provides an overview of the current structure and integration of the euro area financial systems and related policy initiatives. We first compare the euro area financial structure with that of the United States and Japan. Using new and...

The classical Bagehotu0092s conception of a Lender of Last Resort (LOLR) that lends to illiquid banks has been criticized on two grounds: on the one hand, the distinction between insolvency and illiquidity is not clear cut; on the other a fully collateralized repo market allows Central Banks to...

The document describes the evolution of intra-EU current account asymmetries. Some experimental results obtained using a modelling approach to derive asymmetry-free European aggregates are presented. The results are not usable at the national (Member State) level and they will not eliminate...

In 2005 the current account deficit attained 7½% of GDP, its worst position of the last 25 years, and in 2006 it might reach 8½%. Traditionally, Spain’s trade deficit has been partially offset by surpluses in other external balances, particularly service trade, as a result of large net...

This study on the functioning of retail electricity markets for consumers in the EU is the follow up to the first market study conducted in 2009/2010, and published by the European Commission in 2010. The objectives of the current study are to investigate if a well-functioning electricity market...

The key objective of this multi-method, exploratory study was to investigate advertising and marketing practices in online social media (OSM) from the perspective of consumer behaviour and consumer protection. It aimed to identify and assess commercial practices in the context of OSM that could...

Will die Europäische Union ihr erklärtes Ziel erreichen, sich zur wettbewerbsfähigsten und dynamischsten wissensbasierten Wirtschaft der Welt zu entwickeln, dann muss sie ihre Wettbewerbsleistung drastisch steigern. Obwohl sie die besten makroökonomischen Bedingungen des Jahrzehnts und...