In Lisbon the European Council proclaimed a European growth strategy. It considers an average economic u0093growth rate of around 3 percent as a realistic prospect for the coming yearsu0094 and assigns public finances an important role in the process of achieving this goal. This paper addresses...

This paper examines the development of fiscal rules and budget procedures in EU countries, and their impact of public finances since the mid-1980s. It presents a new data set on institutional reforms and their impact in Europe. Empirical pattern confirm our prediction that more stringent fiscal...

This concept paper is an input to ongoing preparatory work for the new four-year work programme of Eurofound 2013–2016. It is based on the outcome of a joint working group between Eurofound and the European Institute for Public Administration (EIPA). In addition, the paper includes...