Most EU member states will adopt fiscal rules that refer to cyclically-adjusted borrowing limits. Under the standard cyclical adjustment procedure, trend increases in public debt based on cyclical components are prevented if the real-time output gaps used to calculate cyclical components balance...

1 Introduction.- 2 Literature Review -- 3 Descriptive Analysis -- 4 Determinants of Business Cycle Synchronistion -- 5 Shock Propagation Mechanisms and Business Cycle Convergence -- 6 Summary and Policy Implications -- 7 Appendix -- References