In the face of the recent financial crisis, central banks have varied the size and structure of their balance sheets. Such actions attempt to exploit additional instruments of central bank policy that go beyond the traditional monetary policy instrument (ie control over the shortterm interest...

The SDN elaborates the case for, and the design of, a banking union for the euro area. It discusses the benefits and costs of a banking union, presents a steady state view of the banking union, elaborates difficult transition issues, and briefly discusses broader EU issues. As such, it assesses...