Extensive prior research on the economics of European monetary union highlighted some potential risks (the known unknowns) but overlooked others (the unknown unknowns). Asymmetries among participating countries, the potentially destabilising character of a one-size-fits all monetary policy, the...

This occasional paper describes the monetary presentation of the euro area balance of payments and its use. The monetary presentation is a tool for assessing the impact of balance of payments transactions involving non-bank residents on monetary developments. The paper explains in detail the...

The memo summarizes the design and use of the IMF's precautionary facilities since their introduction and discusses lessons and potential reform options. In particular, the framework for these facilities should be adjusted to address prolonged use at high access levels.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) is one of the most ambiguous and the least understood concepts in international economics. Common debate on FDI is confounded by several myths regarding its nature and impact on capital accumulation, technological progress, industrialization and growth. It is...

The insight that it is the medium that affects a society and not the content which is delivered over that medium, is not new by far, thus "the medium is the message" (McLuhan 1967). In contemporary industrial societies, the share of user-generated information consumed everyday over the internet...

Die vorliegende Recherche wurde von der ÖSB-Unternehmensberatung Gesellschaft mbH in Wien in Kooperation mit dem Institut für Gewerbe- und Handelsforschung (ebenfalls Wien) im Kontext des Rahmenvertrages 2001/2002 'Internationale Recherchen', beauftragt vom Arbeitsmarktservice Österreich,...

The study evaluates the impacts of EU climate policy on the emission allowance price, electricity prices, the competitiveness of industry and macroeconomic developments in the third EU emission trading period 2013–2020. The economic impacts of climate policy on Finland are compared to the...

This study analyses financial sustainability of the Finnish public sector. Current tax rates are unlikely to yield sufficient tax revenue for financing public expenditure under an ageing population. In the base alternative we assume that the European crisis does not worsen and that productivity...

Municipal employees and private-sector employees in Finland belong to separate earnings-related pension systems. Both systems are financed by contributions from the payroll, and are mostly pay-as-you-go. Thus if a municipality decides to buy services from the private sector, instead of producing...