In this paper, we focus on how European economic integration has affected the synchronization and the magnitude of business cycles among participating countries. We measure, based on bandpass filtered data, the characteristics of European business cycles analyzing to what extent they have become...

This paper analyses the underlying dynamics of business cycles in the EU-15. Existing literature mainly focuses n the comovement of expansion and contraction phases, while this paper seeks to test the idiosyncrasy of business cycles by studying growth pattern and deepness of industrial...

In many organizations, decisions are taken by unanimity giving each member veto power. We analyze a model of an organization in which members with heterogenous productivity privately contribute to a common good. Under unanimity, the least efficient member imposes her preferred effort choice on...

Bank deposits in jurisdictions with banking secrecy constitute an effective tool to evade taxes on interest income. A recent EU reform reduces the scope for this type of tax evasion by introducing a source tax on interest income earned by EU residents in Switzerland and several other...

This paper presents an evaluation of the tax-transfer treatment of married couples in 15 EU countries using the EUROMOD microsimulation model. First, we show that many tax-transfer schemes in Europe feature negative jointness defined as a situation where the tax rate on one person depends...

We study the labor market impact of opening borders to low-wage countries. The analysis exploits time and regional variation provided by the 2004 EU enlargement in combination with transport links to Sweden from the new member states. The results suggest an adverse impact on earnings of present...

With ageing populations and a stronger reliance on individual financial decision-making concerning asset portfolios, retirement schemes, pensions and insurances, it becomes increasingly important to understand the determinants of cognitive ability among the elderly. To study effects of the...

This Working Paper compares the Danish financial system with that of the Euro area countries using three different analytical approaches. The structure of the financial system is analyzed showing who saves, how the savings are processed to the users, and who the users of capital are. The...

Central banks analyse issues concerning retail payments - or just payments - to be able to promote optimal means of payment. Over the years, electronic payments - i.e. payments initiated and settled electronically - have gradually replaced manual paper-based payments on the grounds of...

Several countries at the core of the Euro area have experienced coincident business cycles during the most recent decades, while the Danish economy seemed detached from these cycles during the 1980's and part of the 1990's. To a large degree, the decoupling of the Danish economy reflects...