Past Event
Economic governance of the EU: Quo Vadis?
This event will address topics of central interest in current EU policy debates: fiscal and competitiveness coordination, financial union and the divergent needs of member states inside and outside the euro area.
Giving the EU greater powers to oversee and coordinate the fiscal and financial policies of its member states is controversial. Yet recent crises show that macroeconomic imbalances pose a threat to the stability of the euro and the wider single market. How can these issues be addressed in a manner acceptable to the governments and citizens of Europe?
- The first session will look at the fiscal governance of the EU. Can the current set-up achieve the two main objectives of a fiscal framework: discouraging governmental deficit bias in order to ensure the long-term sustainability of public debt, while leaving scope for countercyclical fiscal policy?
- The second session will discuss whether euro and non-euro members can share a vision of the EU.
- In the third session the discussion will take stock of Europe’s “financial union”. Topics will include a European deposit insurance schemes and other ways to mitigate the damaging links between banks and sovereigns. Will tensions arise from the different geographical scope of banking union and the EU single market?
- The fourth and final session will explore the idea of setting up a euro-area system of competitiveness authorities. How should these authorities be organised and how they should cooperate?
This is an off-the-record invitation-only event for Bruegel members and selected invitees.
EVENT Materials
Anna Ascani – Speech
Andreas Georgiou – Presentation
Mikko Spolander – Presentation
Georg Ringe – Presentation
David Vines – Presentation
Schedule
9:00-9:30
Registration and coffee
9:30-11:00
Session 1 - Fiscal governance of the EU: do we have what we wanted?
Chair: Zsolt Darvas, Senior Fellow
Andreas Georgiou, Former head of the Greek statistical office
David Vines, Professor of Economics, University of Oxford
Massimo Suardi, Deputy Head of the Cabinet of Valdis Dombrovskis, European Commission
Wilfried Steinheuer, Director European Economic and Monetary Union, German Federal Finance Ministry
11:00-11:20
Coffee break
11:20-13:10
Session 2 - Can euro and non-euro members share a vision of the EU?
Chair: Guntram B. Wolff, Director
Anna Ascani, Member of Parliament, Italy
António Vitorino, President, Institut Jacques Delors
Christopher Hartwell, President, Center for Social and Economic Research (CASE)
13:10-14:00
Lunch
14:00-15:30
Session 3 - Consolidating the financial union
Chair: Nicolas Véron, Senior Fellow
Georg Ringe, Professor, Copenhagen Business School
John Berrigan, Director-General, European Commission, DG FISMA
Maria Abascal, Head Economist, Regulation and Public Policies, BBVA
15:30-17:00
Session 4 - A euro-area system of competitiveness authorities: how can it be designed?
Chair: André Sapir, Senior Fellow
Anne Bucher, Non-resident Fellow
Luc Denayer, Secretary General, The Central Economic Council, Belgium
Michiel Bijlsma, Non Resident Fellow
Mikko Spolander, Vice-chair of the Finnish Cost and Income Development Committee
Speakers

Maria Abascal
Head Economist, Regulation and Public Policies, BBVA

Anna Ascani
Member of Parliament, Italy

John Berrigan
Director-General, European Commission, DG FISMA

Michiel Bijlsma
Non Resident Fellow

Anne Bucher
Non-resident Fellow

Zsolt Darvas
Senior Fellow

Luc Denayer
Secretary General, The Central Economic Council, Belgium

Andreas Georgiou
Former head of the Greek statistical office

Christopher Hartwell
President, Center for Social and Economic Research (CASE)

Georg Ringe
Professor, Copenhagen Business School

André Sapir
Senior Fellow

Mikko Spolander
Vice-chair of the Finnish Cost and Income Development Committee

Wilfried Steinheuer
Director European Economic and Monetary Union, German Federal Finance Ministry

Massimo Suardi
Deputy Head of the Cabinet of Valdis Dombrovskis, European Commission

Nicolas Véron
Senior Fellow

David Vines
Professor of Economics, University of Oxford

António Vitorino
President, Institut Jacques Delors

Guntram B. Wolff
Director
Location & Contact

Matilda Sevón
[email protected] +32 2 227 4212