Staff Discussion Notes

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Format: Chicago

Nathaniel G Arnold, Bergljot B Barkbu, H. Elif Ture, Hou Wang, and Jiaxiong Yao. A Central Fiscal Stabilization Capacity for the Euro Area, (USA: International Monetary Fund, 2018) accessed 12/5/2025

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Disclaimer: This Staff Discussion Note represents the views of the authors and does not necessarily represent IMF views or IMF policy. The views expressed herein should be attributed to the authors and not to the IMF, its Executive Board, or its management. Staff Discussion Notes are published to elicit comments and to further debate.

Summary

This note outlines a concrete proposal for a euro area CFC that could help smooth both country-specific and common shocks. Specifically, it proposes a macroeconomic stabilization fund financed by annual contributions from countries used to build up assets in good times and make transfers to countries in bad times, as well as a borrowing capacity in case large or persistent shocks exhaust the fund’s assets. The note also discusses several features aimed at avoiding permanent transfers between countries and making the CFC function as automatically as possible—to limit the scope for disputes over its operation—both of which are important points to make it politically acceptable.

Subject: Euro Area, Fiscal policy

Keywords: Central fiscal capacity, Euro Area, Fiscal Integration, Fiscal policy, Fiscal union, Macroeconomic policy mix, Macroeconomic Stabilization

  • Pages:

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  • Volume:

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  • DOI:

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  • Series:

    Staff Discussion Notes No. 18/03

  • Stock No:

    SDNEA2018003

  • ISBN:

    9781484348178

  • ISSN:

    2221-030X