Addressing the net balances problem as a prerequisite for EU budget reform : a proposal

Conflict among member states regarding the distribution of net financial burdens has been allowed to contaminate the entire design of the EU budget with very negative consequences in terms of equity, efficiency and transparency. To get around this problem and pave the way for a substantive budget reform, we propose to decouple distributional negotiations from the rest of the budget process by linking member state net balances in a rigid manner to relative prosperity. This would be achieved through the introduction of a system of compensating horizontal transfers that would take to its logical conclusion the Commission's proposal for a generalized compensation mechanism. We discuss the impact of the proposed scheme on member states? incentives and illustrate its financial implications using revenue and expenditure projections for 2013 that are based on the current Financial Perspectives and Own Resources Decision

The 2007-13 Financial Perspective: Domination of National Interests

This article confirms the validity of the hypothesis that national interests were the driving force behind the process and outcome of negotiations for the EU's next financial perspective for 2007-13. The hypothesis is tested by comparing hypothetical coalitions based on quantified national interests (partial net budgetary balances) and the actual (documented) coalitions. Based on these results, the article also discusses implications of the 'net balances problem' for the 2008/09 EU budget review. Copyright (c) 2010 The Author(s). Journal compilation (c) 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

The Western Balkans and the EU budget

The Western Balkan region needs credible European development prospects to break the cycle of enlargement and accession fatigue and to speed up regional adjustment to the EU. Post-accession EU budget flows can provide the necessary funding for such prospects. This article assesses the expected changes in the size and composition of EU budget flows to the Western Balkan countries after their EU accession. Our results show a sudden and substantial increase in gross and net flows, which gradually intensifies over several years before levelling off. EU budget flows are economically important relative to the size of the Western Balkan economies, and their composition is strongly biased towards development policies. We also find that Western Balkan enlargement comes at a minimal budgetary cost for the remaining EU member states. Our findings can help reduce scepticism behind the Western Balkan countries’ accession fatigue and the EU’s enlargement fatigue

Non-performing loans and bank lending behaviour

This article empirically investigates whether the level of non-performing loans (NPLs) affects the bank lending behaviour using the bank-level data across 42 coun- tries, spanning over the period from 2000 to 2017. We find a negative and statisti- cally significant relationship between NPL and bank loan growth. This impact is not geographically restricted and is confirmed for the EU, non-EU, advanced, and emerging countries subsamples. We also examine the channels through which NPLs affect loan growth. Our results show that the association between NPL and loan growth is more pronounced for well-capitalized banks. We find no evidence in support of an effect of asset management companies on the negative association between NPLs and loan growth. In addition, our results are robust with respect to alternative measure of credit risk and different specifications

Dimensions of bank capital regulation: A cross-country analysis

This paper identifies the main dimensions of capital regulation. We use survey data from 142 countries from the World Bank’s (2013) database covering various aspects of bank regulation. Using multiple explorative factor analysis, we identify two main dimensions of capital regulation: complexity of capital regulation and stringency of capital regulation. We show that even countries with a common legal and regulatory framework differ substantially in terms of capital regulation. For example, the level of stringency of capital regulation varies substantially across the EU countries, potentially distorting the level playing field

Addressing the net balances problem as a prerequisite for EU budget reform

peer reviewedAbstract: Landslides in Central Africa represent a constant threat to the population. The present work took its motivation from the increasing number of recorded incidents in recent times. It is focused on the analysis of mass movements in a regional context. Remote sensing based on the use of satellite images (Pleiades images of 2011) and aerial photographs (1957, 1958 and 1981) allowed us to identify instabilities at different scales. The study of these mass movements and the characterization of the processes governing ..

Addressing the Net Balances Problem as a Prerequisite for EU Budget Reform: A Proposal

Conflict among member states regarding the distribution of net financial burdens has been allowed to contaminate the entire design of the EU budget with very negative consequences in terms of equity, efficiency and transparency. To get around this problem and pave the way for a substantive budget reform, we propose to decouple distributional negotiations from the rest of the budget process by linking member state net balances in a rigid manner to relative prosperity. This would be achieved through the introduction of a system of compensating horizontal transfers that would take to its logical conclusion the Commission's proposal for a generalized compensation mechanism. We discuss the impact of the proposed scheme on member states' incentives and illustrate its financial implications using revenue and expenditure projections for 2013 that are based on the current financial perspectives and own resources decision. (JEL code: H87) Copyright The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Ifo Institute for Economic Research, Munich. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: [email protected], Oxford University Press.

Addressing the net balances problem as a prerequisite for EU budget reform: a proposal

Conflict among member states regarding the distribution of net financial burdens has been allowed to contaminate the entire design of the EU budget with very negative consequences in terms of equity, efficiency and transparency. To get around this problem and pave the way for a substantive budget reform, we propose to decouple distributional negotiations from the rest of the budget process by linking member state net balances in a rigid manner to relative prosperity. This would be achieved through the introduction of a system of compensating horizontal transfers that would take to its logical conclusion the Commission's proposal for a generalized compensation mechanism. We discuss the impact of the proposed scheme on member states? incentives and illustrate its financial implications using revenue and expenditure projections for 2013 that are based on the current Financial Perspectives and Own Resources Decision