Quantifying the impact of structural reforms

We estimate a dynamic, intertemporal optimisation model that mimics features of European labour markets, such as sticky nominal wages and sluggish adjustment of employment to shocks for 15 OECD countries. The estimates include a measure for the degree of labour market sluggishness that compares well with standard indicators of product and labour market regulation. Calibration of the model on a selected country sample confirms its explanatory power in comparison with the standard competitive markets model. In a second step, the measure for labour market sluggishness is used as a policy variable and model variants are simulated in order to assess the extent to which the countries would have performed better with more flexible labour markets. These policy experiments show that an increase in labour market flexibility reduces the volatility of consumption relative to production, improves intertemporal efficiency but entails higher employment risk. JEL Classification: E32, C61business cycles, labour market reforms in OECD countries, nominal and real rigidities, non-clearing labour markets

Price transmission along the food supply chain in the European Union

Agricultural commodities and consumer food prices have experienced strong variations over the last 2 years, both upwards and downwards. This increased volatility, combined with long-term prospects of rising food prices, highlights the necessity to increase the efficiency of the food supply chain to ensure consumer food prices reflect the evolution of inputs prices. This paper aims at better understanding price transmission mechanisms along the chain across European Union Member States. Significant differences across Member States in magnitude of pass-through of agricultural commodity prices variations to consumer prices, as well as price transmission asymmetries, suggest potential market fragmentation within the EU. Country-specific regulatory frameworks, as well as discrepancies in competition intensity and competitive practices along the chain can impact price transmission significantly. In particular, differences in bargaining power between suppliers and retailers for selected food products have been identified as sources of cross-country discrepancies in price transmission.Food, regulation, market structure, competition, pricing., Financial Economics,

Price transmission along the food supply chain in the European Union

Agricultural commodities and consumer food prices have experienced strong variations over the last 2 years, both upwards and downwards. This increased volatility, combined with long-term prospects of rising food prices, highlights the necessity to increase the efficiency of the food supply chain to ensure consumer food prices reflect the evolution of inputs prices. This paper aims at better understanding price transmission mechanisms along the chain across European Union Member States. Significant differences across Member States in magnitude of pass-through of agricultural commodity prices variations to consumer prices, as well as price transmission asymmetries, suggest potential market fragmentation within the EU. Country-specific regulatory frameworks, as well as discrepancies in competition intensity and competitive practices along the chain can impact price transmission significantly. In particular, differences in bargaining power between suppliers and retailers for selected food products have been identified as sources of cross-country discrepancies in price transmission