Until this year, governments in the single currency area appeared to be ‘missing in action’. There is belated recognition that monetary and fiscal policies must coordinate especially in crisis conditions. The euro area has experienced crisis or near crisis conditions for over a decade. Lessons are being learned late but there continue to be several gaps that the euro area and its members need to close. The paper highlights these and the continuing threats to the single currency area.
The paper was prepared within the framework service contract which is intended to support the work of ECON in the European Parliament by enabling it to seek independent expert advice in the field of monetary and economic affairs to support its scrutiny activity, in particular in the context of the Monetary Dialogues between ECON with the European Central Bank (ECB). Expertise is requested on a wide range of issues relevant to the work of ECON in relation to EU economic and monetary integration, including governance and institutional aspects, as appropriate.
