scholarly journals Fiscal councils as an element of the concept of fiscal governance in the European Union member states

Equilibrium ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 675
Author(s):  
Ryta Dziemianowicz ◽  
Aneta Kargol-Wasiluk ◽  
Renata Budlewska
Keyword(s):  
Fiscal Policy ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Fiscal Rules ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Member States ◽  
Public Finances ◽  
Eu Countries ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Fiscal Balance ◽  
The Eu

Fiscal governance is defined as a combination of institutions, rules and norms that structure good governance in the area of fiscal policy. It can be named as the specific mechanism of coordination by using of tools such as: budgetary procedures (legislative fiscal rules), fiscal rules (numerical) and independent fiscal institutions/ fiscal councils. Fiscal governance focuses on how the fiscal policy is planned, approved, conducted and monitored, including the involvement of not only public bodies, but the business sector and civil society too. In this study, particular attention was paid to capturing the essence of the relationship between the qualitative elements of fiscal councils activity and its impact on stabilizing the public finances in the view of fiscal governance concept. During the last world crisis in the EU countries, an interest in establishing fiscal councils has increased. Before 2008 there were only seven institutions in the EU, while in 2014 there are already 19. The question is - are these institutions efficient in stabilizing public finances? Therefore, the main objective of the article is the assessment of the role of the fiscal councils in the coordination of the fiscal policy in the EU Member States. The conducted analysis verifies this role on the basis of theoretical deliberation of the current state of the art. The empirical research verifies fiscal councils’ dependence on fiscal balance of EU countries. Research was conducted on the basis of the European Commission, Eurostat and International Monetary Fund data sets.

scholarly journals The Influence of Fiscal Rules on the Fiscal Stability in the EU Member States

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 212
Author(s):  
Ryta Iwona Dziemianowicz ◽  
Aneta Kargol-Wasiluk
Keyword(s):  
Fiscal Policy ◽  
Public Debt ◽  
Budget Deficit ◽  
National Level ◽  
Fiscal Rules ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Fiscal Discipline ◽  
Member States ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
The Eu

Due to the rapid increase of the budget deficit and public debt in many the EU countries after 2008, fiscal policy has faced a significant challenge for developing an appropriate tools to strengthen fiscal discipline and thereby improve the quality of public finance. Institutional mechanisms such as among others numerical fiscal rules play an important role in maintaining the fiscal discipline and support fiscal credibility of the state. Fiscal rules are most often defined as permanent constraints on fiscal policy, expressed by indicators introducing a limit for a particular fiscal aggregate, such as a budget deficit (real or structural), public debt, public expenditure or public revenue. The theoretical objective of the article is to analyze the institutional dimension of numerical fiscal rules (their type, legal basis, transparency, complexity, flexibility, adequacy and coherence). The empirical purpose, on the other hand, is to conduct a statistical analysis and to examine the relationship between the value of the fiscal rules index and the level of budget deficit and public debt in 28 Member States of the European Union. Examining the effectiveness of applied fiscal rules, at both European and national level seems to be the most valuable part of the analysis.

Kosovo and the European Union

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Spyros Economides
Keyword(s):  
Security Policy ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Regional Security ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Member States ◽  
Military Capability ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Leading Role ◽  
Post War ◽  
The Eu

The European Union’s involvement with and in Kosovo is of three main types. First, it participated in war diplomacy in the late 1990s in an attempt to find a peaceful solution to the Kosovo conflict between Kosovar Albanians and the Serb forces of the former Yugoslavia. This demonstrated of the Union’s limited ability to influence less powerful actors in its backyard through its Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). This resulted from the difficulty the EU found in attempting to forge a consensus among its member states on a significant matter of regional security with humanitarian implications, the limitations in effectiveness of the EU’s civilian instruments of foreign policy, and the low credibility and influence stemming from the lack of an EU military capability. Second, the EU took a leading role in economic reconstruction and state-building in Kosovo following the end of the conflict. Initially, this was in tandem with the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). Subsequently, the EU became the lead organization, focusing its efforts not only on the physical and economic reconstruction of the territory but also on building human and administrative capacity and democratic institutions and establishing good governance and the rule of law, especially through its EULEX mission. Third, the EU attempted to help transform Kosovo beyond democratization toward EU integration through instruments such as the Stabilisation and Association Process (SAP). A significant part of this process has also been linked with EU-led mediation attempts at resolving outstanding issues between Kosovo and Serbia through a process of normalization of relations without which EU accession cannot be envisaged. Throughout the post-war phases of the EU’s involvement in Kosovo, its efforts have been undermined by the most important outstanding issue, the disputed status of Kosovo. Kosovo was set on the path to increasing self-government and autonomy at the end of the conflict in 1999, but it was still legally part of sovereign Yugoslavia. In 2008, Kosovo unilaterally declared its independence. While over 100 states recognized Kosovo, it never acquired enough recognitions to be eligible for UN membership: Serbia does not recognize it and, most importantly, neither do five EU member states. This status issue has seriously complicated the EU–Kosovo relationship in all its aspects and slowed down the prospect of “Euro-Atlantic integration” for Kosovo.

scholarly journals General government deficit and public debt in EU member states

2011 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 29-41
Author(s):  
Michał Wielechowski
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Public Debt ◽  
Budget Deficit ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Member States ◽  
Public Finances ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
General Government ◽  
Government Deficit ◽  
The Eu

The aim of this article is the presentation and the attempt to analyse such phenomena as: an excessive general government deficit and public debt in EU Member States over the past 3 years. For the European Union the years 2008-2010 were the time when public finances of most member countries worsened dramatically. The average budget deficit in the EU increased during that period to a value of almost 7% compared to gross domestic product and public debt reached almost 80% of GDP. Referring the numbers to the principles of the budgetary policy in the Treaty on the European Union (the deficit should not exceed 3% in relation to GDP and public debt – 60% of GDP), the observance of budgetary discipline has been significantly violated. In consequence, the excessive deficit procedure has been initiated. in relation to almost all the countries of the EU, Its purpose was to force the member countries to take concrete actions to stabilize public finances. The economic crisis that began in the second half of 2007 in the United States of America which resulted in a significant deterioration of the finances of all the EU member countries might be regarded as the major source of violation of their budgetary discipline. The reactions of most governments TO the harmful effects caused by the financial crisis were to stimulate national economies and stem the decline of domestic demand. The higher level of public expenditures was simultaneously the cause of increased budget deficits,. To develop and present the problem of an excessive budget deficit and public debt in the EU countries some statistical methods were used and the data source statistics were mainly carried out by the European Commission and the European Statistical Office.

scholarly journals The Implication of Fiscal Principles and Rules on Promoting Sustainable Public Finances in the EU Countries

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 2772 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mihaela Onofrei ◽  
Anca Gavriluţă (Vatamanu) ◽  
Ionel Bostan ◽  
Florin Oprea ◽  
Gigel Paraschiv ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Panel Data Analysis ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Fiscal Rules ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Fiscal Responsibility ◽  
Public Finances ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
The Status ◽  
Outstanding Debt ◽  
The Eu

The purpose of this study was to analyze fiscal behavior in the European Union countries, to highlight the implications of institutional constraints on healthy fiscal attitudes, and to test the relationship between government decisions, fiscal responsibility instruments, and the sustainability of public finances during the period 2000–2014. By using panel data analysis, we tested the responsiveness of primary balance to government indebtedness, as well as to some determinants of fiscal responsibility, such as the degree of public spending or fiscal rules effectiveness, and we included two different perspectives regarding fiscal rules status. First, we computed a fiscal responsibility index, which measures the applicability of or compliance with the fiscal rules, referring to legal dimensions and administrative and institutional capacity. Second, we established a fiscal responsibility convergence index, which measures the status of the EU Member States regarding the approach of numerical rules. The empirical findings indicate that fiscal authorities do not act to the existing stock of public debt and highlights a negative response of budget balances to the stock of outstanding debt. Fiscal position improves when the index of fiscal responsibility is involved and countries become more sustainable when they are related to the entire level of fiscal governance, with respect to legal framework, institutional and administrative capacity, but at the debt ratio threshold of over 90%, the effect of the overall fiscal rule comes out as less relevant for the improvement of the primary balance.

scholarly journals Impact of fiscal institutions on public finances in the European Union: Review of evidence in the empirical literature

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 215-232
Author(s):  
Martin Gorčák ◽  
Stanislav Šaroch
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Fiscal Policy ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Fiscal Rules ◽  
Empirical Literature ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Fiscal Institutions ◽  
Public Finances ◽  
The Eu ◽  
Fiscal Outcomes

Abstract This paper examines the impact of budgetary institutions on public finances in the European Union on the basis of a critical survey of the relevant theoretical and empirical literature. In general, the authors find that fiscal institutions (namely fiscal rules) have successfully contributed to greater fiscal sustainability, reduced procyclicality of fiscal policies within the EU, and increased national ownership of fiscal rules by strengthening national fiscal frameworks. A fiscal reaction function was one of the widely used methods to determine the principal variables affecting fiscal outcomes. Some authors used cyclically-adjusted fiscal outcomes as the dependent variable representing the discretionary fiscal policy-making whereas others put emphasis on other fiscal outcomes. The samples of countries covered mostly the EU Member States, representing rather homogenous samples in the context of common EU fiscal framework. Institutional aspects used as independent variables differed significantly among authors and some could be added for future research. Based on the literature survey, several recommendations were made for fiscal policy-making.

scholarly journals Zero Endemic Cases of Wildlife Rabies (Classical Rabies Virus, RABV) in the European Union by 2020: An Achievable Goal

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robardet ◽  
Bosnjak ◽  
Englund ◽  
Demetriou ◽  
Martín ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Rabies Virus ◽  
Task Force ◽  
Domestic Animals ◽  
Reference Laboratory ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Member States ◽  
Eu Countries ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
The Eu

The elimination of rabies transmitted by Classical Rabies Virus (RABV) in the European Union (EU) is now in sight. Scientific advances have made it possible to develop oral vaccination for wildlife by incorporating rabies vaccines in baits for foxes. At the start of the 1980s, aerial distribution of vaccine baits was tested and found to be a promising tool. The EU identified rabies elimination as a priority, and provided considerable financial and technical resources to the infected EU Member States, allowing regular and large-scale rabies eradication programs based on aerial vaccination. The EU also provides support to non-EU countries in its eastern and south eastern borders. The key elements of the rabies eradication programs are oral rabies vaccination (ORV), quality control of vaccines and control of their distribution, rabies surveillance and monitoring of the vaccination effectiveness. EU Member States and non-EU countries with EU funded eradication programs counted on the technical support of the rabies subgroup of the Task Force for monitoring disease eradication and of the EU Reference Laboratory (EURL) for rabies. In 2018, eight rabies cases induced by classical rabies virus RABV (six in wild animals and two in domestic animals) were detected in three EU Member States, representing a sharp decrease compared to the situation in 2010, where there were more than 1500 cases in nine EU Member States. The goal is to reach zero cases in wildlife and domestic animals in the EU by 2020, a target that now seems achievable.

scholarly journals Looking for the evidence of socio-economic convergence within the European Union

2011 ◽  
Vol 57 (No. 8) ◽  
pp. 384-393 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Qineti ◽  
E. Matejková ◽  
M. Pietriková ◽  
R. Serenčeš ◽  
M. Tóth ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Economic Convergence ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Member States ◽  
Eu Countries ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Eu Integration ◽  
Sigma Convergence ◽  
Main Growth ◽  
The Eu

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the evidence and impact of the EU integration between 1999 and 2009 on the EU regional economic growth and the socio-economic convergence. A regional convergence analysis is performed in order to examine if the EU overall aim of convergence is reached. The main growth- and convergence theories are used as the theoretical framework and form the study's hypothesis. The results show that an absolute β-convergence exists between the EU member states as well as regions. However, the σ-convergence is not confirmed, meaning that that the disparities between the regions are rather increasing than decreasing. Perhaps a possible reason why the σ-convergence does not occur at the EU level is that it is easier for smaller regions which are more similar to each other to converge than for larger regions which tend to be more dissimilar to each other. This reasoning is in line with the convergence theories which state that smaller regions within a country are more likely to converge towards each other in the absolute sense than countries. On the other hand, the EU countries and regions tend to convergence in the tasks like unemployment rate, showing that they are not successful in resolving this difficult task. One of the main reasons of the high unemployment in all EU member states is their structural problem in the respective economies, consequently reflected in the long-term unemployment. The EU countries tend to convergence in terms of inequality as well, showing that they are egalitarian in character.

scholarly journals State of Diabetes Self-Management Education in the European Union Member States and Non-EU Countries: The Diabetes Literacy Project

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henna Riemenschneider ◽  
Sarama Saha ◽  
Stephan van den Broucke ◽  
Helle Terkildsen Maindal ◽  
Gerardine Doyle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Management Education ◽  
Self Management ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Member States ◽  
Eu Countries ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Diabetes Literacy ◽  
The Eu

Background. Diabetes self-management education (DSME) is considered essential for improving the prevention and care of diabetes through empowering patients to increase agency in their own health and care processes. However, existing evidence regarding DSME in the EU Member States (EU MS) is insufficient to develop an EU-wide strategy. Objectives. This study presents the state of DSME in the 28 EU MS and contrasts it with 3 non-EU countries with comparable Human Development Index score: Israel, Taiwan, and the USA (ITU). Because type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) disproportionately affects minority and low-income groups, we paid particular attention to health literacy aspects of DSME for vulnerable populations. Methods. Data from multiple stakeholders involved in diabetes care were collected from Feb 2014 to Jan 2015 using an online Diabetes Literacy Survey (DLS). Of the 379 respondents (249 from EU MS and 130 from ITU), most were people with diabetes (33% in the EU MS, 15% in ITU) and care providers (47% and 72%). These data were supplemented by an expert survey (ES) administered to 30 key informants. Results. Access to DSME varies greatly in the EU MS: an average of 29% (range 21% to 50%) of respondents report DSME programs are tailored for people with limited literacy, educational attainment, and language skills versus 63% in ITU. More than half of adult T2DM patients and children/adolescents participate in DSME in EU MS; in ITU, participation of T1DM patients and older people is lower. Prioritization of DSME (6.1 ± 2.8 out of 10) and the level of satisfaction with the current state of DSME (5.0 ± 2.4 out of 10) in the EU MS were comparable with ITU. Conclusion. Variation in availability and organization of DSME in the EU MS presents a clear rationale for developing an EU-wide diabetes strategy to improve treatment and care for people with diabetes.

scholarly journals RIGHT OF MUNICIPAL PROPERTY IN THE STATES OF THE EUROPEAN UNION: THE ISSUES OF CONSTITUTIONAL AND LEGAL REGULATION

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Legal Regulation ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Member States ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Communal Property ◽  
The Right ◽  
The Eu

The article deals with the constitutional and legal regulation of the right of municipal property in member countries of the EU. It is noted that the constitutions of the Member States mostly ignore the concept of ownership of local self-government. At the same time, the constitutions reinforce the issue of material and financial basis. As a rule, the translation from the languages ​​of the member countries of the EU into English uses the notion of «municipal property», «local government property» or «public property». In the constitutions of the member countries of the EU, the principle of financial and financial autonomy, guarantees of local self-government are found. The legal basis of municipal property rights is also determined by the local government law, and sometimes by a municipal property law and local acts. The municipal property laws set out the basic principles of municipal property management. It is noted that the management is in the interest of the population of the municipality and with the care of «good governance». It is stated that the existence of a special law on the property of local self-government does not solve all issues of systematization of legislation in this area. It is summarized that in the study of the conceptual apparatus in the sphere of municipal (communal) property, the essence of this right is of fundamental importance. In the legislation of these countries there are both concepts: «municipal» and «communal property». These concepts should be regarded as synonymous and for the convenience of designating this form of ownership in the EU Member States, it is permissible to apply the concept of «municipal property». Examples of application of both concepts in constitutional legal acts are given. The article concludes that, regardless of the subject of the right of municipal property, democratic states provide guarantees for the management of municipal property for the benefit of the community; attention is paid to objects that are in permanent exploitation by residents of communes. The author note the direct link between the powers of local governments, the interests and needs of the community and municipal property. Functional delineation of municipal property by local governments influences the decision to acquire, multiply and dispose of them. Local government real estate management in these countries draws attention to the object of management, goals and main purpose, basic decision-making principles, etc.

Implementation of the Principles of Good Governance on the National Level

2019 ◽  
pp. 185-199
Author(s):  
Henk Addink
Keyword(s):  
Good Governance ◽  
National Level ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Cultural Economic ◽  
Public Authorities ◽  
Member States ◽  
The Public ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
The Eu ◽  
The Ideal

In ‘Good governance in the EU member states’ we investigated the interpretations and implementation of good governance and its principles in the EU member states, taking into account the different functions of government bodies. Good governance implementation is of growing importance on a national level in the fulfilment of public tasks by the public authorities, but also in relation to private institutions, when fulfilling tasks that are in the public interest. The common interest is related to a society’s underlying public values and it is directly linked to the concept of good governance. Good governance has a dual nature: the factual and the ideal. The factual dimension is represented by the realisation of good governance as an administrative fact and the ideal dimension in the element of conceptual (moral) correctness. Once conceptual correctness is acknowledged as a necessary element, the picture fundamentally changes: a non-positivist concept of good governance evolves. Good governance promotes cultural, economic, and social dynamics coherently within a society and in concrete situations. Good governance is the backbone of any modern European state. Also, some studies about good governance in states outside the European Union. Of course, there are important differences between and within continents; nevertheless, we can take a similar approach to other states in Africa, America and Australia. One of the new elements is also the attention to the issue of integrity in relation to the concept of good governance. We will present more clearly the concept of good governance in its concrete sense inside and outside Europe. We found good governance norms specified in legislation, policy documents, and decisions of courts and other controlling institutions like the ombudsmen and the courts of audit. A special point of attention is the link—in both theory and practice—between good governance and integrity.

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