Past events

Since the French-German Meseberg declaration from June 2018, the debate about euro-area reforms has gathered new momentum. The EconPol Europe Lab Session will discuss chances and risks of recent policy initiatives such as an unemployment re-insurance scheme or tools incentivising structural reforms in the member states. Can these instruments deliver what their proponents promise? How could a compromise on EMU reform look like that finds support in all member states? 

In this parliamentary breakfast, EconPol Europe researchers discussed recent convergence trends within and across EU member states and the strengths and shortcomings of current reform proposals to incentivise structural reforms with Members of the European Parliament.

Chair
Clemens Fuest, ifo Institute and University of Munich

Speakers
Cinzia Alcidi (CEPS)
Mathias Dolls (ifo Institute)

The impact of international trade and protectionism on the European economy was examined at EconPol Europe’s annual conference on the 19 and 20 November, with a keynote speech by Maria Martin-Prat (Director, Directorate General for Trade, European Commission). The challenges of EU trade policy making were the focus of day one of the conference, discussed by a policy panel including Maria Åsenius (Head of Cabinet to Commissioner Malmström), Sébastien Jean (Director of CEPII), Bernd Lange (Chair of European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade), Andrea Montanino (Chief Economist, Confindustria) and Eckart von Unger (Senior Manager, BDI).

The panel will discuss the global implications of the latest US tax reform adopted on 1 January 2018.

Session Chair
Andreas Peichl, ifo Institute

Speakers
Michael Devereux (Oxford University Centre for Business Taxation)
Clemens Fuest (ifo Institute and University of Munich)
Michelle Hanlon (MIT, Sloan School of Management)
Victoria Perry (International Monetary Fund)

The panel will discuss what reform and future governance of the euro area should look like in order to achieve a sustainable and incentive-compatible architecture, prosperous development and greater cohesion among its members. The panel will address questions like: are the euro area and the European financial sector stabilised and sustainable – where do we stand? How can the fiscal discipline of sovereigns be strengthened? Do we need more elements of risk-sharing or a focus on risk reduction? How can risk-sharing and market-discipline be reconciled with achieving an incentive-compatible architecture in the currency union? Should the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) be transformed into a European Monetary Fund? Does the currency union need an exit clause and viable insolvency procedure for its member states? How should TARGET-II imbalances be managed in the future?