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Discussion Paper Details

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Title: Budgeting versus implementing fiscal policy in the EU

Author(s): Roel Beetsma, Massimo Giuliodori and Peter Wierts

Publication Date: April 2009

Keyword(s): EU, Fiscal policy, fiscal rules, implementation, medium-term budgetary framework, planning and real-time data

Programme Area(s): International Macroeconomics

Abstract: Using real-time data from Europe's Stability and Convergence Programs, we explore how fiscal plans and their implementation in the EU are determined. We find that (1) implemented budgetary adjustment falls systematically short of planned adjustment and this shortfall increases with the projection horizon, (2) variability in the eventual fiscal outcomes is dominated by the implementation errors, (3) there is a limited role for "traditional" political variables, (4) stock-flow adjustments are more important when plans are more ambitious, and (5), most importantly, both the ambition in fiscal plans and their implementation benefit from stronger national fiscal institutions. We emphasise also the importance of credible plans for the eventual fiscal outcomes.

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Bibliographic Reference

Beetsma, R, Giuliodori, M and Wierts, P. 2009. 'Budgeting versus implementing fiscal policy in the EU'. London, Centre for Economic Policy Research. https://cepr.org/active/publications/discussion_papers/dp.php?dpno=7285