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International Monetary Economics. The European Monetary Union. The launch of the euro represents the end of a long process. The Maastricht Treaty. The Maastricht Convergence Criteria. Inflation criteria: A fear of allowing in unrepentant inflation-prone countries. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Feb 24 2004
Lesson 6
By
John Kennes
International Monetary Economics
Feb 24 2004
The European Monetary Union
Feb 24 2004
The launch of the euro represents the end of a long process
Feb 24 2004
• A firm commitment to launch the single currency by January 1999 at the latest.
• A list of five criteria for admission to the monetary union.
• A precise secification of central banking institutions.
• Additional conditions mentioned (e.g. The excessive deficit procedure).
The Maastricht Treaty
1. Inflation– Not to exceed by more than 1.5% the average of
the 3 lowest.
2. Long-term interest rate– Not exceed by more than 2% the average of the low
3 above
3. ERM membership– At least 2 years in ERM without being forced to
devalue
4. Budget deficit– Deficit less than 3% of GDP
5. Public debt– Debt less than 60% of GDP
The Maastricht Convergence Criteria
Feb 24 2004
Inflation criteria: A fear of allowing in unrepentant inflation-prone countries
0.00
5.00
10.00
1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998
France Italy
Spain Germany
Belgium PortugalGreece average of three lowest + 1.5%
Feb 24 2004
• Too easy to bring down inflation in 1997 – artificially or not – then let go again.
• Long-term interest rates incorperate bond market expectations of long term inflation.
• So criteria requires convincing markets• Problem: self-fulfilling prophecy
– If markets believe admission to euro area, they expect low inflation and long-term interest rate is low, which fulfills the admission criteria
– Conversely, if ...
Long-term interest rate criteria: A little too easy to bring inflation down in 1997
Feb 24 2004
• Need to convince the exchange market. Need to show a non-superficial conversion to price stability.
• Membership demonstrates the country’s ability to keep its exchange rate tied to its future monetary union partners
• Problem: same aspect of self-fulfilling prophecy
ERM membership: same logic as long-term interest rate criteria
Feb 24 2004
• Historically, all big inflation episodes born out of runaway public deficits and debts.
• Hence requirement that house is put in order before admission
• How are ceilings choosen?– Deficit: the German golden rule (public
infrastructure investment about 3% of GDP)– Debt: the 1991 EU average
Budget Deficit and debt criteria: historical view
Feb 24 2004
• Problem No. 1: A few years of budgetary discipline do not guarantee long-term discipline: – The excessive deficit procedure will look to that
once in the euro area, more later.
• Problem No 2: Artificial ceilings– The Belgium clause
Budget Deficit and debt criteria: Problems
Feb 24 2004
Budget Deficit and debt criteria: in 1997
Maastricht fiscal criteria 1997
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5
Deficit (% GDP)
Pu
bli
c D
eb
t (%
GD
P)
Feb 24 2004
• N countries with N central banks (NCBs) that continue operating but with no monetary policy function
• A new central bank at the centre: the European Central Bank (ECB)
• The European System of Central Banks (ESCB): the ECB and all EU NCBs (N=15)
• The Eurosystem: the ECB and the NCBs of euro area member countries (N=12)
A tour of the Acronyms
Feb 24 2004
The System
Feb 24 2004
• Objectives– What is it trying to achieve?
• Instruments– What are the means available?
• Strategy– How is the system formulating its actions?
How does the Eurosystem operate?
Feb 24 2004
• The Maastricht Treaty’s Aricle 105:– The primary objective of the ESCB shall be to
maintain price stability. Without prejudice to the objective of price stability, the ESCB shall support the general economic policies in the Community with a view to contibuting to the achievement of the Community as laid down in Article 2.
• In clear– Fighting inflation is the absolute priority.– Supporting growth and employment comes next.
Objectives (1)
Feb 24 2004
• Making the inflation objective operational: does the Eurosystem have a target?
• No, it has a definition of price stability.– `Price stability is defined as a year-on-year increase
in the HarmonizedIndex of Consumer Prices (HICP) for the euro area of below 2%. Price stability is to be maintained over the medium term´
– `The governing council agreed that in the pursuit of price stability it will aim to maintain inflation rates close to 2% over the medium term.
Objectives (2)
Feb 24 2004
• Leaves room for interpretation– Where below 2 per cent?– What is the medium term?
Objectives (2) comment
Feb 24 2004
• Recall the channels of monetary policy– Longer run interest rates– Credit– Asset prices– Exchange rate
• These are all beyond the central bank control• Instead it can control the very short-term
interest rate: European overnight Index (EONIA)
• EONIA affects the channels through market expectations
Instruments (1)
Feb 24 2004
• The Eurosystem controls EONIA by establishing a ceiling, a floor and steering the market in-between.
– The floor: the rate at which the Eurosystem accepts deposits (the deposit facility)
– The ceiling: the rate at which the Eurosystem stands ready to lend to banks (the marginal lending facility)
– In-between: weekly auctions (main refinancing facility)
Instruments (2)
Feb 24 2004
EONIA & Co.
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Jan.99 Jul.99 Jan.00 Jul.00 Jan.01 Jul.01 Jan.02 Jul.02 Jan.03 Jul.03
EONIADeposit facilityMarginal lending facilityMain refinancing
Feb 24 2004
• The monthly Eurosystem’s interest rate decisions (every month) rests on two pillars.
• Economic analysis– Broad view of economic conditions:
• Growth, employment, exchange rates, abroad
• Monetary analysis:– Evolution of monetary eggregates (M3, etc.)
The Two-Pillar Strategy
Feb 24 2004
• The US Fed:– Legally required to achieve both price stability and
a high level of employment– Does not articulate an explicit strategy
• Inflation-targeting central banks (Czech Republic, Poland, Sweden, UK, etc):– Announce a target (e.g. 2.5% in the UK, a margin
(e.g. +/- 1%) and a horizon (2-3 years)– Compare inflation forecast and target and act
accordingly
Comparison with other strategies
Feb 24 2004
• Taylor rule: i=i*+a(*)+b(y-y*)– where i* is the equilibrium interest rate, is the
inflation rate and * the inflation objective, y is the GDP growth rate and y* is the GDP growth trend.
– Central bank raises interest rates if inflation exceeds target.
• Using the Fisher principle: i*=r*+*– Take: *=2% and i*=4% (2% real, 2% target
inflation)– Choose a and b: a=2.0, b=0.8 (care about both
inflation and cyclical flucuations with emphasis on latter)
• Compare with the actual EONIA
Taylor Rule Interpretation: Suppose ECB sets interest rates by the Taylor Rule
Feb 24 2004
A Reasonable Fit: Suppose ECB sets interest rates by the Taylor Rule
Inflation
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
Q1-1999 Q1-2000 Q1-2001 Q1-2002 Q1-2003
Output gap
-2.5-2
-1.5-1
-0.50
0.51
1.52
2.5
Q1-1999 Q1-2000 Q1-2001 Q1-2002 Q1-2003
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Q1-1999 Q1-2000 Q1-2001 Q1-2002 Q1-2003
EONIA Taylor rule
Feb 24 2004
• With one monetary policy, particular national conditions cannot be attended to.
• This is another version of the asymmetric shock concern of the OCA theory: the cost must be borne.
• Monetary policy may also effect differently different countries.
Does One Size Fit All?
Feb 24 2004
• Current conventional wisdom is that central banks ought to be independent:– Government tend not to resist to the `printing press
´ temptation– The Bundesbank has set an example
• But misbehaving governments are eventually punished by voters
• What about central banks? Independence removes them from suc pressure
• A democratic deficit?
Independence and Accountability
Feb 24 2004
• In return for their independence, central banks must be held accountable– to the public– to elected representaives
• Examples:– The Bank of England is given an inflation target by
the Chancellor. It is free to decide how to meet the target, but it must explain its failures (the letter)
– The US Fed must explain its policy to Congress, which can vote to reduce the Fed’s independence
Redressing the Democratic Deficit
Feb 24 2004
• The Eurosystem must report to the EU parliament
• The Eurosystem’s President must appear before the EU Parliament when requested, and do so every quarter
• But the EU Parliment cannot change the Eurosystem’s independence and has limited public visibility
The Eurosystem Weak Accountability
Feb 24 2004
• A difficult period
– An oil shock in 2000– A worldwide slowdown– September 11– The stockmarket crash 2002– Afghanstan, Iraq
The Record So Far
Feb 24 2004
Inflation: Missing the Objective a Little
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
Jan.99 Jan.00 Jan.01 Jan.02 Jan.03
Feb 24 2004
The Euro: Too Weak First, Then too Strong?
The euro/dollar exchange rate
0.8
0.9
1
1.1
1.2
Jan.99 Jul.99 Jan.00 Jul.00 Jan.01 Jul.01 Jan.02 Jul.02 Jan.03 Jul.03
Feb 24 2004
But No Seriously Asymmetric Shocks
Inflation
0.0
2.0
4.0
6.0
8.0
10.0
12.0
14.0
1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003
Average Min Max
GDP growth
-5.0
0.0
5.0
10.0
15.0
20.0
1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003
Average Min Max
Feb 24 2004
Discussion of the class project.
– Choice of topic and coauthor (3 or 4 questions per topic from a set of 6 topics, optional 7 th project)
– Project format (3000 words etc) – Web Publication of Projects (names will be withheld)– Referee reports (300-400 words)– Web publication of referee reports (names will be
witheld)– JEH
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