Nadzór budżetowy w strefie euro
Budgetary surveillance in the euro area

Summary/Abstract: This paper presents the principles of budgetary surveillance in the euro area and assesses the effectiveness of supervision in relation to the requirement to maintain budgetary discipline in the fiscal policy. The research covers the period 1999-2012. Applied research methods involve the analysis of the rules of the Stability and Growth Pact and the economic analysis of financial indicators. Source materials were derived from the EUR-Lex database of EU law and economic publications of the European Commission. Introduced in 1998, the Stability and Growth Pact aimed at preventing excessive public deficit and the obligation of Member States to achieve the medium-term objective for the budgetary position close to balance or in surplus, and in case of occurrence of an excessive public deficit to eliminate it by taking the necessary measures. Compliance with budgetary discipline was supposed to be ensured by the system of sanctions provided by the treaty. The study shows that in most euro area countries budget surplus or deficit close to balance have not been achieved and maintained in the medium term, and they failed to avoid excessive public deficit. The main reason for non-compliance with the requirements of the Stability and Growth Pact was an ineffective system of sanctions imposed on the country conducting fiscal policy not in accordance with the requirements for financial stability. The treaty did not establish a mechanism for the automatic imposition of sanctions, the Council was authorized only to impose coercive measures against the country, leaving the Council complete freedom in this area. Economic and financial crisis fully exposed the consequences of violations of fiscal discipline in the euro area. Strong economic recession was accompanied by rapid and intensive increase in the public deficit and debt, threatening not only the sustainability of public finance in the long run, but also the proper functioning of economic and monetary union. Established in 2011, the EU’s framework for economic governance significantly changed the rules of budgetary surveillance in the euro area. Firstly, numerical fiscal rules on budgetary expenditure growth in conjunction with the rise of potential GDP was established. Secondly, the criterion of public debt was given the same importance as the public deficit criterion in the excessive deficit procedure. Thirdly, the new law established a more effective enforcement of the preventive and corrective arms of the Stability and Growth Pact. Procedure for the imposition of sanctions under the budgetary surveillance was changed. The role of the European

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