Fiscal stabilisation policy in the EMU. An insight from the theory of optimum currency areas

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to examine the role and place of the fiscal stabilisation policy in the European Monetary Union (EMU) from the perspective of the theory of optimum currency areas (OCA). We examine the theoretical underpinning for the policy to mitigate the economic fluctuations in a monetary union, and answer the questions of whether fiscal integration is a prerequisite for the “optimality” of a currency area and at what level of governance a stabilising fiscal policy should be conducted. We conclude with a short revision of how OCA theory is applied to the project of monetary and economic integration in the European Union (EU) and some conclusions for future development and research.