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European Banking Union and Current Account Imbalances

Objective

Financial liberalization and cross-border banking underpin a striking global trend: while creditor countries had net financial claims on debtors of 20% of GDP in 1980, by 2010 this had risen to 70%. In accounting terms, such international wealth re-distribution materializes via current account (CA) surpluses by creditors and deficits by debtors. Hence the interest in what drives such CA imbalances, their desirability, and sustainability. The recent Eurozone crisis brought further attention to the issue: Greece, Ireland, Portugal, and Spain all had unprecedented CA deficits in the run up to the crisis, and studies indicate that such high deficits helped trigger it.

The MAIN OBJECTIVE of this project is to deepen understanding of the links between CA imbalances, cross-border banking and credit. Much of CA flows consist of purchase/sale of debt contracts between residents and foreigners, and since up to two thirds go through banks, the accounting link is clear. Unclear is the behavioral link: What motivates such flows and makes them very risky at times? This project’s novelty is to build a model of this behavioral link, focusing on the Eurozone.

This main objective WILL BE ACHIEVED BY:
- A new general equilibrium model featuring international risk-taking banks with potential externalities on the economy and which can amplify CA imbalances
- A new database on banking indicators and macro-determinants of CAs
- Model estimates using O2 and state-of-the-art empirical methods
- Assessment of risk thresholds and welfare of regulatory policies
- Scenarios for intra-Eurozone imbalances under the EU banking union

This research is HIGHLY RELEVANT TO THE WORK PROGRAM because unexplained CAs expose countries to undetected risks, and studies on Eurozone CAs do not model bank behavior thus overlooking a main component of imbalances. This research is timely because growing cross-border banking affects imbalances and understanding such links is key to EU banking union policies.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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Keywords

Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)

Programme(s)

Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.

Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)

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Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2014

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Coordinator

INSTITUT FUR HOHERE STUDIEN - INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED STUDIES
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 166 156,80
Address
JOSEFSTADTER STRASSE 39
1080 Wien
Austria

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Region
Ostösterreich Wien Wien
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 166 156,80
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