2018 Recommendations on the Economic Policy of the Euro Area – A Comparison of Commission and Council Texts (The ‘Comply or Explain’ Principle) / Recommendations on the economic policy of the euro area under the European Semester

This document compares the draft 2018 Recommendations for the economic policy of the Euro Area proposed by the European Commission on 22 November 2017 with the 2018 Euro Area recommendations approved by the Council(ECOFIN) on 23 January 2018.

The formal adoption of the text by the Council (ECOFIN) should take place after the endorsement by the European Council in March 2018.

The comparison is provided in order to facilitate the assessment of the comply or explain rule stipulated in Article 2-ab(2) of EU Regulation No.11757/2011: 'The Council is expected to, as a rule, follow the recommendations and proposals of the Commission or explain its position publicly'.

Authors: M. Ciucci

• Primary Source

Council of the European Union: Policies: European Semester http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/european-semester/

European Commission: Economic and fiscal policy coordination: EU Economic governance: monitoring, prevention, correction: European Semester https://ec.europa.eu/info/business-economy-euro/economic-and-fiscal-policy-coordination/eu-economic-governance-monitoring-prevention-correction/european-semester_en

European Parliament: European Parliamentary Research Service: In-Depth Analysis, February 2018: Recommendations on the economic policy of the euro area under the European Semester http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/IDAN/2018/542682/IPOL_IDA(2018)542682_EN.pdf

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