(Bloomberg) — The European Union’s fiscal rules should be adapted to allow for more spending to boost growth as countries struggle to pull their economies out of pandemic-induced recessions, according to the bloc’s top economic official.
EU Economic Affairs Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni, speaking at the European Fiscal Board’s annual conference on Friday, reiterated calls to withdraw public support very gradually in order to avoid a sharp rise in insolvencies. But he added that reducing debt loads will remain warranted once the crisis has passed.
The euro-area economy contracted by 6.8% last year and the European Commission forecasts growth of 3.8% for this year, with predictions hinging on virus containment measures starting to be eased toward the end of the second quarter. The bloc is beginning to discuss how they can start shifting from blanket support measures for their business and workers to more targeted ones.
“Given the context of a very deep, uneven recession and high uncertainty, I believe it would be wiser to err on the side of doing more, not less,” Gentiloni said on Friday. “With the previous crisis we saw how costly it was to turn off the taps too soon.”
Changing the Rulebook
The bloc’s fiscal rules were suspended when the coronavirus hit, and few believe they can ever return in the same form. They require countries to aim for budget deficits of less than 3% and debt burdens below 60% of gross domestic product. The commission expects those figures to be more than 6% and 100% for the euro area this year.
The rules were already set to be rewritten before the pandemic started, as they were frequently breached and there was little evidence they were contributing to either stability or growth. Officials say talks will likely resume in the second half of this year.
The new framework should include a special treatment for growth-enhancing expenditure, Gentiloni said, arguing that the composition of debt — and whether it includes spending on key areas such as infrastructure and education — should matter when assessing its sustainability.
“Our fiscal rules should be adapted to improve the composition of public finances and make sure that any new debt is good debt,” he said.
Still, reducing debt loads is likely to remain central to any new framework. While overly strict rules could lead to a “self-defeating adjustment,” Gentiloni said a “credible mechanism to steer debt onto a gradual and steady downward trajectory remains warranted.”
TORONTO – Strength in the base metal and technology sectors helped Canada’s main stock index gain almost 100 points on Friday, while U.S. stock markets also climbed higher.
The S&P/TSX composite index closed up 93.51 points at 23,568.65.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 297.01 points at 41,393.78. The S&P 500 index was up 30.26 points at 5,626.02, while the Nasdaq composite was up 114.30 points at 17,683.98.
The Canadian dollar traded for 73.61 cents US compared with 73.58 cents US on Thursday.
The October crude oil contract was down 32 cents at US$68.65 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was down five cents at US$2.31 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was up US$30.10 at US$2,610.70 an ounce and the December copper contract was up four cents US$4.24 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
OTTAWA – Statistics Canada says wholesale sales, excluding petroleum, petroleum products, and other hydrocarbons and excluding oilseed and grain, rose 0.4 per cent to $82.7 billion in July.
The increase came as sales in the miscellaneous subsector gained three per cent to reach $10.5 billion in July, helped by strength in the agriculture supplies industry group, which rose 9.2 per cent.
The food, beverage and tobacco subsector added 1.7 per cent to total $15 billion in July.
The personal and household goods subsector fell 2.5 per cent to $12.1 billion.
In volume terms, overall wholesale sales rose 0.5 per cent in July.
Statistics Canada started including oilseed and grain as well as the petroleum and petroleum products subsector as part of wholesale trade last year, but is excluding the data from monthly analysis until there is enough historical data.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was up more than 150 points in late-morning trading, helped by strength in the base metal and energy sectors, while U.S. stock markets were mixed.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 172.18 points at 23,383.35.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 34.99 points at 40,826.72. The S&P 500 index was up 10.56 points at 5,564.69, while the Nasdaq composite was up 74.84 points at 17,470.37.
The Canadian dollar traded for 73.55 cents US compared with 73.59 cents US on Wednesday.
The October crude oil contract was up $2.00 at US$69.31 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up five cents at US$2.32 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was up US$40.00 at US$2,582.40 an ounce and the December copper contract was up six cents at US$4.20 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
