Economic and Financial Affairs

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Last update: 8/5/2009.

The primary focus of the research activities of the European Commission's Directorate General for Economic and Financial Affairs (ECFIN) is to support policy making. It does this by:

• Developing research tools and analysing data;
• Using those tools and that analysis to help determine priorities and guide and support policy making in the European Commission in general;
• Internalising economic knowledge, analysis and tools from the outside and, where appropriate, engaging in debate and discussion, all of which helps in identifying new priorities; and
• Disseminating and communicating research findings related to ECFIN's policy priorities, both internally and externally.

Not only does DG ECFIN, in its economic research activities, develop research tools to support policy making in general; it also addresses specific issues and themes related to European economic and monetary union (EMU).

Scope and role

ECFIN’s research focuses on the functioning of economic and monetary union. This covers issues ranging from financial stability in the context of enlargement, how structural reforms undertaken as part of the Lisbon Strategy contribute to macroeconomic performance or the economic implications of ageing populations, to global economic issues.

The research tools supporting the economic analysis, operational research and policy instruments that underpin the DG’s work on economic policy coordination and surveillance include macroeconomic models, econometric models, business and consumer surveys, economic databases and macroeconomic forecasts.