Question: This questions is based on the article, What next for the EU's fiscal rules?, published by The Economist on October 29, 2020 (https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2020/10/31/what-next-for-the-eus-fiscal-rules). The article
This questions is based on the article, "What next for the EU's fiscal rules?," published by The Economist on October 29, 2020 (https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2020/10/31/what-next-for-the-eus-fiscal-rules). The article discusses the experience of the Eurozone with fiscal rules that the European Union (EU) had adopted as part of the 1992 Maastricht treaty in preparation for the adoption of a common currency, the euro, in a monetary union. The center piece of those rules were caps on budget deficit (3% of GDP) and public debt (60% of GDP). These basic rules were modified in 2010s in response to the problems that the member countries encountered. In reading the article and answering the questions below, please note that "structural deficit" means the deficit that would have prevailed if the economy were operating at its production capacity given the government's tax and expenditure policies.
Question:In what ways have the EU's fiscal rules changed since the early 2000s? Did the changes allow for more flexibility? Did adherence to the rules become easier to assess and enforce? Please explain your answer.
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