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ANNUAL REPORT 2008 - Polymer Bank Notes of the World

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FISCAL POLICIESThe fiscal situation in <strong>the</strong> non-euro area EUMember States evolved very heterogeneouslyin <strong>2008</strong>. Only Bulgaria, Denmark and Swedencontinued to record fiscal surpluses; <strong>the</strong>remaining countries registered in some caseshigh fiscal deficits (see Table 8). The deficitratio rose to above 3% <strong>of</strong> GDP in Latvia,Romania and <strong>the</strong> United Kingdom and wasclose to this level in Lithuania. Hungaryreduced its deficit from 5.0% <strong>of</strong> GDP in 2007to 3.3% in <strong>2008</strong>. In <strong>the</strong> Baltic States, Romaniaand <strong>the</strong> United Kingdom, and to a lesser extentin Sweden, budgetary outcomes for <strong>2008</strong> failedto meet <strong>the</strong> targets contained in <strong>the</strong> updatedconvergence programmes submitted at <strong>the</strong>end <strong>of</strong> 2007 or <strong>the</strong> beginning <strong>of</strong> <strong>2008</strong>. For <strong>the</strong>Baltic States as well as for <strong>the</strong> United Kingdom,this was partly <strong>the</strong> result <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> considerablyworsening macroeconomic conditions, whichrendered planned continued expenditure growthand <strong>the</strong>refore <strong>the</strong> <strong>2008</strong> budget unsustainable.Table 8 Fiscal positions in <strong>the</strong> non-euro area EU Member States and <strong>the</strong> euro area(as a percentage <strong>of</strong> GDP)General government surplus (+) / deficit (-)2007 convergenceprogramme updates2009 EuropeanCommission forecast2005 2006 2007 <strong>2008</strong> <strong>2008</strong>Bulgaria 1.9 3.0 0.1 3.0 3.2Czech Republic -3.6 -2.7 -1.0 -2.9 -1.2Denmark 5.2 5.2 4.5 3.0 3.1Estonia 1.5 2.9 2.7 1.3 -2.0Latvia -0.4 -0.2 0.1 0.7 -3.5Lithuania -0.5 -0.4 -1.2 -0.5 -2.9Hungary -7.8 -9.3 -5.0 -4.0 -3.3Poland -4.3 -3.8 -2.0 -2.5 -2.5Romania -1.2 -2.2 -2.5 -2.9 -5.2Slovakia -2.8 -3.5 -1.9 -2.3 -2.2Sweden 2.4 2.3 3.6 2.8 2.3United Kingdom -3.4 -2.7 -2.7 -2.9 -4.6EU9 1) -3.7 -3.5 -2.0 -2.4 -2.6EU12 2) -2.3 -1.8 -1.5 -1.8 -2.8Euro area -2.5 -1.3 -0.6 -0.9 -1.7General government gross debt2007 convergenceprogramme updates2009 EuropeanCommission forecast2005 2006 2007 <strong>2008</strong> <strong>2008</strong>Bulgaria 29.2 22.7 18.2 18.3 13.8Czech Republic 29.8 29.6 28.9 30.3 27.9Denmark 36.4 30.7 26.3 21.6 30.3Estonia 4.5 4.3 3.5 2.3 4.3Latvia 12.4 10.7 9.5 8.3 16.0Lithuania 18.4 18.0 17.0 17.2 17.1Hungary 61.7 65.6 65.8 65.8 71.9Poland 47.1 47.7 44.9 44.2 45.5Romania 15.8 12.4 12.7 13.6 15.2Slovakia 34.2 30.4 29.4 30.8 28.6Sweden 50.9 45.9 40.6 34.8 34.8United Kingdom 42.3 43.4 44.1 44.8 50.1EU9 1) 38.5 37.4 35.5 35.6 36.6EU12 2) 41.9 41.4 40.5 39.6 43.4Euro area 70.0 68.3 66.1 65.1 68.7Sources: European Commission data (for 2005-08), 2007 convergence programme updates and 2009 European Commission interimforecast (for <strong>2008</strong>), and ECB calculations.<strong>Notes</strong>: Data are based on ESA 95 definitions. The <strong>2008</strong> figures in <strong>the</strong> convergence programmes are estimated by national governments andhence could differ from <strong>the</strong> final outcomes.1) The EU9 aggregate comprises <strong>the</strong> nine non-euro area EU Member States that joined <strong>the</strong> EU on 1 May 2004 or 1 January 2007.2) The EU12 aggregate comprises <strong>the</strong> 12 non-euro area EU Member States as at 31 December <strong>2008</strong>.88 ECBAnnual Report<strong>2008</strong>

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