1 THE CONCEPT OF NEUTRAL INFLATION AND ITS APPLICATION TO THE EU ECONOMIC GROWTH ANALYSES

The prospects of economic growth in the Euro area depend, to a large extent, on the way in which its participants will solve the problems of economic stabilisation; they depend on whether the conceptual dogmas will prevail in the stabilisation policy or the tendency to make the stabilisation policy instruments more flexible and adjustable to changes in the economic situation. The system of restrictions imposed upon the EU countries by the Maastricht Treaty and the Stability and Growth Pact fulfilled its tasks in the sense that it enabled the indispensable co-ordination of the economic policies of these countries and introduction of the common currency. It seems now that the framework is too rigid and single-mindedly aimed at persuing one goal only (i.e. price stability) and, therefore, in the long run, it cannot be a useful tool of integration and creation of favourable conditions for the development in the Euro area countries. Hence it seems that the reform of the system is inevitable and it should rely on using the opportunities offered by both- monetary and fiscal policy. JEL Clasiification: F, F3, F3