The purpose of the symposium was to review and assess the effectiveness of policies and reforms with a Europe-wide impact, notably the single monetary policy and the European banking union, in achieving three fundamental economic objectives of the European Union: strengthening economic growth, preserving price stability and safeguarding financial stability. Achieving stronger growth and protecting financial and macroeconomic stability have been set as top priorities of the Union in the wake of the European debt and banking crisis. They will remain so for years to come, because their sustained attainment is likely to prove challenging