Relationship between credit and business cycle

Excessive lending activity of banks is considered to be one of the causes of the recent financial and economic crisis. The theme of this thesis is to evaluate the relation of credit and the business cycle in the euro area countries and explore the differences which have been among these countries recorded. The primary objective of this work is the analysis of the credit cycle in these countries and its develoment from 2000 to the present. The paper will address further the question of whether financial markets can create for themselves economic imbalances through endogenous credit "booms". First part will deal with the theory off business cycles, then with alternative approaches, namely the Financial Instability Hypothesis of Hyman Minsky and followed by the latest theoretical knowledge on the issue of credit cycles. The next part will focus on identifying and analysing factors playing the significant role in the development of the economy in the pre-crisis period. The following section will be devoted to the international comparison of the credit and business cycles in the euro area (selection of those states that were more resistant to crisis and those sensitive to the crisis). The conclusion will address some recommendations for the policies of central banks, which may in turn reduce the pro-cyclical effects of developing leverage.