Peer-Reviewed Articles
Bridging climate and social equity: Progressive carbon tax simulations for Belgium
with Floore Bursens, Silvia De Poli and Gerlinde Verbist
Ecological Economics, 2026 – [Link to the article]
Short summary: This paper examines how carbon taxation can be designed to achieve both climate and social objectives. Using Green EUROMOD, a microsimulation model integrating environmental and fiscal policies, the authors simulate alternative carbon tax scenarios (on residential energy and transport) for Belgium. We show that creative policy designs can help aligning decarbonization goals with social fairness, bridging climate action and equity.
Who is "Energy Poor" in the EU?
with Ilda Dreoni
Energy Policy, 2025 – [Link to the article]
Short summary: Analyzes four indicators of energy poverty across the EU. Identifies very limited overlap between measures, highlighting the complexity of defining and addressing energy poverty.
Limiting Prices or Transferring Money?
with Antonio F. Amores, Paola De Agostini, Michael Christl, Silvia De Poli
Energy Economics, 2025 – [Link to the article]
Short summary: Assesses the impact of energy price caps in Germany, the Netherlands and Austria during the 2022–23 crisis. Results show partial mitigation but persistent inequality impacts.
Enforcing Equal Pay for Equal Work in the EU: what would it take?
with Silvia De Poli
Journal of Economic Inequality, 2024 – [Link to the article]
Short summary: Estimates gender pay gaps across EU countries and simulates the distributional effects of narrowing them. Highlights country differences driven by tax-benefit systems and household composition.
Characterizing the Schooling Cycle
with Barbara Sadaba and Sunčica Vujić
Economic Modelling, 2024 – [Link to the article]
Short summary: Examines the cyclical dynamics of education participation in the UK (1995–2019). Finds schooling choices respond differently to economic downturns and upturns, with gender heterogeneity.
Inflation, Fiscal Policy, and Inequality
with multiple co-authors
Review of Income and Wealth, 2024 – [Link to the article]
Short summary: Studies the distributional effects of post-pandemic inflation and government fiscal measures in six Euro Area countries. Shows low-income households were hardest hit, partly cushioned by fiscal support.
The Redistributive Impact of Indirect Taxation in the EU
with Mattia Ricci
Economic Analysis and Policy, 2024 – [Link to the article]
Short summary: Analyzes VAT and excise tax changes in the EU (2010–2019). Finds that consumption taxes became more unequalizing, particularly through housing-related energy taxation.
Taxing Household Energy Consumption in the EU
with Antonio F. Amores and Mattia Ricci
Energy Policy, 2023 – [Link to the article]
Short summary: Uses EUROMOD microsimulation to evaluate the burden and redistributive impact of energy taxation across Member States. Shows the importance of country differences in consumption patterns and taxation.
Reports and Policy Papers
EUROMOD Baseline Report (with colleagues), JRC, 2022 – [Link to report]
Shedding Light on Hidden Deprivations: Time-Income Poverty in Latin America – UNDP background paper for HDR 2016 – [Link to report]
Impuestos y Gasto Público: Equidad Fiscal en Uruguay – CEPAL, 2016 – [Link to report]
Tiempo urbano, acceso y desarrollo humano – UNDP 2013 (Spanish) – [Link]
PhD Thesis
Empirical Essays on the Effects of the Economic Cycle on Human Capital, Health and Fertility
PhD thesis, University of Antwerp, 2019 – [Link to thesis]
