|
|
On 19 June, before entering the meeting, German finance minister Wolfgang Schäuble offered no signs that he would agree to revising the pact's main provisions. "We don't need to change the rules, we have to stick to them" he said, adding that, "The existing rules provide enough flexibility."
"Solid financing and structural reforms are two necessary conditions for sustainable growth," he said. Dutch finance minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem, who chairs the meeting of the eurozone's 18 finance ministers, agreed that the terms should remain the same for now. However, he insisted that ministers would re-assess rules on deficit and debt limits by the end of the year.
Meanwhile, EU economic and monetary affairs commissioner Olli Rehn said that governments must implement reforms first, before being afforded more time to cut their deficits to within EU limits.
View Parliament Magazine Article report