During the EP Plenary session (26-27/04/2017) in Brussels, MEPs debate on the State of play of the second review of the economic adjustment programme for Greece. Opening statements by Jeroen DIJSSELBLOEM, President of the Eurogroup, and Pierre MOSCOVICI, Member of the EC in charge of Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs.&nbsp;

State of play of the second review of the economic adjustment programme for Greece: extracts from the opening statements

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SOUNDBITE (English), Jeroen DIJSSELBLOEM, President of the Eurogroup, The way I expressed myself has caused offence and this I regret very much. It was of course never my intention to insult people, I have worked for the past 4 years to bring the Eurozone closer together and the last thing I want is to cause new divides.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jeroen DIJSSELBLOEM, President of the Eurogroup, The authorities committed to legislate up front further pension and income tax reforms, each worth about 1 per cent of GDP. Pension reforms will become effective in 2019 unconditionally. Income tax reforms is planned to become effective in 2020 in principle unless front loading is needed. We also agreed that the authorities can legislate now expansionary measures, implement as from 2019, provided of course that the medium term targets are met. Apart from possible tax measures it provides for improvements to modernise the social safety net that Greece is rightly developing.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jeroen DIJSSELBLOEM, President of the Eurogroup, I&rsquo;m confident that an agreement on the whole package will be reached very soon. The Eurogroup will also review Greece&rsquo;s medium term fiscal projections and debt sustainability and let me just say that I believe that in a 10 year period of a primary surplus target of 3,5 per cent should be shorten.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jeroen DIJSSELBLOEM, President of the Eurogroup, I expect that all of this will allow to all institutions to come to the conclusions that the numbers add up and the IMF financially to participate. I hope to be able to report to you the successful conclusion of the second review before the end of next month, allowing confidence to the Greek economy and for Greece to join all other Eurozone countries in their ongoing process of the economic recovery, thank you.

SOUNDBITE (French), Pierre MOSCOVICI, Member of the EC in charge of Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs, Greece is doing far better than the 1.5 target of GDP, much better than that, in fact it is matter of confirmation, there are certain elements that we need to discuss with the Greek authorities in Athens, however we welcome their performance.

SOUNDBITE (French), Pierre MOSCOVICI, Member of the EC in charge of Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs, Greece cannot afford to lose the moment that had been reached in 2016, everyone has to support the reform process and the beginning of recovery which we are seeing in Greece. As far as I&rsquo;m concerned and the Commission, the Greek authorities and all players and institution have to be ever more vigilant, have to work constructively ever more close up the second review as so possible.

State of play of the second review of the economic adjustment programme for Greece: extracts from the opening statements

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