Δήλωση του Eurogroup για τις πρόωρες αποπληρωμές δανείων του ΔΝΤ και του GLF από την Ελλάδα

 

Press material Friday 25 February 2022

● Eurogroup   25/02/2022 16:44 | Statements and remarks | Eurogroup statement on the early repayments of IMF and GLF loans by Greece   The Eurogroup welcomes the expected early repayment by Greece of its outstanding International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan this spring and the partial prepayment of its loans under the Greek Loan Facility (GLF) at the end of this year, subject to national procedures and the relevant approval by EFSF and ESM decision-making bodies. On 6 December, Greece informed the Eurogroup that it was considering an early repayment of the remaining amount of its outstanding IMF loan, as well as a partial prepayment of its loans under the GLF. The partial prepayment of the GLF would correspond to the principal payments due until the end of 2023 under the GLF. Today the Eurogroup recalled the positive developments of the Greek economy, including a strong recovery from the pandemic and the policy reforms that have been implemented even in challenging circumstances, which allow Greece to envisage these repayments. We underline the importance of continued reform implementation also in the context of the Greek Recovery and Resilience Plan. The Eurogroup stresses the positive impact that the early repayments will have on Greece’s public finances and the signal of confidence to financial markets. The Eurogroup also welcomes the participation of the ΙMF in the monitoring activities of European creditors for the remainder of the enhanced surveillance period. Eurogroup statement on Greece of 6 December 2021 (press release, 6 December 2021) Δήλωση του Eurogroup για τις πρόωρες αποπληρωμές δανείων του ΔΝΤ και του GLF από την Ελλάδα Το Eurogroup χαιρετίζει την αναμενόμενη πρόωρη αποπληρωμή από την Ελλάδα του εκκρεμούς δανείου της από το Διεθνές Νομισματικό Ταμείο (ΔΝΤ) αυτή την άνοιξη και τη μερική προπληρωμή των δανείων της στο πλαίσιο της Ελληνικής Δανειακής Διευκόλυνσης (GLF) στο τέλος του τρέχοντος έτους, με την επιφύλαξη των εθνικών διαδικασιών και των σχετικών έγκριση από τα όργανα λήψης αποφάσεων του EFSF και του ESM. Στις 6 Δεκεμβρίου, η Ελλάδα ενημέρωσε το Eurogroup ότι εξέταζε την πρόωρη αποπληρωμή του υπολοίπου του δανείου της από το ΔΝΤ, καθώς και μια μερική προπληρωμή των δανείων της στο πλαίσιο του GLF. Η μερική προπληρωμή του GLF θα αντιστοιχεί στις κύριες πληρωμές που οφείλονται μέχρι το τέλος του 2023 βάσει του GLF. Σήμερα το Eurogroup υπενθύμισε τις θετικές εξελίξεις της ελληνικής οικονομίας, συμπεριλαμβανομένης της ισχυρής ανάκαμψης από την πανδημία και τις μεταρρυθμίσεις πολιτικής που έχουν εφαρμοστεί ακόμη και σε δύσκολες συνθήκες, που επιτρέπουν στην Ελλάδα να οραματιστεί αυτές τις αποπληρωμές. Υπογραμμίζουμε τη σημασία της συνεχούς εφαρμογής των μεταρρυθμίσεων και στο πλαίσιο του Ελληνικού Σχεδίου Ανάκαμψης και Ανθεκτικότητας. Το Eurogroup τονίζει τη θετική επίδραση που θα έχουν οι πρόωρες αποπληρωμές στα δημόσια οικονομικά της Ελλάδας και το σήμα εμπιστοσύνης στις χρηματοπιστωτικές αγορές. Το Eurogroup χαιρετίζει επίσης τη συμμετοχή του ΙMF στις δραστηριότητες παρακολούθησης των ευρωπαίων πιστωτών για το υπόλοιπο της περιόδου ενισχυμένης εποπτείας.

Press material Friday 25 February 2022   ● Council of the EU   25/02/2022 16:18 | Statements and remarks | Ukraine: press statement from the EU Ministers for Finance, European Commission and the European Central Bank   Yesterday night at the European Council, EU Leaders showed our absolute unity in responding to the unprovoked and unlawful Russian military actions. We expressed full solidarity with the people of Ukraine. The EU has demonstrated its support with emergency financial assistance and we will continue to provide additional support in the coming days. At the European Council last night, Leaders agreed on restrictive measures that will impose massive and severe consequences on Russia. We, Ministers for Finance, will implement these financial and economic sanctions immediately. Those sanctions will last as long as needed and will be complemented by additional decisions. We asked the European Commission and the ECB to assess the consequences of cutting further the access of Russian institutions to the financial system. All options are on the table. This unity of the European countries and the strength of our European economy will allow us to mitigate the impacts of the crisis. We will take appropriate actions to limit the consequences on our citizens and businesses. Today, we discussed the economic consequences of this geopolitical crisis, in particular on the energy sector. We are committed to accelerate the agenda initiated in recent months to strengthen our economic independence and enhance sustainable and resilient growth. Press material Friday 25 February 2022   ● Eurogroup   25/02/2022 16:41 | Statements and remarks | Eurogroup statement on the digital euro project   New technologies in banking and payments are giving rise to new services and business models by established financial institutions and new market entrants. A properly-designed digital euro that is safe, easy to use and widely accessible to the public has the potential to foster innovation in the financial system and deliver major benefits for citizens, businesses, Member States. It can strengthen our financial and monetary sovereignty and contribute to the overall functioning of our economic and monetary union, building on mutual trust and engagement among all stakeholders involved, and it is relevant for the international role of the euro. Informed by preliminary work of the ECB and the European Commission, the Eurosummit in March 2021 invited the exploratory work on the possible introduction of a digital euro to be taken forward. On 14 July 2021, the ECB Governing Council decided to launch an investigation into the possible issuance of a digital euro to complement cash. The investigation phase will last 24 months and aims to address key issues regarding design and distribution. This will not prejudge any future decision on the possible issuance of a digital euro, which will come only later. In order to be successful, the possible issuance of a digital euro needs to be a common European project, supported by the European public and with a solid democratic basis. The creation of a digital euro would require an intervention of the Union legislature; and the Commission intends to make a proposal on the basis of Article 133 TFEU. In this context, we welcome the intention of the Commission to launch a targeted public consultation on a digital euro as part of the pre-legislative process. The Eurogroup supports the work carried out by the Eurosystem and the Commission on a digital euro. This investigative work needs to build on careful and thorough analysis and will benefit from Eurogroup members’ views during the process. The digital euro is a complex and important project with potentially far-reaching impacts for citizens, businesses, and the EMU as a whole. The Eurogroup therefore agreed to regularly revisit this topic and discuss its various dimensions, notably with a focus on their political relevance. This will allow us to provide clear views on the general objectives and political dimensions of a digital euro and the trade-offs in full respect of the institutional roles and mandates of all actors involved. The Eurogroup identified a number of topics on which it will make contributions, working closely with the ECB and the Commission. A plan for regular Eurogroup discussions on the implications of a digital euro, based on input from the ECB and the Commission, was agreed in July 2021* based on four thematic areas with a view to a thorough technical preparation of our discussions on this topic. We began in November 2021 by discussing the policy objectives and uses of a digital euro in the global competitive context, taking into account broader initiatives at the international level. Ministers saw an important role for a digital euro in strengthening our open strategic autonomy, promoting the digital transition and the development of pan-European payment solutions, the continued availability and usability of central bank money and financial inclusion. Today, the Eurogroup took stock of developments so far, based on an update from the ECB and the Commission on their respective work. Ministers support a high level of innovation and ambition during the investigation phase, close monitoring of emerging trends, and the ability to react and adapt to changing demands, whilst recognizing the trade-off between designing an ambitious product and making fast progress. Our next thematic discussion, in April 2022, will be on privacy considerations and how they square with other policy objectives, such as countering money laundering, illicit financing and tax evasion. We will then turn to potential impacts of the digital euro on the financial system and the use of cash, in June 2022. Then, in the latter half of the year, we will discuss the broader ecosystem around the digital euro and the role and business models of the various public and private actors in this ecosystem, which in turn could have implications for efficiency, competition, innovation and the inclusiveness of the digital euro. We welcome the continued efforts of the ECB and the Commission in this process. The Eurogroup will continue to play an active role and to contribute with regular discussions on the digital euro** in line with the advancement of the Eurosystem investigation phase and the work by the ECB and the Commission. * Main content and course of discussions at the Eurogroup meeting held on 12 July 2021 in Brussels ** Eurogroup Work programme until July 2022 Digital finance (background information)