Spain and Portugal excused for repeated breach
Print Edition
EUROPEAN Union member states let Spain and Portugal off the hook yesterday, deciding against fines for their repeated breach of budget deficit rules meant to bolster growth and the public finances.
EU Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs Pierre Moscovici said the decision reflected “an intelligent application” of the Stability and Growth Pact which sets the fiscal rules member states are supposed to follow.
The move confirms an earlier ruling by the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm.
“By giving more time to Spain and Portugal to bring their public deficits below (the ceiling of) three percent (of GDP), the (European) Council sets new credible fiscal trajectories, which will contribute to strengthening both their economies and the euro area,” Moscovici said in a statement.
“Stability and growth require a strong determination to put public finances in order. I trust that Spain and Portugal will respond accordingly,” he added.
The commission agreed late last month not to impose fines of up to 0.2 percent of gross domestic product for fear of stoking even more anti-EU sentiment in the wake of Britain’s shock vote to quit the bloc.
The final decision rested with the 28 member states in the European Council where many such as France and Italy argued Brussels should cut them more slack as they try to get their economies back on track amid public anger at continued austerity.
Germany in contrast championed the SGP rules as the only way forward, saying that sound public finances are the only foundation for growth.
After six years in recession, Spain reported a 2015 budget deficit of 5.1 percent of GDP, way off the 4.2 percent target set by the commission.
For this year, the council said Madrid must find savings equivalent to 0.5 percent of GDP to bring the deficit down to 4.6 percent, and then 3.1 percent in 2017 and 2.2 percent in 2018.
“All windfall gains must be used to accelerate deficit and debt reduction, and Spain must be ready to adopt further measures should budgetary risks materialise,” the council said in a statement.
Portugal must find savings worth 0.25 percent of GDP to bring its budget deficit to 2.5 percent this year, compared with 4.4 percent in 2015.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
