The European Commission expressed its satisfaction after the Greek parliament passed the prerequisite measures Thursday morning. European Commission spokesperson for Economic and Financial Affairs Annika Breidthardt during a scheduled press briefing said the Greek parliament had made an important step in the direction of rebuilding trust between Greece and its EU partners. She stressed the institutions had a positive assessment of the four prerequisite actions passed by the Greek parliament. She also welcomed the large number of MPs who supported the measures, while underlining the significance of the substantive reforms included in the bill, like the increase in VAT, the independence of the Greek Statistics Services (ELSTAT) and public administration and social security. The ratification of the bill fulfills the requirement for the release of the 7 bln Euros from the EFSM, according to the spokesperson.