The Eurogroup is set to ratify the Commission’s opinion on the Greek budget, European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs, Pierre Moscovici told reporters Monday arriving at the building.
The group is convening in Brussels, with the issue the Italian budget taking centre stage.

“As we have always argued, pension cuts are unnecessary,” said Moscovici, expressing confidence that the Eurogroup would ratify the Commission’s opinion on the Greek budget. The Commissioner went on to says that Greece had demonstrated that it is possible to combine serious policies with a social approach to combat exclusion, adding that Greece had fulfilled its part of the deal..
The Commissioner also referred to Italy, which is expected to be the focus of attention, noting that there was progress after the G20 summit on Saturday. “There is new availability for an exchange of views and dialogue,” he said, noting that “new ideas and suggestions have emerged in the right direction”. Procedures, he explained, have already begun, but the dialogue was ongoing between Italian authorities and the EU bodies.