The European Commission attempts to impose a memorandum until 2020 not only to the disbursement of the next tranches, but also to the financing of our country by NSRF. By threatening to block EU funds, it attempts to restrict the deficit and impose new terms on labour market, new rules for the self-employed and increase the retirement age.

According to a study for policies financed from the Community budget carried out by Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy for the Bank of Greece, the European Commission tries to revert the conditions for granting EU funds and set as a criterion for the countries under memorandum the implementation of reforms and the fulfilment of the commitments undertaken by Member States.

What it really attempts to do is to link the fulfilment of the terms of memorandum with the new NSRF 2014-2020! For Greece this means that the disbursement of 13 billion approved for the next seven years is not guaranteed, if it fails to successfully implement the program imposed.

More specifically, according to what the study reveals, the new regulation of the Structural Funds that the European Commission attempts to impose will include conditions such as these:

1) In the Article 21 of the proposal, the Commission attempts to link the funding provided by the Structural Funds with the budgetary and macroeconomic adjustment of the Member States.

2) Especially for countries which receive financial aid from the EFSF and the ESM, like Greece, the Commission may additionally without prior proposal of the Member State to unilaterally alter the Partnership agreement!

3) The European Commission may suspend also the payment by Structural Funds, if it believes that the adjustment program is not sufficiently implemented, or if the ESM does not approve the disbursement of funds towards the beneficiary Member State.

4) The European Commission insists on changes to labour domain.

5) Also in general, member states should comply with policies relating to the labour market in accordance with the Community Guidelines on Employment in order to receive the funds by the Cohesion Fund.