EU official sounds alarm on 3.5% surplus target at EuroGroup

The EU official accused the outgoing Tsipras administration of overturning some of the greed reforms

An EU official has sounded the alarm over Greece’s fiscal policy, accusing the outgoing Tsipras administration of overturning some of the greed reforms.
However, any specific developments are expected to be delayed until the newly elected government of New Democracy has presented its plans in September.

“We will discuss Greece on the basis of the Commission’s report,” Eurogroup chairman Mario Centeno told reporters arriving at today’s meeting of eurozone finance ministers. “We will evaluate progress, the reform agenda and the challenges,” he said, adding that, given the change of government, “we will come back to this issue soon”.

Greece will be represented at today’s session, by the outgoing Deputy Finance Minister, George Chouliarakis.

European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs Pierre Moscovici thanked outgoing Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras for the cooperation during his tenure.

The Eurozone official noted that Greece’s target of a primary surplus of 3.5% is “part of the agreement” in 2018. He said the report on the enhanced surveillance by the institutions, to be discussed today, presents “delays” in the implementation of reforms, as well as “the overturning of some reforms that jeopardise the achievement of the 3.5% target”, noting that these policies are “in the wrong direction”.