Finance Minister Chairs ECOFIN in Brussels Amidst Eurogroup Talks

Finance Minister Makis Keravnos is in Brussels to take part in the Eurogroup meeting and to chair the ECOFIN Council on 19 and 20 January, during which Eurozone economic policy priorities will be discussed and revised Recovery and Resilience Plans of the member states will be adopted. According to an announcement by the Ministry of Finance, on Monday, 19 January, the Minister will participate in the Eurogroup meeting, which will begin with an update on the latest developments in the process of Bulgaria’s adoption of the euro. Ministers will then exchange views on the Eurozone’s economic policy priorities for 2026, based on the recommendations issued by the European Commission in November. They will also be briefed on the outcomes of recent meetings of G7 Finance Ministers, while France, which will hold the presidency of the body for 2026, will present its priorities. The meeting will conclude with a discussion on the candidacies for the post of Vice-President of the European Central Bank. On Tuesday, 20 January, the Minister will chair the proceedings of the ECOFIN Council. The Council will begin with an exchange of views on the work programme for economic and fiscal matters during the Cypriot Presidency, based on a presentation by Minister Keravnos. This will be followed by an exchange of views on the economic and fiscal impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Furthermore, the Ministers will adopt the revised Recovery and Resilience Plans of Spain, Sweden, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and Finland. In addition, within the framework of the 2026 European Semester for the coordination of economic policies within the EU, Finance Ministers will adopt Conclusions on the 2026 Alert Mechanism Report, which identifies the member states that will require in-depth reviews to determine whether they are affected by macroeconomic imbalances requiring specific policy action. Finally, a decision will be adopted to open an excessive deficit procedure for Finland. (Source: CNA)