Greece has sent reform plans, a ‘valid starting point,’ says EU source

Series Title
Series Details 24.02.15
Publication Date 24/02/2015
Content Type

As required by the agreement reached at the Eurogroup meeting on the 20 February 2015 Greece sent a list of economic reform plans to European institutions and the International Monetary Fund around midnight on the 23 February 2015.

It was expected that Eurozone Finance Ministers would review the reform proposals on the 24 February 2015 before deciding whether to extend Greece's bailout for a further four months.

The Eurogroup issued a broadly positive statement later on the 24 February 2015. However, Open Europe did report that both the ECB and the IMF had separately expressed concerns about the vagueness of some of the reform proposals.

According to the BBC News website the Greek reform programme included proposals aimed at:

+ Creating a fairer tax system
+ Combating tax evasion
+ Tackling corruption
+ Targeting fuel and tobacco smugglers
+ Implementing labour reforms on collective contracts and bargaining agreements.
+ Tackling Greece's 'humanitarian crisis' with housing guarantees and free medical care for the uninsured unemployed.

Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis told in an interview with Charlie Hebdo published on 25 February 2015 that racists and nationalists would be the only ones to benefit if European leaders decided to 'shoot down' Greece's new anti-austerity government.

On 27 February 2015, Germany's parliament approved the extension of Greece's financial bailout. It followed a clash between police and protesters during anti-government demonstrations in Athens on the previous day.

Source Link Link to Main Source http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite1_1_24/02/2015_547570
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