Informal video conference of economic and finance ministers, 16 March 2021

Summary:

EU Ministers responsible for financial and economic matters (ECOFIN) held an informal videoconference on 16 March 2021. The agenda included the following items:

• Exchange of views on the state of play and way forward on tax challenges arising from the digitalisation of the economy;
• Briefing on the economic situation and outlook in the European Union;
• Presentation by the European Commission of its Communication on fiscal policy in response to the COVID-19 pandemic;
• Update on the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) and progress in the ratification of the Own Resources Decision (ORD);
• Discussion on the priorities of the national recovery and resilience plans;
• Briefing on the adoption of conclusions concerning the Commission's Retail Payments Strategy;
• Briefing on the outcome of the latest meeting of G20 finance ministers and central bank governors;
• Briefing on the preparations for the forthcoming meetings of G20 finance ministers and centre bank governs and also IMF meetings;
• Update on the state of play of legislative initiatives and implementation of directives in the field of financial services.

Official

General Secretariat of the Council: Background Brief for Informal video conference of economic and finance ministers, 16 March 2021 https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/48815/210316_ecofinvtc_draft_background_note_for_the_press.pdf

European Commission: Remarks by Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis at the informal ECOFIN press conference (16 March 2021) https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/speech_21_1207

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