10/11/2009 (Agence Europe) - Adopting a conclusions document on EU statistics, the ECOFIN Council regretted the new problems caused by unreliable statistics from Greece, but welcomed the new Greek government's determination to deal with the issue. Speaking to reporters, the Greek finance minister, George Papaconstantinou, said he would take the necessary measures to restore credibility to Greek statistics and would start budget consolidation in 2011 (reducing the deficit from 12.7% of GDP 2009 to 9.4% in 2010, he said). On Wednesday 11 November 2009, the European Commission will note that Greece has not taken satisfactory measures to correct its deficit over the past six months (Article 104, paragraph 8 of the Treaty), but discussions on the time Greece will be given to rein in the budget will not be held until January 2010. The Commission cannot recommend a new timetable and measures to be taken (under Article 104, paragraph 9, of the Treaty) until it has received the Greek Stability Programme. Papaconstantinou said he hoped the timetable would be both ambitious and realistic. He recently said it would take at least 3 or 4 years (see EUROPE 10002). (A.B.)