Brussels, 29/08/2013 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has repeated its forecasts that economic growth will pick up in the second half of 2013, but with significant differences between the member states (see EUROPE 10903).
“This summer, there are welcome signs that the EU economy has reached a turning point. Data for the second quarter of this year confirmed the beginnings of a gradual recovery. Positive signals are also coming from the vulnerable member states, though of course they continue to face major challenges. We expect growth in Europe to pick up gradually in the second half of this year. There are still major divergences in growth in the eurozone, and there is an unemployment crisis in many EU countries, as we are painfully aware”, said Euro Commissioner Olli Rehn on Thursday 29 August at the annual European Forum in Alpbach (Austria).
Repeating the Commission's line on how to deal with the sovereign debt crisis (structural reforms, healthy public finance, banking union), the commissioner said that “France and Germany together hold the key to a smoother and more effective rebalancing of the European economy. In a nutshell, this calls for competitiveness-supporting economic reforms to the labour market, business environment conditions and pension system in France, and for structural measures to further reinforce domestic demand in Germany”. (MB/transl.fl)