Athens, 08/01/2014 (Agence Europe) - In Athens on Wednesday 8 January, Greece's Minister of Finance Yannis Stournaras announced that one of the priorities of the Greek Presidency will focus on the EU budget.
The Presidency wants to focus on the guidelines of the 2015 EU budget, emphasising the “guarantee of the principle of healthy budget management”, he said, adding that “a realistic forecast” is needed “to avoid the phenomenon of amending budgets”.
Deputy Finance Minister Christos Staikouras said that for 2015 “the guidelines” are, inter alia, a “budget established on healthy forecasts”, which responds to the principle of good financial management and with: - an appropriate level of commitment and payment appropriations; - good financing of cohesion policy; - policies that support employment; - enough credits for research and innovation, and entrepreneurship; - and the rationalisation of the European institutions' spending.
Another priority is to obtain an agreement on the revision of the own resources system “for the fast and sufficient financing of the European institutions”, Stournaras stated.
The Greek Presidency also wants the European Commission to obtain discharge on the execution of the EU budget for 2012. (CG/transl.fl)