Brussels, 25/04/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 24 April, the Board of the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) gave the go-ahead to the final batch of aid, €1.2 billion, for Portugal under its financial bailout. EFSF Director General Klaus Regling said: “After a painful but necessary economic adjustment the country is now starting to see benefits as imbalances are being corrected and credibility has been regained”, four year after finding itself unable to borrow from the financial markets. The EFSF programme will end on 18 May 2014 and the Portuguese government will describe on 5 May on the fringes of a eurozone finance ministers' meeting exactly how it is planning to exit the aid plan. Regling added: “The upcoming end of the programme is not the end of the reform process. Many challenges remain. But the successful steps towards full market access and the determination of the authorities have placed Portugal in a good position to tackle them”. (EL)