Brussels, 16/03/2015 (Agence Europe) - In Brussels on Wednesday 18 March, the French Prime Minister Valls will meet the European Commission, to discuss the reform of economic governance and the structural reforms France is setting in place to kickstart its economy.
“We will discuss economic governance, the French programme of structural reforms, new vectors to relaunch growth in Europe, immigration and the digital market”, Commission spokesperson Margaritis Schinas announced on Monday 16 March.
This visit comes after the European Commission last week adopted the Commission's recommendation to give Paris a third grace period (from 2015 to 2017) to bring its public deficit back below the 3% of GDP mark (see EUROPE 11271). This extra time comes with very specific deadlines set in place at European level, obliging France to present tangible structural reforms and, in particular, to demonstrate by June of this year that it will be in a position to make a structural budgetary effort (not including conjunctural effects) of 0.5% of GDP in 2015, which will translate into further savings of €3 to €4 billion. This decision has not gone down well with a number of countries, which feel that the European authorities are being too lenient on the French government.
Valls will visit Brussels on the eve of the European Council on the European energy policy, the situation in Ukraine and Libya. In particular, the French prime minister is currently campaigning in the framework of local elections, at which the Front National party could consolidate its victory in the European elections of May 2014. (MB)