Brussels, 14/01/2016 (Agence Europe) - The institutions representing the creditors of Greece are awaiting more budgetary information from the Greek authorities before they can travel to Athens to start the first monitoring mission of the implementation of the adjustment programme, the European Commission explained after the meeting of the Eurogroup on Thursday 14 January.
The institutions (Commission, ECB, IMF, ESM) hope to be in Athens in the next few days. During this first monitoring mission, “pensions reform will be central to the discussions”, but will not be the only issue on the table, explained Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs Pierre Moscovici. The commissioner observed that the initial outlines of the said reform were “general”, but that rapid progress was needed. Concluding the first monitoring mission is essential, said President of the Eurogroup Jeroen Dijsselbloem. He said that this will be a matter not of weeks, but of months.
Director General of the European Stability Mechanism Klaus Regling explained that the country's liquidity situation could get sticky in February. He referred to repayments to the tune of €4 billion to be honoured in the first quarter of 2016. A diplomat had earlier explained that Greece has a major repayment scheduled for 24 February.
The Eurogroup meeting also gave Greek Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos the opportunity to reassure his opposite numbers as to his agreement for the IMF to be involved in the bailout plan. The IMF, for its part, is still prepared to participate, but under its own conditions, Dijsselbloem said. One of these conditions is reported to be that the eurozone members pledge to reduce the Greek debt.
The Eurogroup additionally discussed the politicisation of bank governance. This must cease, Dijsselbloem stressed. (Original version in French by Elodie Lamer)