Brussels, 11/02/2016 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 11 February, the head of the Eurogroup, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, presented the finance ministers of the eurozone with new measures aiming to make their regular work more transparent.
“My aim is to ensure that the public is much better informed about our work, which has an impact on daily life in the member states”, the Dutch finance minister stated on his arrival at the meeting of the Eurogroup. Being more transparent is a normal, “democratic” way to work, even with an informal group such as the Eurogroup, he added.
The documents which will be published in the future are: the draft annotated agendas, the summing-up letter which reflects Dijsselbloem's understanding of the main issues that were discussed at Eurogroup meetings, and documents regarding the economic and budgetary situation of countries for which decisions are made. Although it has the support of the ministers, the last of these proposals has still to be finalised, Dijsselbloem stated.
“The Eurogroup is one of the most powerful groups in the EU, and yet has been lacking in terms of basic levels of transparency. The measures discussed today are of significance for all Europeans”, said the European ombudsman, Emily O'Reilly, in a press release. She added that she would be keeping a close eye on events to ensure that the commitments made are respected. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)