21/11/2016 (Agence Europe) – The European Commission has no mandate to lay down aggregated budgetary orientations at Eurozone level, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble, said on Friday 18 November at an event hosted by German daily newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung. He stressed that under the Stability and Growth Pact, it was ultimately a matter for the member states to decide on their national budgets. Last week, the Commission called on the Eurozone to pursue a slightly expansionist aggregated budgetary orientation in 2017, at a level of 0.5% of GDP. By making a recommendation of this kind, the European institution is acting as finance ministry of the Eurozone, Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs Pierre Moscovici, said earlier, predicting a lively debate at the Eurogroup on the subject. (MB)