05/05/2017 (Agence Europe) – The European Commission is “currently evaluating the arguments” put forward by Spain, Portugal, France and Italy concerning the methodology used to calculate the output gap, Annika Breidthardt, a spokesperson for the European institution, announced on Friday 5 May. However, she reiterated that the current methodology, which was approved by all member states, would be used for the forthcoming country-by-country economic recommendations to be announced on Wednesday 17 May. The output gap represents the difference between the potential growth of a member state and the actual growth achieved, information used by the Commission in its socio-economic policy recommendations to the member state in the framework of the 'European Semester' budgetary process. The finance ministers of the four countries in question called on the European institution the day before to reconsider the output gap calculation methodology. (LT)