Brussels, 17/01/2001 (Agence Europe) - The Finance Ministers of the countries of the euro zone are to meet Thursday evening for the first time (from 20.30 hrs.) under the chairmanship of Belgium's Didier Reynders who, on 1 January, took over the reins of the Eurogroup for a year. Sweden, currently President of the EU Council, not having signed up to the single currency, it is up to the following country in the order of presidencies to head this informal body. Didier Reynders has already said that he was counting on these twelve months to provide the Eurogroup with greater visibility. And try to increase its powers. It is, notably, a question of improving the coordination of the budgetary policies of the twelve countries of the euro zone and stepping up the surveillance of developments in the budgets and stability programmes of the member countries.
Following the presentation of the programme of the Belgian Presidency, the Twelve will proceed, on Thursday, with Commissioner Pedro Solbes, with their traditional overview of the general economic and monetary situation. They will, more specifically, debate Ireland's stability programme, that seems to raise problems. They will also turn to the practical preparation of the arrival of euro coins and banknotes, which will be one of the main challenges of the Belgian Presidency.
Greece, whose entry into the single currency took effect on 1 January 2001, will finally be officially greeted as member of the Eurogroup. It has, however, taken part in he sessions since July.