Brussels, 14/02/2006 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday, the President of the Ecofin Council Karl-Heinz Grasser told reporters that it was the responsibility of each Member State to forge ahead, and he urged his counterparts to fully realise what effect the ageing population would have on public finances and growth in Europe. The conclusions, adopted on Tuesday, on the report from the Commission and the Economic Policy Committee, presented to Ecofin on Tuesday, confirm the importance of taking advantage of the window of opportunity to act and not to delay difficult decisions (see EUROPE 9130). Ministers insisted however that ageing population forecasts were not to be presented to the public as estimates or definite figures. There is some regret that the report did not take into account possible variables, like immigration or technological advances. Ministers also stated with some hope that the reforms, where they had been carried out, had paid off. The Commission will present a new report on the sustainability of public finances in the autumn, and this will be submitted to the Council before the end of the year.