Brussels, 29/09/2009 (Agence Europe) - “The economic situation has largely stabilised” but it remains “fragile and volatile”, Eurogroup President Jean-Claude Juncker warned on Tuesday 29 September. Addressing the European Parliament economic and monetary affairs committee, he said that prudence still had to be the watchword with the strength and sustainability of the recovery still uncertain. “This is still not the time for exit strategies,” he said, forecasting that exit strategies could come into play from 2011 (2010 seems to him to be too early). While it may not be for right now, dismantling support measures is something that has to be prepared and will have to be coordinated given the many interactions between the various arrangements in place. Structural reform is also something that should be pursued, but with the timetable for the implementation of the Lisbon strategy being made “more realistic” (the idea is to extend the period beyond 2010 without slowing down the implementation of the various parts of the strategy). Potential growth in the euro area, which was low before the crisis (it was below 2.5%) will, it is generally agreed, fall to around 1.5% over the next five years, Juncker said, far too low a level in his view. (A.B./transl.rt)