Finance Minister to renew Greece’s commitments to reforms at EuroGroup

Greek Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos will meet with his EU colleagues in an effort to present his government’s renewed commitment, following the cabinet reshuffle, to move forward with the necessary reforms and close the second review by the next December 5, meeting.

Tsakalotos will brief his counterparts on the preliminary results of a recent review mission to Athens in the context of the ongoing second review of Greece’s financial assistance programme. The issue of the Greek program review and its progress will be the third item on the agenda of talks.

The representatives of Greece’s creditors are expected to return to Athens to resume talks on a series of matters in mid November. According to a letter by EuroGroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem the issues included in the next round of talks include: Labour reforms, with the new Minister, Efi Achtsiogou called upon to tackle, among other thins, collective work contracts, mass layoffs, the “Danish” model for redundant workers, the trade union law and lockouts; Privatisations and the provision that the old Public Assets Privatisation Fund (TAIPED) operate under the auspices of the new super Public Assets Management Fund; The issue of non-performing loans, following the replacement of former Economy Minister George Stathakis, as well as the extra judiciary settlements; The social solidarity benefit linked to the course of the public finances, given that the 400 million-euro cuts in the military did not go through. Measures are also being taken for the banking sector, the drawing up and oversight of the budget and the new medium-term provision for education and investment.