Annika Breidthardt

The case of Greece's ex-statistics chief who was found guilty of a breach of National Statistic Authority (ELSTAT) regulations duty will be examined by European Union members-states at the next Eurogroup, a European Commission spokeswoman responsible for economic affairs said Wednesday. 

The European Commission has revealed its intention to revise downward its estimate for the Greek growth rate, following the economic and political instability generated by continued delays in wrapping up bailout review negotiations.

EuroGroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem said that no agreement had been reached between the Greek government and the institutions on the second review. Speaking in the Dutch Parliament, Thursday, Mr. Dijsselbloem denied a Reuters report published on Wednesday that claimed Greece and its creditors had reached a staff level deal.

A Greek government official said Wednesday that reports of a preliminary deal between Greece and its foreign lenders on the terms of the country's bailout program could not be confirmed.

"No comment. When the deal is made, you will learn it officially and not through a leak," said the official on condition of anonymity.

The European Commission has not confirmed news reports released earlier Wednesday claiming that a preliminary agreement has been reached between Athens and its foreign lenders.

"We saw the media reports on this; I cannot confirm," said Annika Breidthardt, coordinating spokesperson for economic and financial affairs for the Commission, in Brussels.

The Greek bailout program was completely reliable, a spokesperson for the European Commission said Tuesday, in response to comments made by top IMF officials Maurice Obstfeld and Poul Thomsen on Monday.

European Commission spokeswoman Annika Breidthardt on Monday confirmed, in comments to reporters in Brussels, that the mission chiefs representing Greece's international creditors were back in Athens for talks with government officials this week.

European Commission spokesperson for Economic and Financial Affairs Annika Breidthardt told the press, Friday, there could be no forecast as to when a deal would be achieved between Greece and the institutions.

European Commissioner for Financial Affairs Pierre Moscovici spokesperson Annika Breidthardt announced on Tuesday that the technical teams of the institutions will return to Athens within the week.

According to Breidthardt, the return of the institutions’ technical teams to Athens is “an important step” to prepare the visit of the heads of the institutions in the near future.

The government on Thursday dismissed the head of the General Secretariat for Public Revenues, Katerina Savvaidou, because of misdemeanor charges.

This move has raised questions on the authorities’ commitment to the body’s independence.