Pierre Moscovici

Greece is expected to meet its primary surplus targets in 2019 and 2020 according to the EU's economic Spring Forecast 2019, presented today by Economic and Financial Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici.

The report underlined that in order to meet targets the state budget must be fully implemented.

The negotiations for the new borrowers' protection framework voted into law on Friday were long and hard, with the Greek side thinking it had secured an agreement three times before being proven wrong.

The finance ministers of the 19-member Eurozone have decided to postpone disbursing 1 billion euros ($1.12 billion) to Greece.

The reason for postponing the payment is that Greece has not yet changed the provisions of a law protecting debtors' main housing property from creditors to the EU's satisfaction.

Greece needs to deliver on its reforms to send a positive signal to debt markets before a meeting of euro zone finance ministers next month, European Union Commissioner Pierre Moscovici said on Thursday.

EU Financial Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici is meeting with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in Athens on Thursday morning to discuss the results of the Commission report which showed Greece has fallen behind in reforms required to receive almost 1 billion euros in aid.

Greece has not made enough progress in reforms agreed last year to get a 750 million euro ($854.4 million) bonus from the euro zone, but could still complete the changes before the bloc's finance ministers discuss the issue on March 11, the European Commission said on Wednesday

European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs Pierre Moscovici demonstrated on Monday that the post-program patience of Greece's creditors regarding Athens's delays and backtracking on points agreed has limits. Asked whether Greece will collect eurozone central banks' earnings from Greek bond holdings, he pointed to the compliance report on February 27.

Greek bond yields fell on Thursday after Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras won a confidence vote in Parliament triggered by Greece's approval of an accord to end a dispute over the Former Yugoslav of Macedonia's name. His narrow victory averted a possible snap election.

Athens needs to implement the reforms it has committed itself to and act wisely concerning the social policy measures it has planned, according to the message European Commissioner for Economic Affairs Pierre Moscovici conveyed on Wednesday to Athens, practically confirming that Brussels is monitoring the handout talk and the delays in the prior actions required for the second post-program asse

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will meet with European Commissioner for Economic Affairs Pierre Moscovici at 2.45 p.m. at Maximos Mansion, his office said.

Moscovici is expected to convey to Athens the growing concern in Brussels, as Greece's creditors see no progress in the implementation of the country's post-bailout commitments.