During the meeting, the Ministers exchanged their views with regards to the ECOFIN Council agenda and in particular on the implementation of the European Investment Plan. The Ministers agreed that the swift implementation of the Plan is imperative for promoting economic recovery and committed to urge for the timely use of the Fund.
Rimantas Šadžius stated: “Europe’s Investment Plan is a key driver for promoting economic growth and for creating new jobs. In order to ensure its efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability the Plan needs to be equipped with a transparent, fair and democratic governance framework. At the same time we must make sure that the involvement of the Member States and their National Promotional Banks is constructively encouraged. The promotion of investment as a mean for achieving economic recovery is our political family’s flagship. We have agreed to coordinate all our efforts in order to ensure that the Plan is timely implemented in the most effective manner in order to stimulate the creation of jobs and social convergence”.
He added: “We have been informed that the negotiations with regards to the implementation of the Financial Transaction Tax are reaching headway. We are confident that we will have the chance to discuss the issue in the course of the Latvian Presidency”.
The meeting was also attended by French Finance Minister Michel Sapin, Italian Finance Minister Pier Carlo Padoan, Dutch Finance Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem, Slovakian Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Peter Kazimir, Finnish Finance Minister Antti Rinne, Maltese Finance Minister Edward Scicluna, Swedish Finance Minister Magdalena Andersson, Swedish State Secretary at the Ministry of Finance Karolina Ekholm, Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs Pierre Moscovici, Special Advisor for S&D Group in the European Parliament Anna Colombo and Deputy Secretary General of the PES Yonnec Polet.
