Eurogroup

Finance Minister Christos Staikouras presented the government's priorities for 2020 at Monday's Eurogroup meeting in Brussels, mentioning Athens' request for a primary surplus reduction for 2021 and 2022, an issue eurozone sources say will start being debated in the year's first half.

Finance Minister Christos Staikouras presented the government's priorities for 2020 at Monday's Eurogroup meeting in Brussels, mentioning Athens' request for a primary surplus reduction for 2021 and 2022, an issue eurozone sources say will start being debated in the year's first half.

Greece's fourth post-bailout assessment by the European Commission, which was published Wednesday, is seen as paving the way for the disbursement of 767 million euros in eurozone central banks' profits from Greek bond holdings (SMPs and ANFAs).

Thursday's Eurogroup in Brussels will not have any specifically Greek issues on its agenda, as the matter that Greece is interested in - i.e. its use of eurozone central banks' profits from Greek bond holdings (SMPs and ANFAs) - has been postponed until 2020, a eurozone official said.

The low per-capita income on average represents the biggest issue regarding Romania's real convergence in view of joining the Eurozone (EZ), however, it's not a a formal criterion for euro accession, experts with the European Central Bank (ECB) believe.

European finance ministers have agreed on the details of a relatively small investment and reform budget within the euro area, which will start operating in 2021.

The euro zone budget, known as the Budgetary Instrument for Convergence and Competitiveness (BICC), is expected to be finalized next year and start operating in 2021, Eurogroup President Mario Centeno said on Thursday.

Finance Minister Christos Staikouras sent a letter on Monday asking the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) and the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) to approve the repayment of the expensive part of Greece's loan from the International Monetary Fund before it is due.

Finance Minister Christos Staikouras will present the priorities of the new Greek government at Friday's Eurogroup meeting before sending a letter to the European Stability Mechanism informing Greece's main creditor of Athens' intention to repay some of the loans from the International Monetary Fund ahead of schedule.

Eurozone central banks' profits from Greek bond holdings (SMPs and ANFAs) could be used for productive investments in Greece, a senior eurozone official said on Friday, opening the way for boosting the Public Investments Program to the tune of 1.2-1.3 billion euros per year.

The leader of the MeRA25 party Yanis Varoukafis said on Saturday that the fact that former Eurogroup chief Jeroen Dijsselbloem was considered by Europe's 28 finance ministers as a candidate to replace Christine Lagarde as head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was proof that the European Union's establishment has no regard for technical capabilities.