Remarks by Paschal Donohoe following the Eurogroup video conference of 16 December 2020
We also had the pleasure of welcoming a new finance minister to our group - the new finance minister of Lithuania, Ms Gintar Skaist.
- We also had the pleasure of welcoming a new finance minister to our group - the new finance minister of Lithuania, Ms Gintar Skaist.
- Leaders mandated the Eurogroup to prepare, on a consensual basis, a stepwise and time-bound work plan on outstanding elements needed to make further progress on banking union.
- This will ensure a busy Eurogroup in 2021, and this work will involve all 27 ministers in our inclusive format.
- This sets off two other matters on our agenda today, where we considered the policy response to the current situation.
- These are regular items in the Eurogroup agenda, but they were by no means business as usual today.
- 2020 was about responding back to the immediate needs created by the pandemic and its related restrictions.
- This means that all three safety nets - for workers, for businesses and for governments - that the Eurogroup agreed in April are now fully operational.
- The priority areas are in line with the recommendation on the economic policy of the euro area proposed by the Commission.