EWG pushes for last few prior actions
Thursday’s Euro Working Group gave Greece’s government the tough task of fulfilling the prior actions that remain pending from the third bailout review by the February 19 Eurogroup meeting.
They include the Council of State’s decision for the development at Elliniko, the invitation for expressions of interest for gas grid operator DESFA, progress in the issue of mining licenses, the payment of Public Power Corporation’s unpaid electricity bills, and, crucially, the progress in online auctions.
The meeting of senior eurozone finance ministry officials on Thursday for the first time also examined the staff-level discussions about easing Greece’s national debt, with the task force set up to this end asking the EWG for guidance on how to act in the near future. The Eurogroup will discuss the task force’s first report on the issue in March. Notably, no eurozone official questioned or objected to the necessity of lightening Greece’s debt.
