Agenda highlights – Eurogroup, 21/01/2019
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Agenda highlights
The Eurogroup will first meet in regular format at 15h and afterwards come together for a Eurogroup meeting in inclusive format at 16.30h.
Regular format
European semester: 2019 euro area recommendations
The Eurogroup will discuss the draft Council recommendations on the economic policy of the euro area for 2019, issued in the context of the European Semester, the EU’s policy coordination mechanism.
The draft recommendations will be approved by the Economic and Financial Affairs Council on 22 January. They will be formally adopted by the Council after endorsement at the March European Council.
- Recommendation on the economic policy of the euro area
- European Semester in 2019 (background information)
International role of the euro
The Eurogroup will discuss the international role of the euro on the basis of the Commission communication “Towards a stronger international role of the euro” from December 2018.
In its communication, the Commission outlined scope for the euro to develop further its global role and achieve its full potential, reflecting the euro area’s political, economic and financial weight.
- The international role of the euro (Commission website)
- Commission communication: Towards a stronger international role of the euro
Other topics
The Eurogroup President will launch the process to appoint a new member of the European Central Bank’s executive board. The term of the incumbent, chief economist and member of the executive board Peter Praet, ends on 31 May 2019.
In addition, Luxembourg’s Finance minister Pierre Gramegna will present the policy priorities of the new Luxembourg government.
Inclusive format
Deepening EMU – Follow-up to the December Euro Summit
Ministers will exchange views on the follow-up to the December Euro summit where it was agreed that finance ministers should continue the work toward a significant strengthening of the EMU on the basis of the comprehensive package endorsed by EU leaders.
Ministers will also discuss how to organize the work ahead. In particular, they will exchange views on the next steps on the roadmap for beginning political negotiations on the European deposit insurance scheme (EDIS) and the budgetary instrument for convergence and competitiveness for the euro area and ERM II member states on a voluntary basis.
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