Member states should be granted space to implement reforms - finance minister

During today's Economic and Financial Affairs (ECOFIN) Council, finance minister Edward Scicluna held that the Commission's findings of the County Specific Recommendations (CSRs), should allow individual member states to implement necessary structural reforms.

"It is believed that a combination of the sharing of the Commission's findings of the County Specific Recommendations (CSRs), better consultation with Member States, social dialogue and an enhanced
bilateral phase prior to the issuance of CSRs would remove most of the contentious issues that arise, thus smoothening the process as a whole," Scicluna said. 

He added that "CSRs must not be prescriptive in nature, so as to allow Member States to mature the policy space necessary for the implementation of structural reforms".

This would ultimately lead to increased Member States' ownership of recommendations, and a more efficient and effective implementation of the overall CSRs, Scicluna said.

The finance minister also underlined the importance of exchange of best practices, as long as these are not used to benchmark Member States against best performers in a one-size-fits-all approach.

" It is equally important that effective coordination needs to take place whereby Ministers within the respective Council formations maintain their say," he said.

The ECOFIN meeting discussed the outcomes of the annual International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group meetings which were held in Washington, D.C., this past weekend, and which were also attended by Scicluna.

Ministers also discussed the economic situation in the Euro area and received updates on the programme countries namely Ireland, Greece, Portugal and Spain. 

Scicluna was accompanied by Malta's Permanent Representative to the European Union, Ambassador Marlene Bonnici, and the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance,  Alfred
Camilleri.