Greece should tap EU-wide rescue fund for emergency loan, says top EU official
- 9 years ago
An EU-wide fund should be used to provide short time loans to Greece, senior European officials say.
The European Commission is proposing a seven billion euro loan to Athens so it can cover its immediate financing needs.
“Given the political, legal, financial and time constraints there were two most realistic options left. Bilateral loans and the programme for the European Financial Stabilisation Mechanism (EFSM),” said Valdis Dombrovskis, the EU commissioner in charge of the euro.
“However, there are no prospects for any bilateral help given the obvious absence of any other solution the best possible avenue left is the EFSM programme.”
That programme uses guarantees rather than transfers of hard cash.Britain has signed up to it, but it wants to play no part in bailing Greece out.
“Frankly it’s in our interest for the eurozone to resolve these issues. We are not involved in the debate directly because we are not in the euro but we do need them and I’m not going to join the eu
The European Commission is proposing a seven billion euro loan to Athens so it can cover its immediate financing needs.
“Given the political, legal, financial and time constraints there were two most realistic options left. Bilateral loans and the programme for the European Financial Stabilisation Mechanism (EFSM),” said Valdis Dombrovskis, the EU commissioner in charge of the euro.
“However, there are no prospects for any bilateral help given the obvious absence of any other solution the best possible avenue left is the EFSM programme.”
That programme uses guarantees rather than transfers of hard cash.Britain has signed up to it, but it wants to play no part in bailing Greece out.
“Frankly it’s in our interest for the eurozone to resolve these issues. We are not involved in the debate directly because we are not in the euro but we do need them and I’m not going to join the eu