Italian Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti took part in the Ecofin meeting in Brussels today, whose agenda focused on the reform of the EU's economic governance, the situation in Ukraine and the proposals under consideration in the financial services sector.
In his speech, the Minister emphasised the need for EU Member States to work together on the issue of both state aid and governance, as stipulated in paragraph 18 of the Conclusions of the last European Council: “It is crucial for the debate on the revision of economic governance,” said Giorgetti, “to advance rapidly and go hand in hand with the ongoing discussions on the Green Deal Industrial Plan and the Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework”.
In particular, the Minister reiterated the importance of putting the “focus on 'strategic' investments as a natural prerequisite for growth, as is the case with investments in environmental and digital transition. Investments in security and defence should also be encouraged,” he added, “given the new shared challenges, especially in the absence of central tax capacity.”
As for the adjustment of tax policies to be provided for in the reform of the stability pact, Giorgetti's objective is to enhance national responsibility not only in formal, but also in substantive terms: “We agree that the specific situation of each country should be taken into account, as the path of return should be agreed upon simultaneously by states and the EU Commission.”
On the sidelines of yesterday's Eurogroup meeting, Giorgetti had bilateral meetings with Spanish Minister for the Economy Nadia Calviño, Lithuanian Minister of Finance Gintare Skaiste and European Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni.