"A green, digital and qualitative recovery for Europe"

Finance Minister Pierre Gramegna represents Luxembourg at the Ecofin and Eurogroup meeting in Lisbon to discuss the post-pandemic period

Finance Minister Pierre Gramegna personally attended the Eurogroup meeting and the informal Ecofin summit in Lisbon on 21 and 22 May.

  1. ©MFIN

    Bilateral meeting of Pierre Gramegna with Paschal Donohoe, Irish Finance Minister and Eurogroup President
  2. ©Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2021 - PEDRO ROCHA

    Welcoming of Pierre Gramegna by João Leão, Portuguese State Minister and Finance Minister
  3. ©MFIN

    Tour de table - Pierre Gramegna with Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank
  4. ©MFIN

    Tour de table - (l.t.r.) Igor Matovic, Slovakian Minister of Finance ; Olaf Scholz, German Federal Minister of Finance ; Pierre Gramegna, Minister of Finance
  5. ©Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2021 - Antonio Pedro Santos/Lusa

    Meeting room
  6. ©MFIN

    Group photo
  7. © Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2021 - PEDRO ROCHA

    Group photo
  8. ©MFIN

    Meeting of the Benelux Finance Ministers - (l.t.r.) Wopke Hoekstra (Netherlands) ; Vincent Van Peteghem (Belgium) ; Pierre Gramegna

 

At the Eurogroup, the finance ministers mainly discussed issues related to the post-COVID recovery of the eurozone. Gramegna clearly set his priority: "The most important thing is a green, digital and qualitative recovery for Europe in a spirit of solidarity." The Finance Minister was optimistic in view of the positive economic figures in Europe. The economic consequences of the pandemic were also the focus of the Ecofin working sessions, during which ministers discussed monetary and fiscal policy during the pandemic and post-pandemic period. The Finance Ministers finally had an exchange of views on environmental taxation, during which Pierre Gramegna stressed the importance of the tax system becoming greener, while recalling that sustainable finance is a key instrument to accompany the EU's ambitions in the ecological transition.

On the fringes of the meetings, Pierre Gramegna took part in a Benelux meeting with his Belgian and Dutch counterparts to discuss issues of common interest. In addition to exchanges with the ministers and governors of the central banks, he had a meeting with the President of the Eurogroup and Irish Finance Minister, Paschal Donohoe.

Lisbon is the venue because Portugal currently holds the EU Council Presidency. The meetings take place in Lisbon's Belém Cultural Centre, which is the logistical centre of the Portuguese Presidency until the end of next month. Gramegna stressed the long-standing relations between the two countries. "Today we are celebrating 130 years of diplomatic relations. So I am very happy to be in Portugal," he underlined. He continued: "It's the first Eurogroup and Ecofin meeting with physical presence since our meeting in Berlin last September. I am confident that the meetings will continue in this format from June onwards and in Luxembourg."

Press release by the Ministry of Finance

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