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09 April 2020 The Eurogroup has reached an agreement on the conclusions document on economic and financial measures to address the serious crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic and is ready to send the ball back to the heads of state and government.

Mes for health costs at zero conditions
"The only requirement to access the Mes credit line will be that the States undertake to use it to support the financing of direct or indirect healthcare costs, care and costs of prevention linked to Covid-19": this is what is read in the conclusions of the 'Eurogroup. "The credit line will be available until the end of the emergency. After that, states remain committed to strengthening economic fundamentals, consistent with the European fiscal surveillance framework, including flexibility."

Yes to Recovery Fund but financing to leaders
"The Eurogroup agrees to work on a Recovery Fund to support the recovery. The fund will be temporary and commensurate with the extraordinary costs of the crisis and will help to spread them over time through adequate funding. practical and legal aspects of the fund, its source of financing, and innovative financing instruments, consistent with the Treaties, will prepare the ground for a decision ", reads the conclusions that do not expressly speak of Eurobonds.

Gualtieri: Eurobond on the table, via Mes conditions
"Put the European bonds on the table, remove the conditionalities of the MES from the table. We deliver an ambitious proposal to the European Council. We will fight to achieve it". So the Minister of Economy, Roberto Gualtieri, after the end of the Eurogroup, the council of financial ministers of the Eurozone. "We deliver an ambitious package of proposals to the leaders, Italy will fight with determination to ensure that the Council's decisions are up to the challenge that Europe is facing", he adds and underlines: thanks to the Italian initiative, the European agenda is changed and we went from a single proposal, the Mes with light conditionalities, "to a package of four proposals": 200 billion from the EIB, 100 billion from the new SURE program and the Italian-French proposal of a Recovery Fund financed by common European debt.

Le Maire: excellent deal, 500 billion immediately after the Fund
In the Eurogroup tonight, the finance ministers found
"an excellent deal on the economic response to coronavirus: 500
billion euro available immediately "plus" a fund for the recovery a
to come. Europe decides and proves to be up to the gravity of the
crisis ", announced the French Minister of Economy Bruno Le Maire.

Centeno: it will not be as with the financial crisis, courageous measures
"Courageous" measures emerge from the Eurogroup, which "would have been unimaginable even just a few weeks ago", and will not be like those adopted for the financial crisis of a few years ago, where "too little and too late" was done. So the president of the Eurogroup Mario Centeno at the end of the meeting. "There has been broad support for the Recovery Fund which wants to provide additional funds through the EU budget. We will seek leaders' guidance on size and funding": for now "we must fight the virus and support economies," he added, therefore the fund must be "available as soon as the recovery begins".

Holland: Mes without conditions only for medical expenses
"The Mes can provide financial aid to countries without conditions for medical expenses. It will also be available for financial support, but with conditions. This is fair and reasonable." Dutch Finance Minister Wopke Hoekstra tweets this after the Eurogroup.

The press conference



Gentiloni: EU package of unprecedented size
"The Eurogroup has found an agreement. A package of unprecedented dimensions to support the health system, layoffs, liquidity for businesses and the Fund for a revival plan. Europe is solidarity". The Commissioner for Economy Paolo Gentiloni tweets it.

#Eurogroup has reached an agreement. A package of unprecedented dimensions to support the health system, layoffs, liquidity for businesses and the Fund for a revival plan. Europe is # solidarity

- Paolo Gentiloni (@PaoloGentiloni) April 9, 2020
Sassoli: confidence in Europe wins
"We were right to trust Europe. The Eurogroup's proposals go in the right direction, with the transformation of the Mes into 'Save Europe' from the Covid-19 epidemic, to be used immediately to increase the capacity of our healthcare facilities , hospitals and research centers. To save the lives of European citizens ". So the President of the European Parliament David Sassoli on the conclusions of the Eurogroup.