For a sovereign Europe post-coronavirus: Informal Meeting of EU Ministers for Economic and Financial Affairs (ECOFIN)

On 11 and 12 September 2020, EU i finance and economics ministers will meet in Berlin under the German Presidenc iy of the Council of the EU i. The informal exchange will bei chaired by German Minister of Finance Olaf Scholz.

The Informal Meeting of EU Economic and Finance Ministers (ECOFIN) will begin with a working lunch, where discussions will focus on the issue of “a sovereign Europe post-coronavirus”. Introductory remarks on the subject will be given by guest speaker Ivan Krastev from the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna and the Centre for Liberal Strategies in Sofia. Ministers will then have the opportunity to discuss the role of Europe in a globalised world and possible steps that can be taken towards further integration.

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German Minister of Finance Olaf Scholz said before meeting:

Strengthening the EU is a question of sovereignty. I look forward to working on this topic together with my European colleagues. The pandemic has shown the extent to which we are all dependent on one another. And this applies to Europe, too. No European country can overcome this crisis alone.

The meeting’s working sessions will focus on four topics:

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  Taking stock and the way forward for Europe’s recovery
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  Own resources for the EU budget
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  Fair and effective taxation in the EU
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  Rethinking the financial markets in the digital age