Italy says will respect EU budget rules but fight to change them
  • WORLD

  • 17:38 19 June 2019

Italy says will respect EU budget rules but fight to change them

Italy will respect European Union fiscal rules but will fight to change them to allow more public investment and stronger growth, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Wednesday, as Rome struggles to avoid EU action over its rising debt, ONA reports citing Reuters.

The European Commission has threatened Italy with a procedure that would entail closer oversight of its fiscal policy and could eventually lead to fines.

The Commission, the EU’s executive, complains Rome did not cut its public debt in 2018 as promised and sees it continuing to increase this year and next unless the anti-austerity government adopts belt-tightening measures.

“We are determined to avoid an EU infringement procedure and we are convinced about our economic policies,” Conte told the Chamber of Deputies ahead of an EU summit beginning on Thursday.

Ilkin Jalilov

Tags: Italy EU

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