EDP sanctions against Portugal

17.5.2016

Question for written answer E-004023-16
to the Commission
Rule 130
Miguel Viegas (GUE/NGL)

According to reports in the press, the Commission has decided to propose sanctions against Portugal and Spain in the context of the excessive deficit procedure (EDP). Four eurozone countries recorded public accounts deficits over the 3% ceiling in 2015: Portugal, Spain, France and Greece. The justification given for the proposed sanctions was that the countries concerned had failed to take ‘sufficient measures’ to reduce their deficits. This could result in a fine being imposed on Portugal amounting to 0.2% of GDP (around EUR 360 million), with half of its structural fund support being suspended in 2017.

Can the Commission confirm these reports, and can it clarify what it means by ‘sufficient measures’ in the case of Portugal, where the social impact of four years of austerity is all too evident?

How does the Commission justify the double standards applied by comparison with France, which like Portugal has been in the excessive deficit procedure since 2009 but was given two more years to correct its deficit?