Press Release: Commission proposes to step up the excessive deficit procedure on Germany

The European Commission on 1 March 2006 recommended to the Council to give notice to Germany, under Article 104(9) of the Treaty, to bring the public deficit below 3% of GDP by 2007 at the latest. This followed the announcement, in the previous week, of a deficit of 3.3% in 2005. In addition, the deficit was expected to remain above 3% in 2006. Having assessed Germany’s stability programme for 2005-2009, which had been adopted by the German Government in the previous week, the Commission believed that, if duly implemented, the measures set out should reduce the deficit well below 3% ceiling by 2007.

European Commission: DG Economic and Financial Affairs: About: Activities: Fiscal surveillance: 2005-2006 examination of the stability and convergence programmes http://ec.europa.eu/comm/economy_finance/about/activities/sgp/year/year20052006_en.htm

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