Nieuws-items bij Latvia
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13-06Dijsselbloem positief over Letland bij euro
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13-06Zorgen in Kamer over Letland bij eurozone
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07-06EU draagt cultuurhoofdsteden Riga en Umeå voor voor Melina Mercouri prijs (en)
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06-06Ierse premier op bezoek in Litouwen, Letland en Finland (en)
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05-06Commissie geeft groen licht voor toetreding Letland tot euro, Raad beslist in juli (en)
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05-06Letland is welkom bij de eurozone
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05-06Persconferentie over toetreding Letland tot eurozone (en)
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05-06Vragen en antwoorden over EC-rapport toetreden Letland Eurozone (en)
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05-06Commission concludes that Latvia is ready to adopt euro in 2014
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04-06Plan om Letse controle op visserij te verbeteren (en)
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03-06Deze week: Top EU-Rusland, mogelijke Letse toetreding eurozone en Schengen (en)
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03-06Partijen die tegen toetreding eurozone zijn scoren goed bij verkiezingen in Letland (en)
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16-05Commissie positief over financiën Letland, maar waarschuwt voor nieuwe uitgaven (en)
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13-0562% Letten tegen lidmaatschap eurozone (en)
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13-05Letland op koers voor lidmaatschap eurozone (en)
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06-03Letland vraagt formeel om toetreding eurozone (en)
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05-03Letland vraagt rapport aan Commissie over toetreding eurozone (en)
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04-03Letland wil euro invoeren
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26-02Letland wil zich in 2014 bij euro aansluiten en voldoet ruim aan eisen (en)
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26-02Vertegenwoordigers Letland: niet wachten tot einde eurocrisis voor toetreding eurozone
EU to top up subsidies for troubled member states - Hoofdinhoud
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Cash-strapped Greece, Portugal, Ireland, Romania, Hungary and Latvia may get a €2.8 billion cash boost under an "emergency package" allowing them to have the EU contribution to farming, regional and infrastructure projects increased from 85 to 95 percent.
"To be sure that the European funds for these countries can be delivered quicker, we proposed that for the period they fall under emergency programs, the rate of co-finance can be topped up to 95 percent," EU regional policy commissioner Johannes Hahn said during a press conference on Monday (1 August).
Claiming that the move will give the six troubled countries "more breathing space" to quickly launch programs blocked by the lack of financing from the national side, Hahn explained that the measure is only temporary and would only be triggered if requested by the respective member states.
The total of €2.8 bilion do not represent extra money, but will come from the budget already allocated for the six countries under farming, fisheries, regional and social funding for the period 2007-2013.
"We cannot ask for cuts in the budget and at the same time co-financing of EU projects," the commissioner said, in reference to the austerity programs put in place in all of these countries as part of their EU and IMF bailout packages.
He insisted, however, that the quality of the projects and the "sound management" of the EU funds have to be respected.
Greece, Ireland and Portugal are eurozone countries under EU-IMF loans, while Romania, Hungary and Latvia received similar financial assistance without being part of the single currency area.
With low absorption of EU funds in Greece, EU leaders last month agreed as part of the second Greek bailout package to send extra experts to the country and to simplify the rules, so that the default-risky country can at least benefit from the EU money it could get.
The Greek government has claimed less than €5 billion out of the €20.2 billion it could receive by 2013. Romania is in a similar situation, with less than €1billion out of its share of €20 billion.
German economy minister Philipp Roesler on Monday welcomed the EU proposal, which still needs the green light of the EU parliament and the member states. Berlin is the main contributor both to the EU budget and the respective bailouts.
"Greece currently doesn't dispose of the required financial means to come up with its own share in investments into the competitiveness of its economy," he said in a statement.
"The raising of [EU] funding limits should be limited to the period in which the affected states are subjected to an adjustment program," the minister said. "Also, the rule should only be valid in strictly limited exceptions. Greece is such a case," he added.
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