Greek Minister of National Economy and Finance, Kyriakos Pierrakakis, is traveling to Luxembourg, on Thursday, to take part in key meetings of the Eurogroup and the ECOFIN Council, where a broad range of economic and fiscal issues will be discussed.

At today’s Eurogroup session, European finance ministers will assess the current state of the eurozone, examine fiscal developments in member states, and address internal barriers to competition. These discussions will be informed by reports from the International Monetary Fund. Also on the agenda are preparations for the potential rollout of a digital euro and the process for electing the next Eurogroup president.

During the ECOFIN Council meeting, the European Commission is set to present the Spring Package of the 2025 European Semester, which includes country-specific recommendations aimed at strengthening economic coordination across the EU.

Tomorrow’s ECOFIN session will include an update from the European Commission on efforts to streamline customs procedures and improve revenue collection across the EU.

Energy Costs and European Defense Take Center Stage

Against a backdrop of geopolitical uncertainty, finance ministers will also exchange views on strategies to reduce energy costs across the bloc. Additionally, they will discuss further steps to finance European defense initiatives, as well as the ongoing economic fallout from Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. The working dinner of ECOFIN ministers will include a dedicated discussion on Ukraine’s economic and defense needs.

The Commission’s Spring Package will be discussed at ECOFIN, alongside the planned adoption of revised recovery and resilience plans for Spain, Italy, Croatia, and Slovenia. Both meetings will also cover the eurozone’s potential expansion as Bulgaria moves toward adopting the single currency.

Pierrakakis is also expected to attend board meetings of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) and the European Investment Bank (EIB), while also holding bilateral talks with European officials.