European Budget Commissioner
Guenther Oettinger on Wednesday clarified remarks reported by
Der Spiegel that Italy's budget will be rejected, saying it was
his "personal opinion, based on the numbers, that is it very
likely that we will have to ask Italy to correct the draft
budget."
He stressed "I did not say there was a decision by the
Commission on Italy, nor that the letter with the rejection (of
the budget) will be sent on Thursday or Friday".
Earlier Der Spiegel online reported that Oettinger had told
it the European Commission will reject Italy's budget bill.
The magazine said a letter from Economic Affairs Commissioner
Pierre Moscovici should arrive in Rome on Thursday or Friday.
Oettinger said "the hypothesis that the 2019 budget draft is
not reconcilable with the EU's existing obligations has been
confirmed."
Moscovici will not make a counter-proposal, Der Speigel said,
but will restrict himself to pointing out the violations of the
reference data.
Rome sent the budget draft to the EC on Tuesday night, at the
last minute, Der Spiegel said.
The EC is reacting unusually quickly, it said, since it had
two weeks to reply.
Italy will now have to present a new draft, the magazine
said.
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