The European Commission estimates that the pooling of borrowing countries in the euro area could quickly alleviate the current crisis. The counterpart would be a strengthening of fiscal discipline. The President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso (here at a press conference in Brussels April 13, 2011)

The European Commission Wednesday will propose the creation of eurobonds, a system seen by its promoters as a means of achieving sustainable solutions to the debt crisis, but that divides Europeans and has as its corollary a strengthening of fiscal discipline. In a "Green Paper" seen by AFP, the European Commission considers that this pooling of borrowing countries in the euro area could "rapidly reduce" the current crisis.Countries that need external assistance, as now Greece, Ireland and Portugal, should be subjected to "enhanced monitoring", argued Mr Barroso.

The Commission proposals provide for such a development also for the states under the excessive deficit procedure against the limit of 3% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) set by the Stability Pact. Today, almost all EU countries are concerned. Europe may well require them to review their copy if the budget passed by their parliaments become too lax compared to the common rules of discipline. A proposal that is likely to generate heated debate in national parliaments.

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