Uruguay and the European Commission agreed on the importance of promoting economic and investment relations and ratified their commitment to advance negotiations for a Mercosur/EU wide ranging trade and association agreement that is “integral, balanced and ambitious”.
The president of the European Commission called Wednesday for EU leaders to bring forward the introduction of a permanent rescue mechanism for states to mid-2012 from mid-2013 and called for more rigorous capital standards for banks.
Brazil and the European Union must take concerted action to calm markets fearful of global contagion spreading from Europe's debt crisis, leaders from both sides said on Tuesday.
The UK has rejected a call from European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso for a new continent-wide banking tax to help raise billions to ease the Euro zone debt crisis.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso urged the European Central Bank to do everything in its power to maintain financial stability in the Euro zone, saying the EU faced the biggest challenge in its 50-year history.
European Commission strongly criticised international credit ratings agencies following the downgrade of Portugal by Moody's. The Commission said the timing of the downgrade was questionable and raised the issue of the appropriateness of behaviour of the agencies in general.
The European Union and Mercosur admit they have internal problems that are delaying discussions, and results, for a broad association and cooperation accord that contemplates a trade agreement questioned by strong interests from both sides.
The year 2011 will be economically challenging and painful, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso warned this week. After two years of economic recession, Barroso expects a difficult year ahead and underlined the need for Europe to make progress on economic governance and policy coordination.
Irish Finance minister Brian Lenihan has welcomed a statement of support over Ireland's debts from Germany, Britain, France, Italy and Spain. The five countries attending the G20 summit in South Korea said that bondholders would not be forced to share the pain of the current debt crisis.
Leaders of the 16 EU member states that use the Euro have approved a 110 billion Euro loan to Greece to prevent its debt crisis from spreading. European Commission President José Manuel Barroso said the Eurozone would do whatever it took to safeguard Greece's financial stability. In return for the three-year loan, Athens must cut public spending.