Giving relief to the creditor companies is a good thing, but in paying the arrears of invoices Italy will have to be careful not to increase the public debt "beyond the permitted limits". Commission spokesman Olivier Bailly said today, reading a statement by EU Commissioner for Economic Affairs Olli Rehn.
The spokesman also underlined that "the evolution of the debt is one of the criteria analyzed in evaluating the closure of an excessive deficit procedure against a member country". The vice-president of the EU Commission, Antonio Tajani, had instead invited the Italian authorities in recent days to pay "peacefully" the public administration bills that fall on the debt.
As for the bills that fall on the deficit, the Commission reiterated that they must be paid "urgently", but "guaranteeing the closure of the excessive deficit procedure against Italy", which can only be closed if Rome demonstrates that it knows how to stay under the 3% of the deficit on GDP for a prolonged period, of at least two years.
