EU Commission: recommendations on public finances. Thyssen, “more training and higher wages to improve living standards”

(Brussels) “The EU is growing and will continue to enjoy this positive trend in 2018 for the sixth year in a row. Yet the recovery is uneven and still vulnerable. We need to use all available tools to support growth, and that includes smart economic reforms as well as an intelligent application of fiscal policy. Today, the European Commission recommends to Member States an appropriate balance between ensuring the sustainability of public finances and achieving a fiscal stance that will help strengthen – and not undermine – the recovery”. Even Pierre Moscovici, Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, comments on the 2017 country-specific recommendations issued by the European Commission today. There are positive signs, but the Commission remains vigilant. Marianne Thyssen, Commissioner for Employment, says: “This year addressing inequality is firmly at the heart of our assessment. We have turned the page of the crisis: the next chapter is social. With the economy moving forward, we need to restore opportunities for those left behind and keep pace with changing skills needs by investing in high quality education and training. Productivity increases should be reflected by higher wages. Only this way can we deliver on our joint commitment to improve living standards for all”.