Agenda highlights
Greece
The Eurogroup will discuss the progress achieved to date in the ongoing second review of Greece's economic adjustment programme, based on the updates by the European institutions participating in the review.
Ministers will also look into the implementation of the short-term debt relief measures, which Eurogroup endorsed at its meeting on 5 December 2016.
Post-programme surveillance in Ireland and Portugal
The institutions will brief the Eurogroup on the respective outcomes of the 6th post-programme surveillance mission to Ireland, and the fifth post-programme surveillance mission to Portugal. Both missions took place between the end of November and the beginning of December 2016.
The aim of post-programme monitoring is to see whether there are any risks that might jeopardise the member state's ability to repay the loans which it received under a financial assistance programme. The monitoring is carried out until at least 75% of the received assistance has been repaid.
IMF Article IV consultation with the euro area
The Eurogroup will exchange views on the International Monetary Fund's presentation of the findings from its interim mission relating to the Article IV consultation with the euro area.
The IMF carries out such consultations every year with all of its own members, both individual countries and currency unions, including the euro area. This is done in accordance with Article IV of the IMF's Articles of Agreement. The final report of the consultation is expected in June.
European Semester: 2017 recommendation for the euro area
The Eurogroup will discuss the draft Council recommendation on the economic policy of the euro area for 2017.
The recommendations for the euro area in 2017 focus on growth and job creation, fiscal policies and the completion of the banking union.
Following a discussion in the Eurogroup, the draft recommendation will be approved by the Ecofin Council on 27 January.
Draft budgetary plans - Spain and Lithuania
The Eurogroup will discuss Spain's and Lithuania's updated budgetary plans, based on the European Commission's opinions, published on 17 January 2017.
Both countries' draft budgetary plans were submitted last October based on the no-policy-change scenario, because at the time their governments did not have full budgetary powers as national electoral processes were under way. Accordingly, they had to submit an updated plan following the appointment of their respective new governments.
Other issues
The Eurogroup will hold a debate on the transposition of the Fiscal Compact into national law by the euro area member states and a special report by the European Court of Auditors on the Single Supervisory Mechanism.
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