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The Eurogroup is an informal body where the ministers of the euro area member states discuss matters relating to their shared responsibilities related to the euro.
ON THE EURO GROUP THE HIGH CONTRACTING PARTIES, DESIRING to promote conditions for stronger economic growth in the European Union and, to that end, to develop ever closer coordination of economic policies within the euro area, CONSCIOUS of the need to lay down special provisions for enhanced dialogue between the Member States whose currency is the euro, pending the euro becoming the currency of all Member States of the Union, HAVE AGREED UPON the following provisions, which shall be annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union: Article 1 The Ministers of the Member States whose currency is the euro shall meet informally. Such meetings shall take place, when necessary, to discuss questions related to the specific responsibilities they share with regard to the single currency. The Commission shall take part in the meetings. The European Central Bank shall be invited to take part in such meetings, which shall be prepared by the representatives of the Ministers with responsibility for finance of the Member States whose currency is the euro and of the Commission. Article 2 The Ministers of the Member States whose currency is the euro shall elect a president for two and a half years, by a majority of those Member States.
THE HIGH CONTRACTING PARTIES,
DESIRING to promote conditions for stronger economic growth in the European Union and, to that end, to develop ever closer coordination of economic policies within the euro area,
CONSCIOUS of the need to lay down special provisions for enhanced dialogue between the Member States whose currency is the euro, pending the euro becoming the currency of all Member States of the Union,
HAVE AGREED UPON the following provisions, which shall be annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union:
Article 1
The Ministers of the Member States whose currency is the euro shall meet informally. Such meetings shall take place, when necessary, to discuss questions related to the specific responsibilities they share with regard to the single currency. The Commission shall take part in the meetings. The European Central Bank shall be invited to take part in such meetings, which shall be prepared by the representatives of the Ministers with responsibility for finance of the Member States whose currency is the euro and of the Commission.
Article 2
The Ministers of the Member States whose currency is the euro shall elect a president for two and a half years, by a majority of those Member States.
France asked for a politic supervision of the independent central bank, which was refused
... it seems quite plausible that the British would object to setting up a formal political authority for the Eurozone ... it would be my first guess as to why "it was refused". I've been accused of being a Marxist, yet while Harpo's my favourite, it's Groucho I'm always quoting. Odd, that.
Joke aside, whereas Germany opposed thefrench proposal on the grounds that it would render the ECB dependent from a political body -which we now know was the thing to do-, Britain was more in line with your explanation: opposing whatever that may resemble a federal institution, and also opposing a european body that would exclude them.
Is there a Europe or isn't there? It really doesn't seem that hard a question. Experience keeps a dear school, but fools will learn in no other. -- Dr Johnson
But I wonder if the IMF are in fact perfectly happy with a divided Europe pockmarked by fascist nationalist governments. There certainly seems to be no interest in preventing that outcome.
Instead of a two-speed Europe you then have a half-speed Europe, where the various countries eye each other suspiciously and are reliably unable to agree on anything that doesn't involve bullying or exploiting a weaker partner.
If you're a neoliberal, what's not to like?
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