Update 1: Here are the official Council conclusions!
Update 2:
Just to put this into perspective: 60 years and one day after the Schuman declaration, a group of 27 states (or 16 in the case of the Eurozone) has just decided, basically in one meeting, to launch a stability package that is far beyond imagination and that is designed to secure financial security of the EU member states and the stability of the Euro.
We are not talking about soft issues and week diplomatic declarations, we are talking about a huge thing with hard economic consequences. We are witnessing a European Union that has cleared entered a new stage of supranationalism with this decision.
It is fascinating, I must admit.
On hour ago, the Finance ministers of the European Union have decided to secure the Euro with 500 billion Euros.
I've watched the press conference with Commissioner Rehn and Spanish Finance Minster Salgado in the web stream and I also live-tweeted.
Here is what I understood (
the official decisions have not yet been published on the web)*:
The 500 billion are split into
two different mechanisms. The first is a "community mechanism" based on Article 122(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union:
"Where a Member State is in difficulties or is seriously threatened with severe difficulties caused by natural disasters or exceptional occurrences beyond its control, the Council, on a proposal from the Commission, may grant, under certain conditions, Union financial assistance to the Member State concerned. The President of the Council shall inform the European Parliament of the decision taken."
Commissioner Rehn said that this article applied because the financial stability of the European Union and the Eurozone were threatened by the present situation, and that this situation was out of the control of the member states. The
60 billion Euro under this mechanism are managed by the Commission and are quickly available if needed.
The second mechanism is called a "
special purpose vehicle" and it is an intergovernmental agreement between the Eurozone member states. In case that more than the initial 60 billion were needed, another 440 billion Euro could be made available by the member states of the Eurozone. In case they were requested, it would need unanimity of the Eurogroup to get the money released and the timeframe would be similar to the mechanism established for Greece (some weeks).
The 500 billion Euro from both mechanisms could, in addition, be supported by
up to at least 250 billion Euros from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
In addition, member states have agreed to take fiscal measures to reduce their deficits. Spain and Portugal seem to have given special promises to tackle their budgetary situation with addition measures.
Altogether, the 11 hour negotiations of the EU finance ministers seem to have lead to a comprehensive and massive packaged that should show to financial markets that the Eurozone is ready to act to secure our currency.
PS: It is also worth reading Charlemagne's blog post, especially his late-evening and night updates at the end of the text.
*
Please verify with the official decision taken; I was just listening to the press conference audio stream (English version).
