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In focus

Web page of the President of the Eurogroup, Paschal Donohoe
Paschal Donohoe, President of the Eurogroup
President of the Eurogroup Pascal Donohoe
Eurogroup, 3 October 2022
President Donohoe's report to the President of the Euro Summit
Eurogroup work programme until July 2022
Members of the Eurogroup

Eurogroup

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. 

Tasks

Its main task is to ensure close coordination of economic policies among the euro area member states. It also aims to promote conditions for stronger economic growth.

The Eurogroup is also responsible for preparing the Euro Summit meetings and for their follow-up.

Meetings

The Eurogroup usually meets once a month, on the eve of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council meeting. The commissioner for economic and financial affairs, taxation and customs and the president of the European Central Bank also participate in the Eurogroup meetings.

The first informal meeting of finance ministers of the euro area countries took place on 4 June 1998 at the Château de Senningen in Luxembourg.

President

The Eurogroup elects its president for a term of 2.5 years by a simple majority of votes. Since 13 July 2020, The President of the Eurogroup is Paschal Donohoe, Minister for Finance of Ireland. He was elected on 9 July 2020.

Legal base

Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU):

  • Article 137 - rules specific to EU countries whose currency is the euro
  • Protocol (No 14) on the Euro Group

Statements

9 September 2022

Remarks by Paschal Donohoe following the Eurogroup meeting of 9 September 2022

At the press conference following the Eurogroup meeting, President Paschal Donohoe underlined the main topics of the discussions, including the economic situation in the euro area, tackling inflation and the prospects of the digital euro.

23 August 2022

Press release following the meeting between Clyde Caruana and Paschal Donohoe

A joint press release was issued after the meeting between Clyde Caruana and Paschal Donohoe.

19 July 2022

Press release following the meeting between Igor Matovič and Paschal Donohoe

Igor Matovič, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance for Slovakia, and Paschal Donohoe, President of the Eurogroup and Minister for Finance of Ireland, met in Bratislava (Slovakia) on 19 July 2022.

18 July 2022

Press release following the meeting between Zbyněk Stanjura and Paschal Donohoe

Zbyněk Stanjura, Minister for Finance of the Czech Republic and President of Economic and Financial Affairs Council, and Paschal Donohoe, President of the Eurogroup and Minister for Finance of Ireland met in Prague on Monday 18 July.

17 July 2022

President of the Eurogroup, Paschal Donohoe, travels to Prague, Bratislava and London

The President of the Eurogroup, Paschal Donohoe, will travel to the Czech Republic and Slovakia for meetings with his ministerial counterparts on 18 and 19 July, and onwards to London on 20 July.

11 July 2022

Remarks by Paschal Donohoe following the Eurogroup meeting of 11 July 2022

Remarks by Paschal Donohoe following the Eurogroup meeting of 11 July 2022 on budget policy orientations for 2023, the digital euro and the euro area enlargement.

11 July 2022

Eurogroup statement on fiscal policy orientations for 2023

The Eurogroup issued a statement based on the current economic situation and heightened uncertainty underlining the importance of continued coordination of fiscal policy in the euro area for 2023.

21 June 2022

Eurogroup President Donohoe's report to the President of the Euro Summit of 24 June 2022

The President of the Eurogroup, Paschal Donohoe, has sent a letter to the President of the Euro Summit, Charles Michel, reporting on ongoing and future work of the Eurogroup.

16 June 2022

Remarks by Paschal Donohoe following the Eurogroup meeting of 16 June 2022

Remarks by Paschal Donohoe following the Eurogroup meeting of 16 June 2022 on euro area enlargement (Croatia), Greece, Banking Union and the upcoming June Euro Summit.

16 June 2022

Eurogroup statement on the future of the Banking Union of 16 June 2022

The Eurogroup, in inclusive format, issued a statement on the future of the Banking Union today.

16 June 2022

Eurogroup paves way to end of Greece’s enhanced surveillance and confirms release of further tranche of debt measures

The Eurogroup issued a statement to welcome Greece’s exit from enhanced surveillance framework on 20 August 2022.

16 June 2022

Euro area member states recommend that Croatia become the 20th member of the euro area

Today, the Eurogroup agreed that Croatia should be able to benefit from using our common currency, the euro, from 2023 onwards.

3 June 2022

Harald Waiglein reappointed chair of the financial services committee for third term

The financial services committee (FSC) today appointed Harald Waiglein as his chair for a third two-year term, starting on 14 June 2022.

23 May 2022

Remarks by Paschal Donohoe following the Eurogroup meeting of 23 May 2022

Remarks by Paschal Donohoe following the Eurogroup meeting of 23 May 2022 on macroeconomic and fiscal developments in the euro area, vacancy of managing director of the ESM, draft budgetary plans and Banking Union.

23 May 2022

Eurogroup statement on the updated draft budgetary plans of Germany and Portugal

The Eurogroup welcomed the submission of the Draft Budgetary Plans for 2022 of Germany and Portugal, as well as the Commission Opinions issued on 19 May 2022.

18 May 2022

Joint press release by the Eurogroup President, Paschal Donohoe, and Finance Minister Sigrid Kaag following their meeting in The Hague

Minister Donohoe met the Dutch Minister for Finance and First Deputy Prime Minister, Sigrid Kaag, in The Hague on 18 May, and discussed the economic situation in the Netherlands and the euro-area as a whole.

18 May 2022

President of the Eurogroup, Paschal Donohoe, travels to the Netherlands and attends G7 Finance Ministers meeting

Minister Donohoe, in his role as President of Eurogroup, will meet the Dutch Minister for Finance and First Deputy Prime Minister, Sigrid Kaag, in The Hague on 18 May. He will then travel to Petersberg, Bonn to participate in the meeting of G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors chaired by the German Presidency of the G7.

3 May 2022

Remarks by Paschal Donohoe following the video conference of the Eurogroup of 3 May 2022

Remarks by Paschal Donohoe following the video conference of the Eurogroup of 3 May 2022 on the work plan for completing Banking Union.

2 May 2022

Statement by Eurogroup President, Paschal Donohoe, on the selection of the ESM Managing Director

The President of the Eurogroup, Paschal Donohoe, issued a statement on the candidates for the post of ESM Managing Director.

4 April 2022

Remarks by Paschal Donohoe following the Eurogroup meeting of 4 April 2022

Remarks by Paschal Donohoe following the Eurogroup meeting of 4 April 2022 on the euro area impact from the war in Ukraine, digital euro and housing market developments.

Meeting calendar

5 December 2022

Eurogroup

7 November 2022

Eurogroup

3 October 2022

Eurogroup

The Eurogroup will discuss the macroeconomic situation in the euro area. Ministers will take stock of the implementation of euro area priorities in the recovery and resilience plans and exchange views on the digital euro ecosystem.

9 September 2022

Eurogroup

The Eurogroup discussed macro-economic developments in the euro area including energy and inflation, and their impacts on fiscal policy. It also continued work on the digital euro.

11 July 2022

Eurogroup

The Eurogroup met in Brussels to discuss macro-economic developments and policy challenges in the euro area, the euro introduction by Croatia, a digital euro, and the fiscal policy orientations for 2023.

16 June 2022

Eurogroup

The Eurogroup decided to recommend that Croatia become the 20th member of the euro area. It issued statements on Greece and on the future of the Banking Union. It also prepared the Euro Summit of 24 June 2022.

23 May 2022

Eurogroup

The Eurogroup discussed the macro-economic developments on the basis of the Commission Spring Forecast, and the appropriate fiscal policy response. It also discussed the candidacies received for the position of Managing Director of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM). In inclusive format, the Eurogroup took stock of the work on the work plan for completing the Banking Union.

3 May 2022

Video conference of the Eurogroup

The Eurogroup discussed the work plan on the Banking Union.

4 April 2022

Eurogroup

The Eurogroup met in Luxembourg to discuss the impact of the war in Ukraine on the euro area in the short and medium term, the preparation of international meetings, the digital euro, and the housing market developments in the euro area. In Banking Union format, ministers were informed on the recent activities and future priorities of the ECB Banking Supervision and the Single Resolution Board.

14 March 2022

Eurogroup

The Eurogroup discussed fiscal policy coordination for 2023 and key macroeconomic developments. It also discussed a work plan for all outstanding elements of the Banking Union.

25 February 2022

Eurogroup

The Eurogroup reflected on the euro-area dimension of the macroeconomic imbalances procedure. It issued statements on the digital euro, on Greece, and reappointed Tuomas Saarenheimo as EWG President.

17 January 2022

Eurogroup

The Eurogroup discussed the economic governance review and had a thematic discussion on economic adjustment and resilience in terms of recent performance of the euro area compared to international peers. It also discussed the solvency situation of the corporate sector, the 2022 euro area recommendation and the banking union.

Animation on the Eurogroup

How does the Eurogroup work? 

The Eurogroup is made up of the 19 EU member states that have adopted the euro as their currency: 

Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain.

Eurogroup members

Paschal Donohoe

Paschal Donohoe

President of the Eurogroup
Magnus Brunner

Magnus Brunner

Austria Federal Minister for Finance
Vincent Van Peteghem

Vincent Van Peteghem

Belgium Minister for Finance
Constantinos Petrides

Constantinos Petrides

Cyprus Minister for Finance
Keit Pentus-Rosimannus

Keit Pentus-Rosimannus

Estonia Minister for Finance
Annika Saarikko

Annika Saarikko

Finland Minister for Finance
Bruno Le Maire

Bruno Le Maire

France Minister for the Economy and Finance
Christian Lindner

Christian Lindner

Germany Federal Minister for Finance
Christos Staikouras

Christos Staikouras

Greece Minister for Finance
Paschal Donohoe

Paschal Donohoe

Ireland Minister for Finance
Daniele Franco

Daniele Franco

Italy Minister for Economic Affairs and Finance
Jānis Reirs

Jānis Reirs

Latvia Minister for Finance
Gintarė Skaistė

Gintarė Skaistė

Lithuania Minister for Finance
Yuriko Backes

Yuriko Backes

Luxembourg Minister for Finance
Clyde Caruana

Clyde Caruana

Malta Minister of finance and employment
Sigrid Kaag

Sigrid Kaag

Netherlands Minister for Finance
Fernando Medina

Fernando Medina

Portugal Minister of Finance
Igor Matovič

Igor Matovič

Slovakia Minister for Finance
Klemen Boštjančič

Klemen Boštjančič

Slovenia Minister for Finance
Nadia Calviño

Nadia Calviño

Spain Minister for Economic Affairs
Euro coins on a European flag.
The euro is used by almost 337.5 million EU citizens

Joining the euro area

To be able to join the euro area the EU member states are required to fulfil the so-called 'convergence criteria'. These are economic and legal conditions agreed in the Maastricht Treaty in 1992 and are also known as 'Maastricht criteria'.

The final decision on a EU country's joining the euro area is taken by the Council of the EU, based on a proposal by the Commission and after the European Parliament has been consulted.

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