MacroPolis

Athens, lenders trying to put last pieces in place for technical agreement

With all indications suggesting that the Greek government and the institutions are close to reaching an agreement at technical level, there has been much speculation about how several issues that were proving contentious until recently have been, or will be, resolved.

Athens and lenders stay mum on agreement, domestic reaction awaited

The Greek government and the European Commission declined to confirm reports on Wednesday that Athens and its lenders have reached an understanding that will lead to a staff-level agreement in the coming days.

PPC: The struggling electricity giant dominating bailout talks

By: Manos Giakoumis

One of the biggest stumbling blocks in the way of t the Greek government and the institutions to clinch a staff-level agreement (SLA) is the liberalisation of the energy market, with lenders requesting the sale of 40 percent of the Public Power Corporation (PPC) units.

Concerns over energy deregulation add to challenges Tsipras faces

There is a growing feeling in Athens that the government is gradually moving closer to the institutions and the two sides are genuinely trying to reach a technical agreement by April 7, when eurozone finance minister are due to meet in Malta.

After raising labour concerns, back to grind of talks for Tsipras

After raising Greece’s concerns about labour reform at the highest level over the last few days, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras knows that his government must return to negotiations with its lenders this week if it is going to have any chance of securing a technical agreement in time for the April 7 Eurogroup.

OECD outlines five priorities for Greek reform agenda in 2017

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development published on Friday its annual edition of Going for Growth report, proposing policy actions to boost productivity and growth ensuring at the same time that the benefits from the reforms implementation reach a vast majority of workers and households.

Greece, creditors seek progress at Eurogroup on key differences holding up review

Greece and its lenders head into Monday’s Eurogroup with differences on several key issues that will have to be resolved if the second review is to conclude in the days ahead.

Kotzias visit to Washington still leaves some doubts about US stance

A trip by Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias to Washington this week provided an opportunity for the Greek government to exchange views with the US administration but did not necessarily clear up the doubts about Washington’s stance on a range of issues that are of particular interest to Athens.

Review talks focus on out-of-court workout, jobs scheme and energy market

The third day of discussions between the institutions’ mission chiefs and the Greek authorities included two meetings that focused on the out-of-court workout and active employment policies.

Creating a competitive natural gas market: Legal aspects and investment opportunities

Greece recently introduced various laws to create a competitive internal market for its natural gas sector with the aim of strengthening competition and ensuring security of supply.