Greek debt relief was not on table during bailout negotiations, says EU official

Debt relief was not on the table during negotiations to extend Greece’s existing bailout programme and agree a package of reforms needed to unlock its remaining funds, according to a senior EU official.

German slump, stagnant France paint dismal euro zone picture

(Reuters) - Germany's economy shrank in the second quarter and France again failed to conjure up any growth, snuffing out any signs of a recovery in the euro zone which is now also weighed down by tit-for-tat sanctions with Russia.

ECB’s Draghi calls for rules on economic reforms

European Central Bank President Mario Draghi on Wednesday called for a new set of rules for euro-zone members that would apply to economic reforms and be analogous to the standards that govern borrowing by governments.

EU leaders signal shift from austerity of euro crisis

(Reuters) - In the latest shift away from the austerity of the euro zone crisis, European Union leaders signaled at a summit that they were ready to give member states extra time to consolidate their budgets as long as they pressed ahead with economic reforms.

EU can be flexible on fiscal consolidation, but reforms first: officials

(Reuters) - The European Union could be flexible about the time members need to fix their budgets if they reform to boost growth, but it must first have proof such efforts are taking place, EU policymakers said on Thursday.

Italy's Renzi says to use EU presidency to push for budget flexibility pact

FLORENCE, Italy (Reuters) - Italy will propose offering European Union member states that undertake structural reform more flexibility on budget rules when Rome assumes the presidency of the 28-member bloc later this year, Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said on Friday.

ECB's Praet says reforms could see euro zone growth surprise on upside

LISBON (Reuters) - The European Central Bank has played a key role in stabilizing the euro zone but governments must now keep up economic reforms to allow growth in the bloc to "surprise on the upside", a top ECB policymaker said on Tuesday.

Euro zone cannot just hope for further recovery - Coene

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The euro zone may have come out of recession, but economic growth remains low and further reforms are needed to ensure a recovery fully takes hold, European Central Bank Governing Council member Luc Coene told a newspaper on Saturday.

Germany could expand small business loan scheme to EU strugglers

BERLIN: Portugal and Greece are interested in the same kind of support for lending to small business that Germany agreed with Spain this week, a spokeswoman for the German finance ministry said on Saturday, but they will need a state financing body to qualify.