EUROGROUP (AT)

Eurogroup ministers will meet at 19:00 hrs on Monday 6 June. Joaquín Almunia, Commissioner responsible for Economic and Monetary Affairs, will attend.

The meeting will start with a discussion on the G8 pre-summit finance minister's meeting which will take place on 10-11 June. Ministers will then have an exchange of views on the economic situation and recent developments. Getting down to more specific items, ministers will discuss statistical governance with a view to reaching (the following day at the ECOFIN Council – see below) a general orientation on the draft Regulation proposed by the Commission in March to improve the quality of public finances statistics. Other topics include: the Commission's recommendation to abrogate the excessive deficit procedure for the Netherlands; the state of play regarding the amendments to the Stability and Growth Pact Regulations; and a number of recommendations concerning the euro coins such as a new design for the common side to reflect the enlarged Union.

ECOFIN COUNCIL

The European Union's Council of Economics and Finance Ministers will start at 11.00 hrs on Tuesday 7 June. The European Commission will be represented at the Council by Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Joaquín Almunia, Internal Market and Services Commissioner Charlie McGreevy, Financial Programming and Budget Commissioner Dalia Grybauskaité and Taxation and Customs Union Commissioner László Kovács.

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Euro coins (AT)

Ministers are expected to adopt conclusions of the following:

• Common guidelines for the national side of euro coins

On 3 June, the Commission updated recommendations regarding the national side of the euro coins to make sure that they are easily recognisable throughout the euro area as their number is set to increase (IP/05/663).

• Modification of the common side of euro coins

The common side of the bi-colour (1- and 2-euro) and the "Nordic gold" coins (10, 20 and 50 cents) currently represents the European Union before its enlargement to 25 Members States. Necessary technical preparations for the amendment of the common side of these coins should be completed so as to ensure that all EU Member Stats will in the future be represented. The revised map of Europe is an extended one without country borders.

• Authentication of euro coins and handling of those unfit for circulation
  

The Commission recommendation of 27 May mainly aims at ensuring that the quantities of circulating euro coins which have been checked are genuine and at facilitating the removal from circulation of counterfeit coins. In addition, the recommendation provides for common rules concerning euro coins unfit for circulation to be applied by the competent authorities of the Member States.

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