Tánaiste and Minister for Finance Simon Harris attends first Eurogroup and ECOFIN meetings
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From: Department of Finance
- Published on: 11 December 2025
- Last updated on: 11 December 2025
Tánaiste and Minister for Finance Simon Harris will travel to Brussels today (Thursday 11 December) for a two-day visit that includes meetings of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) and the Eurogroup.
The Tánaiste will commence his two-day programme with a bilateral meeting with EU Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis, who has responsibility for the Economy and Productivity.
He will also meet with the President of the European Investment Bank (EIB) Nadia Calvino, to discuss key objectives set out in Ireland’s National Development Plan (NDP), including large scale strategic infrastructure projects.
Later on Thursday, the Tánaiste and other Eurozone Finance Ministers will attend the December meeting of the Eurogroup, where Ministers will elect a new Eurogroup President .
On Thursday afternoon, the Tánaiste will attend the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) Board of Governors Meeting.
On Thursday night, the Tánaiste will attend an informal dinner of ECOFIN Ministers, which will focus on Financing for Ukraine.
One of the main items on the agenda for the ECOFIN meeting on Friday will be a discussion on the flagship EU Financial Services Policy, the Savings and Investment Union (SIU) which is due to be a major file during file Ireland’s EU Presidency next year.
Speaking ahead of the meetings, the Tánaiste said:
On Thursday, I will attend the Eurogroup where we will hear from the IMF on their review of Euro Area policies. There will also be an assessment of euro area Member States’ draft budgetary plans (DBPs) and of the euro area budgetary situation and prospects. We will then elect a new President of the Eurogroup.
“At ECOFIN on Friday, we begin by discussing the Commission’s proposal to reform market infrastructure and supervision package which focuses on reducing the fragmentation and underperformance of EU capital markets. We will also discuss the Commission’s recommendation to Member States on improving pension participation. Both of these packages are important elements of the Savings and Investment Union.
“We will then hold a policy discussion on the Single Currency Package including the digital euro. The Danish Presidency has made great efforts to deliver agreement on this package, which will support a competitive and resilient European payments system.
“The Presidency will also present the state-of-play on two important customs files including reaching political agreement on a temporary solution to enable earlier implementation of the elimination of the customs duty relief threshold.
“There will also be an important chance to exchange views on the most recent economic and financial developments in Ukraine. We will then discuss the 2026 European Semester, the annual process by which fiscal, economic, and social policies are coordinated across the EU. Finally, we will adopt updated Recovery and Resilience Plans for ten member States and hear from the European Court of Auditors on their annual report on the EU Budget.”.
Note to Editor
The Eurogroup meeting will begin at 15.00 on Thursday 11 December where Finance Ministers will take stock of the latest macroeconomic developments and outlook and exchange views with the International Monetary Fund on euro area policies. This will be followed by a discussion on the overall budgetary situation and prospects in the euro area. This discussion will be based on Commission Opinions on the Draft Budgetary Plans (DBPs) of the euro area Member States and the accompanying Commission Communication. The meeting will conclude with the election of a new President of the Eurogroup.
Following the Eurogroup meeting, the Tánaiste will attend the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) Board of Governors meeting at 17.30. The agenda items for this meeting includes the end of Latvia’s transition period after joining the ESM, the accession of Bulgaria to the ESM and the designation of the new Chairperson of the Board of Governors of the ESM.
ECOFIN will begin on Friday morning at 09.30 with a formal working breakfast featuring the standard updates on the economic situation alongside a debrief from the previous day’s Eurogroup meeting.
Under the Savings and Investments Union banner, the Commission will present the Market Infrastructure and Efficient Supervision package where Ministers will have an opportunity to express their views. This will be followed by the Single Currency Package where the Presidency will present the state-of-play on finalising the Council position in 2025.
The Regulation establishing the Union Customs Code and the European Union Customs Authority will be discussed and the Presidency will include an update on the progress on reaching a political agreement on this Regulation. The Commission will then present its Communication and Recommendation on pensions.
Ministers will aim to reach a political agreement on the Regulation as regards the elimination of the customs duty relief threshold. This will be followed by an exchange of views on benefits and aggregate costs for businesses and public administrations from proposed EU legislation. Ministers will seek to approve the Council conclusions on simpler financial regulation. There will also be an exchange views on the economic and financial impact of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
As part of the European Semester, the Commission will present its Alert Mechanism Report and draft Euro area recommendation. Under the implementation of the Stability and Growth Pact, the Commission will present the operation of the excessive deficit procedure. The Council will adopt implementing decisions with targeted amendments to Recovery and Resilience Plans of Austria, Cyprus, Czechia, France, Greece, Latvia, Malta, Poland, Portugal and Slovenia.
The final item on the agenda will be the recurring item of the European Court of Auditors’ annual report on the implementation of the budget of the European Union for the financial year 2024. The President of the European Court of Auditors will present the annual report on the implementation of the budget for the financial year 2024, which was published on 9 October 2025.