One typical example is my country, against which the excessive deficit procedure has been opened twice in five years.

The report deals with the implementation of the excessive deficit procedure.

Let us see how each Member really stands; assessment considerations should only come into the picture in the event of excessive deficit procedures.

In the spring of 2006 twelve Member States were going through an excessive deficit procedure.

We have also abrogated the excessive deficit procedure relating to Greece.

Deadlines and repetition of steps in the excessive deficit procedure:

It is the regulation on speeding up and clarifying the implementation of the excessive deficit procedure.

Excessive deficit procedures are currently still in place for two countries of the zone, Italy and Portugal.

Nevertheless, as many as 20 Member States are expected to be subject to the excessive deficit procedure by the end of the year.

It must be remembered that an excessive deficit procedure anticipates supervision of economic policies in justified cases.

Parliament also, entirely legitimately, demands that it be regularly informed about excessive deficit procedures.

"If Portugal's official figure for last year is over 3 percent, the commission is obliged to start the excessive deficit procedure," he said.

It enables reliable comparison of government deficits within the framework of excessive deficit procedure.

Twenty Member States are experiencing excessive deficit procedures.

We urgently need to set at least minimum requirements for national frameworks and to ensure the effectiveness of the excessive deficit procedure.

The first deals with the clarification of the excessive deficit procedure under Article 104c and covers the issue of sanctions.

As you know, the Commission decided to initiate excessive deficit procedures for Italy and Portugal.

This proposal for a regulation is intended to be a vital tool in implementing Article 104 of the Treaty – under the excessive deficit procedure.

With regard to the excessive deficit procedure, and this is the most difficult point in our discussion, we are discussing how that procedure should be launched.

Today the Commission has also approved the abrogation of the excessive deficit procedure for Portugal and Italy.

I also agree that the assessment of compliance with this condition should begin three years after the closure of the excessive deficit procedures currently under way.

They were afraid of launching the excessive deficit procedure against France and Germany, as they had done against Portugal.

I am voting for the excellent report by Mr Feio on speeding up and clarifying the implementation of the excessive deficit procedure.

The second regulation "on speeding up and clarifying the implementation of the excessive deficit procedure", known as the "dissuasive arm", entered into force 1 January 1999.

"Finance ministers are, and remain, the masters of the excessive deficit procedure," he told Deutsche Presse Agentur, a news agency.