OREANDA-NEWS. On November 06, 2008 When speaking in Tartu in front of government officials, Prime Minister Andrus Ansip said that he plans to summon a working team for the changeover to the Euro, which will monitor the fulfilment of the Maastricht criteria and coordinate the joining of Estonia with the Eurozone. The purpose of the working team, composed of the top leaders of the state, is the changeover of Estonia to the euro in the coming years, reported the Official website www.valitsus.ee.

“The most important objective of Estonia is the changeover to the Euro,” said the Prime Minister and stated that the current situation in the world economy has established a more favourable background for that. According to estimates, Estonia might have a chance to fulfil the inflation criteria in the coming years. However, the economic recession is jeopardising the fulfilment of the Maastricht budget criteria for Estonia. “The changeover to the Euro cannot be expected to happen on its own,” Andrus Ansip stressed and added that for that purpose, work must be done on a high political level as well.

The political Euro group working team led by the Prime Minister would include the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications, Chairmen of the coalition parties and factions of the Riigikogu, the President of the Bank of Estonia and the President of the Estonian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

In addition to the political level, a management team will start working at the Euro group, which will be engaged in the preparation and coordination of the implementation of the activities required for the fulfilment of the Maastricht criteria. The head of this working team will be Aare Jarva, the economic adviser of the Prime Minister.