It is "imperative" to implement the decisions taken by Heads of State and Government of the euro zone in July to resolve the debt crisis of the Greek said Monday Jean-Claude Trichet, president of the Central Bank (ECB).
European stock markets were down sharply again Monday because of growing doubts about the application of the support plan for Greece developed at the summit on 21 July.
"It is clear that we absolutely need an immediate and imperative that all these decisions are implemented immediately," said Jean-Claude Trichet at a conference of the Institut Montaigne, a "think tank" in Paris.
"One of the strongest recommendations," he said, "is to implement the most comprehensive and rigorous as possible, so no doubt, decisions which have been taken."
The plan of July 21, supposed to give the euro area financial and institutional resources that would enable it to avoid contagion Greek throughout the euro area, must, to come out, be ratified by parliament each of the signatory countries.
But the political obstacles to such ratification have multiplied in recent weeks.Finland wishes and its contribution to the plan is guaranteed by Greek and Athens, Slovakia, the vote of the parliament could only take place in December.
These uncertainties prevent an immediate strengthening of the financial resources of the European Financial Stability (EFSF), which must be able to buy government bonds to support countries in need.
"WE ARE HALFWAY"
Jean-Claude Trichet said more broadly in the global goal to increase "resilience" of individual entities, financial institutions, banks and financial system, "we are half way" .
"We see that we have made significant progress," he said, citing the progress made in the G20, the Financial Stability Forum and the Basel rules on capital III of financial institutions under discussion.
"All our experience leads us to believe that we must implement what was decided and certainly not think that could shake the hand, it would probably be the biggest mistake we can do," he said.
"There are still many things to do, particularly at the Basle Committee, the Financial Stability Forum and the G20 level, particularly with regard to systemic global institutions and national and non-banks."
Jean-Claude Trichet referred again to the slopes for the medium-and long-term European governance.
It is thus, in his opinion, possible to imagine the future that decisions are taken "from the center of the single market to single currency" when a country is unable to implement the recommendations persistent.
Even further in the future, it is possible to imagine the creation of a European confederation, with a confederal government, including a European Minister of Finance.
Jean-Claude Trichet on the other hand raised the issue "important" the need for continuing structural reforms in Europe to increase the growth potential of the continent, citing in particular the Lisbon agenda for growth.