Immediate support for the.............>

EU COMMISSION: Immediate support for the Merkel/Macron plan (see 1606BST

bullet)from Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. 

- Her office issues statement saying "I welcome the constructive proposal made

by France and Germany. It acknowledges the scope and the size of the economic

challenge that Europe faces, and rightly puts the emphasis on the need to work

on a solution with the European budget at its core."

- Adds "The Commission is convinced that the economic recovery strategy has to

base itself on three different pillars that operate together:

--1: "the immediate measures that were taken to enable Member States to support

the economy, in the form mainly of the flexible State Aid framework and the

triggering of the escape clause of the Stability and Growth Pact, as well as the

support provided by the ECB and the EIB

--2: the EUR540 billion of loans in various forms that form the heart of the

Eurogroup's response, including the Commission's SURE Programme.

--3: and the Multiannual Financial Framework topped up by the Recovery

Instrument, that the Commission will adopt next week."