The European Union's statistics agency, Eurostat, on Monday said Greece's fiscal deficit fell to 2.6 pct of the country's Gross Domestic Product last year, below the 3.0 pct limit of the Maastricht Treaty.

Eurostat, in an announcement, said the Greek fiscal deficit totaled 5.1 billion euros in 2006, or 2.6 pct of GDP, from 5.5 pct in 2005 (9.9 billion), 7.9 pct in 2004 (13.3 bln) and 6.2 pct in 2003 (9.6 bln euros).

Hungary (9.2 pct), Italy (4.4 pct), Poland (3.9 pct), Portugal (3.9 pct) and Slovakia (3.4 pct) recorded the biggest fiscal deficits in 2006, while Denmark (4.2 pct), Finland (3.9 pct), Estonia (3.8 pct) and Bulgaria (3.3 pct) recorded fiscal surpluses last year.
Greece's public debt eased to 104.6 percent of GDP in 2006 (204.2 bln euros), from 107.5 pct (194.6 bln) in 2005, 108.5 pct (182.7 bln) in 2004 and 107.8 pct (167.7 bln euros) in 2003.

Eurostat said public spending in Greece totaled 46.1 pct of GDP in 2006, slightly up from a 45.8 pct average rate in the Eurozone.

Source: Athens News Agency

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