This WEEK in the European Union

Spain's deficit troubles are likely to dominate the Brussels debate this week, as the statistics office is to publish the 2008-2011 figures for all EU member states on Monday (23 April).

The statistics are keenly awaited for the EU commission to recommend further steps in the so-called excessive deficit procedure against 23 out of EU's 27 member states. Spain's deficit in 2011 should have been 6.6 percent of GDP, but the new conservative government earlier this year said its predecessor...