Greece facing strict surveillance from Brussels

The European Commission has said it fully supports the Greek government's deficit-cutting plan announced last month, but outlined a strict surveillance programme at the same time to ensure targets are met.

The EU executive body also issued Greece with recommendations under the bloc's excessive deficit procedure, and used Article 121 of the Lisbon Treaty for the first time to push for badly needed structural reforms.

"We are endorsing the Greek programme, we are giving confidence ...