19. Highlights the Commission's estimate that EU-27 public debt on average will rise to 84 per cent or more in 2011, despite 'fiscal consolidation' efforts of member states; points out that recent developments on a possible failure of Greece to avoid bankruptcy could trigger a 'worst case scenario' of further member states failing on debt, thus blowing the euro-zone to pieces; considers that there is an urgent need to develop a 'plan B' for countering such a scenario, based on a policy mix of negotiating a cancellation and reshuffling of public debt with banks and financial institutions and als ...[+++]o bold steps for unconventional measures of the ECB to expand its balance sheet and to monetize debt by purchasing sovereign bonds through its 'structural operations' toolkit, in order to avoid economic collapse;

8. Highlights the Commission's estimate that EU-27 public debt on average will rise to 84 per cent or more in 2011, despite 'fiscal consolidation' efforts of Member States; points out that recent developments on a possible failure of Greece to avoid bankruptcy could trigger a 'worst case scenario' of further Member States failing on debt, thus blowing the euro-zone to pieces; considers that there is an urgent need to develop a 'plan B' for countering such a scenario, based on a policy mix of negotiating a cancellation and reshuffling of public debt with banks and financial institutions and also ...[+++] bolder steps for unconventional measures of the ECB to expand its balance sheet and to monetize debt by purchasing sovereign bonds through its 'structural operations' toolkit, in order to avoid economic collapse;

35. Is of the opinion that all financial derivatives that concern public finances in the EU (including sovereign debt of Members States and local administration balance sheets) must be standardised and traded on exchange or other regulated trading platforms in order to promote transparency of derivatives markets for the public;

We need to create fair trade opportunities for the developing countries, while reducing debt, mobilising more financial resources (official development aid, including debt relief, which represented 0,33% of donors' GNP in 1992, declined to 0,22% by 1998, while the ODA target of 0,7% of GNP reconfirmed in Rio is far from being met) and launching a New Round of multilateral trade negotiations.

It also deals with the operations of the government itself - for example, debt management, income tax administration, First Nations taxation, and public service pensions and collective bargaining.

When you look at that economy, the ups and downs, the extent of the public debt, to what degree does that factor into our negotiations and forecasts for growth?