EU leaders call on G-20 for more joint action

[October 31, 2011]  BRUSSELS (AP) -- Two European Union leaders have called on the upcoming G-20 summit of wealthy and developing countries to build on EU plans to stabilize the debt-burdened eurozone and further boost the global recovery.

EU Council President Herman Van Rompuy and Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso wrote in a letter to G-20 leaders that there was "continued need for joint action" to get the world economy back on track.

A three-pronged deal reached last Thursday by the EU appears to have met expectations for some kind of major action, and stock markets rallied in Europe and around the world in response. The EU plan retools the eurozone's underpowered bailout fund, calls on banks to take 50 percent losses on Greek bonds, and orders them to raise euro106 billion ($150 billion) in new capital by June.

The buoyant mood could be short-lived if G-20 leaders do not use their summit in Cannes, France, on Thursday and Friday to build on those achievements, the two leaders said in their letter.

"Whilst we in Europe will play our part, this cannot alone ensure global recovery and rebalanced growth. There is a continued need for joint action by all G20 partners," the letter, sent out on Saturday, said.

"More needs to be done at the global level. Many of the distortions underlying the large pre-crisis imbalances are still to be addressed," the two warned.

U.S. President Barack Obama has already said the European plan to tackle the its debt crisis would have an impact on the U.S. economy, but stopped short of saying whether it would be enough to prevent another global recession.

[Associated Press; By RAF CASERT]

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