BRUSSELS (AFP) ? European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso on Tuesday suggested the EU agree "emergency" measures to pump up the Greek economy by swiftly unlocking up to a billion euros from the bloc's budget.
The aid would complement the tens of billions in international loans already poured into Greece by the European Union and International Monetary Fund to help the country meet its debt payments and finance its budget.
"I'd like to ask the European Council to discuss what we can do to assist Greece beyond its consolidation efforts to enhance competitiveness and address the urgent problem, unemployment," Barroso said at a news conference held ahead of an EU summit, or council, Thursday and Friday.
He said "one billion euros are available" of fresh money that Greece can access under European Union funds budgeted to help bring poorer regions in line with the rest of the 27-nation union -- so-called regional and cohesion funds.
"We should concentrate these funds on where it matters most now, on improving competitiveness and employment. We should coordinate them, find a way to frontload and accelerate them so that Greece gets the benefit now," he said.
"This is an offer we should make to Greece," said Barroso, but "we should provide such assistance under tight supervision".
In Athens on Monday the Greek chamber of commerce urged the EU to unlock monies from the regional and cohesion funds but estimated the potential at 20 billion euros.
The funds, often used for infrastructure and economic projects, require a nation to provide a percentage of the cost of each project. But cash-strapped Greece currently is unable to put forward its share in any project, so cannot access funding.
An EU source said Brussels could advance the monies with Greece paying back its share at a later date.
German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble too is suggesting "new growth perspectives" for Greece by helping it develop solar energy for export to Germany, which is scrapping nuclear power.
"Greece has many more sunlight hours a year than Germany and could export electricity to us," he said in an interview to be published Wednesday in the weekly Die Zeit.
On Saturday, Eurogroup head Jean-Claude Juncker too suggested the EU buy extra breathing space for Greece.
"I don't understand -- but perhaps I'm too naive -- this European perversity under which, when we provide major funds under our regional and cohesion policy, we continue to insist on (Greece's) co-financing obligations," he said.
"We should change the rules," he added. "It would provide oxygen to Greece and it could lean on these policies to develop its infrastructures and increase its growth potential."
Juncker said that in the case of Greece, which receives around three billion euros a year from the funds, Europe must accompany its demand for "rigour, vital to the country's economic survival, with a message of hope".
Barroso meanwhile warned Greece to stick to the four-year austerity plan demanded of Athens by the EU and IMF in return for financial rescue.
"There is no alternative" to the plan that goes to the Greek parliament for approval on June 28. "To think there is a B plan is false."
"The EU and IMF will not back another plan," he added. "Everyone must take their responsibilities."
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