L 11026 Official Journal of the European Union 29.4.2011 DECISIONS COUNCIL DECISION of 7 March 2011 amending Decision 2010/320/EU addressed to Greece with a view to reinforcing and deepening the fiscal surveillance and giving notice to Greece to take measures for the deficit reduction judged necessary to remedy the situation of excessive deficit (2011/257/EU) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 126(9) and Article 136 thereof, Having regard to the recommendation from the European Commission, Whereas: (1) Article 136(1)(a) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) foresees the possibility of adopting measures specific to the Member States whose currency is the euro with a view to strengthening the coordination and surveillance of their budgetary discipline. Article 126 TFEU establishes that Member States shall avoid excessive government deficits and sets out the excessive deficit procedure to that effect. The Stability and Growth Pact, which in its corrective arm implements the excessive deficit procedure, provides the framework supporting government policies for a prompt return to sound budgetary positions taking account of the economic situation. On 27 April 2009, the Council decided, in accordance with Article 104(6) of the Treaty establishing the European Community, that an excessive deficit existed in Greece. On 10 May 2010, the Council adopted Decision 2010/320/EU (') (hereinafter ‘the Decision’) addressed to Greece under Article 126(9) and Article 136 TFEU with a view to reinforcing and deepening the fiscal surveillance and giving notice to Greece to take measures for the deficit reduction judged necessary to remedy the situation of excessive deficit at the latest by the deadline of 2014. The Council established the following path for the deficit correction: government deficits not exceeding EUR 18 508 million in 2010, () O] L 145, 11.6.2010, p. 6. EUR 17 065 million in 2011, EUR 14 916 million in 2012, EUR 11 399 million in 2013 and EUR 6 385 million in 2014. According to the forecast available at the time the Council adopted the Decision, real GDP was expected to contract by 4% in 2010 and 2%, % in 2011, and recover afterwards, with growth rates of 1,1 % in 2012, and 2,1 % in 2013 and in 2014. GDP deflator was expected to be 1,2 %, — 0,5%, 1,0%, 0,7 % and 1,0 % for the years 2010 to 2014, respectively. Given economic developments, real GDP is now expected to contract by 4% % in 2010 and 3% in 2011 and recover afterwards with growth rates of 1,1 % in 2012, and 2,1 % in 2013 and in 2014. GDP deflators are now expected to be 3,0%, 1,6%, 0,4%, 0,8% and 1,2 % from 2010 to 2014, respectively. On 12 February 2011, Greece submitted to the Council and the Commission a report outlining the policy measures taken to comply with the Decision. The Commission assessed the report and concluded that Greece is satisfactorily complying with the Decision. However, the deficit target for 2011 must not be missed, as happened in 2010. In light of the above considerations, it appears appro- priate to amend the Decision in a number of respects, while keeping unchanged the deadline for the correction of the excessive deficit and the adjustment path for the government deficit and the increase of government debt in nominal terms, HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: Article 1 Decision 2010/320/EU is amended as follows: (1) in Article 2(4), point (c) is replaced by the following: ‘(c) the government clears payment of arrears accumulated in 2010 and reduces those of previous years;;