ROME- Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said on Wednesday that new European Union rules on public finances should offer incentives for member states to increase investments.
Addressing the lower house of parliament, Draghi said EU talks on how to revise its Stability Pact ought to produce rules that allow countries to adopt more anti-cyclical policies, meaning they can spend more in bad economic times.
"We will have to concentrate above all on a strong boost to economic growth, which is also the best way to ensure the sustainability of public finances," Draghi said in answer to lawmakers' questions.
"In particular, we have to offer incentives to investments, especially to encourage the digital and ecological transformation."
(Reporting by Gavin Jones and Giuseppe Fonte, editing by Crispian Balmer) ((crispian.balmer@thomsonreuters.com; Reuters Messaging: crispian.balmer.reuters.com@reuters.net))
