June 19 (Bloomberg) -- European Union leaders spotted the first signs of a “sustainable economic recovery” from the worst slump since World War II and started planning to roll back budget deficits piled up to combat the financial crisis.
In a draft statement at today’s summit in Brussels, the 27 EU heads of state and government said the looming end of the recession makes additional stimulus unnecessary, adding that it is time to start hatching an “exit strategy.” They also agreed to overhaul financial regulation after banking supervision failed to contain the crisis sparked in the U.S. housing market.
“Further budgetary stimulus would not be warranted and attention should shift toward consolidation, keeping pace with economic recovery,” the leaders said in the draft, which was obtained by Bloomberg News. “There is a clear need for a reliable and credible exit strategy.”
The EU leaders’ outlook is more upbeat than that struck last week at a meeting of Group of Eight finance ministers, which ended with a statement noting “signs of stabilization in our economies.” U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said at those talks that “it’s too early to shift toward policy restraint.”