The European Commission is setting out a roadmap for deepening the Economic and Monetary Union, including concrete steps to be taken over the next 18 months.

A number of initiatives were also presented as part of this package. The overall aim is to enhance the unity, efficiency and democratic accountability of Europe's Economic and Monetary Union by 2025.

Deepening the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) is a means to an end: more jobs, growth, investment, social fairness and macroeconomic stability. The roadmap reflects remaining challenges and sets out a way ahead.

President Juncker said: "After years of crises, it's now time to take Europe's future into our own hands. Today's robust economic growth encourages us to move ahead to ensure that our Economic and Monetary Union is more united, efficient and democratic, and that it works for all of our citizens. There is no better time to fix the roof than when the sun is shining."

This comes as a Flash Eurobarometer on the euro area, published on Wednesday, shows that 64% of citizens in the euro area think that the euro is a good thing.

This was an increase of eight percentage points compared to last year and the highest score since the surveys began in 2002.

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