The Greek economy, having achieved high growth rates until 2008, showed signs of recession in 2009 as a result of the global financial crisis, and from 2010 onwards the recession intensified considerably due to country’s fiscal imbalances. The need for consolidation led the country to embark on a trilateral mechanism of financial support, comprised of the EU, the IMF and the ECB. The restrictive income policy and drastic limitation on public expenses during the past three years have had a negative impact on GDP growth, leading to its decrease by 4.9% in 2010, 7.1% in 2011, and 6.4% in 2012 (constant prices of year 2005). For 2013, it is estimated that the decrease of GDP will continue at 4.4% (Εurostat, 02/13), while for 2014 the Greek economy is expected to return to growth rates of 0.6%.