"As our citizens are heavily hit by the inflation and the energy crisis, we are determined to ensure tax justice, in order for companies to pay their fair share," France’s Minister of Economy and Finance Bruno Le Maire and visiting German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said in a joint statement on Thursday.

Le Maire and Lindner said that the two countries "share the view that our common European fiscal framework has a critical role to play in helping both rebuild fiscal buffers in Europe and promote investment in the climate and digital transitions."

They stressed the importance of "resilient and sustainable growth" in guaranteeing long-term fiscal sustainability.

Speaking of the current energy crisis, the two finance ministers pointed out the need for investments in Europe in order to reduce the EU’s energy dependencies, and tackle the energy, climate and digital transitions.

"We will keep on working jointly to reap the full potential of EU growth capacities, thus increasing our economic resilience and reducing our carbon footprint," they said.