19/10/2010 (Agence Europe) - There was broad agreement at the ECOFIN Council on 19 October on the Presidency compromise relating to the draft directive on administrative cooperation in taxation (see EUROPE 10237). Nevertheless, ministers agreed to continue to discuss this issue with a view to achieving unanimous agreement at the next Council meeting in November. Some member states demanded that some technical points be reviewed, relating mainly to the availability and range of the information to be exchanged and on the balance to be achieved between member states. The Presidency compromise provides initially for automatic exchange of “available” information, some member states not being far enough advanced in information gathering, then, within three years, a review of the categories of income targeted in the plan and the information exchange conditions, so as not to hinder those member states which want to make more rapid progress. The most significant progress came from Luxembourg, which, having submitted various objections, agreed the compromise in principle and accepted that this issue be dissociated from the others in the package. EUROPE will return to this. (F.G./transl.rt)